Bourne Mansion Wedding in Oakdale, Long Island NY

Some venues feel like a movie set, and Bourne Mansion is one of them. The Gilded Age estate in Oakdale, on Long Island's South Shore, has columns, fountains, sweeping lawns and a ballroom crowned by a glass dome. On a bright June day, it was the perfect backdrop for a wedding full of laughter from the first look to the last dance.

Bourne Mansion's columned entrance and fountain in Oakdale, Long Island

The bride's gown, layered with soft ruffles, waited in a window of one of the mansion's grand rooms while she and her bridesmaids got ready.

Ruffled wedding gown hanging in a tall window between damask walls and sconces

A first look under the trees

The couple chose a first look by a stone balustrade on the grounds, with dappled light filtering through the leaves. She walked up, he turned around, and the smiles said everything.

Bride and groom seeing each other for the first time by a stone balustrade

Bride and groom embracing under the trees during their first look

Bride and groom walking hand in hand along a tree-lined path

Seeing each other before the ceremony meant plenty of relaxed time together afterward. We wandered the lawns for a few more portraits of the two of them, then gathered the wedding party in front of the mansion.

Bride and groom walking hand in hand across the open lawn

Groom holding the bride's hands in the garden at Bourne Mansion

Wedding party on the lawn in front of Bourne Mansion

Wedding party walking across the lawn with Bourne Mansion behind them

Bride with her bridesmaids in blush and ivory gowns

Groom with his groomsmen in navy suits on the lawn

Then we headed inside to the mansion's wood-paneled library for family portraits, all before a single guest had taken a seat.

Family portrait in the wood-paneled library at Bourne Mansion

Bride and groom with their parents in the mansion's library

A ceremony on the great lawn

A string trio played as guests took their seats on the lawn, facing a flower-covered arch with nothing but open sky and green fields behind it.

String trio playing before the outdoor ceremony

It is one of the most striking ceremony settings on Long Island, and the late-afternoon sun made it glow.

Guests gathered on the great lawn for the ceremony under a clear blue sky

Bride and groom exchanging vows under the floral arch

Newlyweds walking back down the aisle as guests celebrate

The details

Inside, the ballroom was transformed with tall trees of greenery, candlelit tables, garden roses and monogrammed menus beneath the glass dome.

Monogrammed menu card on a reception place setting

Tall tree centerpiece over a reception table in the ballroom

Domed ballroom at Bourne Mansion set for the reception

Candlelit reception tables with roses and hydrangeas

Cocktail hour and sunset

Guests gathered under crystal chandeliers for cocktail hour, with live piano and bass filling the room.

Pianist and bassist playing during cocktail hour

Guests mingling under a crystal chandelier during cocktail hour

Meanwhile, we pulled the couple outside for a few minutes as the sun set over the estate, when the light turns warm and the mansion's columns start to glow.

Bride and groom embracing in golden light on the grounds

Bride and groom walking in front of Bourne Mansion's glowing columns at sunset

Bride's gown flowing as the couple walks across the lawn at sunset

A night in the ballroom

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for: the newlyweds' grand entrance, with the whole room on its feet cheering them in.

Guests cheering as the bride and groom make their entrance into the ballroom

Their first dance under the glass dome was just as beautiful, with family and friends circled around them.

First dance under the glass dome of the Bourne Mansion ballroom

From there it was toasts, laughter, a live band and a dance floor that never emptied. Before the night was over, we slipped outside one last time under a deep blue sky.