Sands Point Preserve sits on Long Island‘s North Shore, with over 200 acres of cliffs, forests, meadows, and beach along Long Island Sound, anchored by the Hempstead House, a 50,000-square-foot Tudor mansion from the Gold Coast era.
It is pretty much my favorite venue on Long Island, and not for the reason people assume.
Why I love it here
It is the sheer number of places to photograph, inside and outside, and the way the light moves through the building over the course of a day.
Rooms that are unremarkable at noon become the best room in the house at five, so each space gets its turn. Most venues have two or three good spots, and you work them all day.
At the wedding I shot here most recently, we spent two hours on portraits. It could have been four, and I still would not have run out of places to go.
The getting ready rooms
There are a lot of getting-ready rooms here, and every single one has incredible light. I have never worked anywhere else with multiple getting-ready spaces that all actually work. Usually there is one good room, and everyone else gets a hallway with a mirror.
Practically, that means both people getting ready can have a real space, families can spread out, and nobody is fighting over the one window.
The ceremony
Ceremonies happen on the lawn behind the house, facing the Long Island Sound. Water behind you, the mansion behind your guests.
If it rains, there is ample room to move inside, which is not something every outdoor venue on Long Island can honestly say. More on what happens if it rains.
The reception
Dinner happens in the sunken area, and then dancing moves in front of the fireplace. Two distinct rooms in what is really one space, which changes the feel of the night without anyone having to relocate.
The photo locations
The Winter Garden and Palm Court
One of my favorite spaces at this venue. A glass-paneled roof, lush indoor greenery, and natural light diffused through the glass in a way that creates something soft and almost otherworldly. It is an indoor garden, so you get the botanical beauty without the weather dependency. For first looks and quiet portraits, it is extraordinary.
The grand staircase and entrance hall
Rich wood paneling, ornate detail, a sweeping staircase with the scale to take portraits of every size. Wedding party, family formals, couple portraits. It photographs exactly as you would expect from a building of this pedigree.
The lawn behind the house
This is where we went for sunset at the last wedding I shot here. Long Island Sound behind you and the whole sky doing its thing.
The front of the house
Underused, and there are a lot of good locations out here. If the back lawn is set for a ceremony or cocktail hour, the front gives you an entirely separate set of options without leaving the property.
The terraces and grounds
The terraces look over the gardens and the Sound. Expansive lawns, mature trees, manicured gardens. The property has the scale to host a large group without feeling crowded, plus enough small pockets for privacy.
The beach and cliffside
The preserve runs down to the Sound, with rugged cliffs above the water and a beach below. The contrast between the geology and the house’s formal architecture is part of what makes this place what it is.
The Rose Garden
A formal garden, best in May and June when the roses are at full bloom.
The interior rooms
The library, the living rooms, and the historic bedrooms are full of period furnishings and detail. More intimate than the grand public spaces, and useful for the quieter parts of a day.
The history
Built in 1912 as part of the Howard Gould estate, the Hempstead House became a Guggenheim property in the late 1920s. After Daniel Guggenheim died, his wife Florence used the estate as a sanctuary for refugee artists and intellectuals fleeing Europe during the Second World War. Nassau County operates it now as a public venue and preserve.
Forty rooms across three floors, with wood paneling, handcrafted plaster ceilings, and ornate fireplaces throughout.
A building where Florence Guggenheim sheltered European intellectuals carries a weight that shows up in photographs without anyone reaching for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hempstead House?
127 Middle Neck Road in Sands Point, on the North Shore of Long Island, about 25 miles from Midtown Manhattan.
What is the difference between Hempstead House and Sands Point Preserve?
Sands Point Preserve is the 200-acre property. Hempstead House is the Tudor mansion on it, and it is where weddings happen. Castle Gould is a separate building on the same grounds.
Where does the ceremony take place?
On the lawn behind the house, facing the Long Island Sound.
What happens if it rains?
There is ample indoor space to move the ceremony inside. This is one of the venues where the rain plan is real, not theoretical.
How many getting ready rooms are there?
Several, and unusually, they all have excellent light. This is the venue I point to when couples ask why getting ready space matters.
Where does the reception happen?
Dinner in the sunken area, then dancing in front of the fireplace.
How much time do we need for portraits here?
More than you think, and you will be glad you took it. Two hours barely covered it at the last wedding I shot here. If your timeline allows three, take three.
What are the best photo locations at Hempstead House?
The Winter Garden for soft interior light. The grand staircase for formal portraits. The back lawn for sunset over the Sound. The front of the house, which most people overlook. The cliffside. The Rose Garden in May and June.
What is the light like?
It moves, and that is the appeal. The Winter Garden holds soft light all day. The terraces and grounds face west, so late afternoon on the Sound goes warm. Interior rooms take on the ambient quality of a historic building with original windows, and different rooms peak at different hours.
What time of year is best?
Late spring through early fall. The Rose Garden peaks in May and June. Summer gives you long evenings. Fall brings foliage through the preserve’s woods and a different light on the water. The venue runs year-round, but the outdoor spaces are best from May through October.
How many guests can it hold?
It handles a range of sizes across the indoor and outdoor spaces. Confirm current capacity with the preserve for your date and configuration.
Have you photographed here before?
Yes, and I would come back tomorrow. If your wedding is here, I would love to hear about it.
If your wedding is at Hempstead House
Give yourself more portrait time than you think you need, and then add some.
Get in touch. For more on the rest of the island, see my Long Island wedding photographer page and my guide to Long Island wedding venues.
