Soundview Caterers - Waterfront Wedding Venue Long Island — Attraction in Town of Oyster Bay

Soundview is such a hidden gem, and a great place to have a party. I love how there’s no packages, and everything is just one set price for any time of day. Top shelf being the only option. They have many finishing touches that make the place amazing such as free up lighting, live streaming, mirrored TV’s, wedding cake included, signature drink, champagne entrance, “no admin fees”, one wedding at a time.

I don’t know what the Soundview pricing guide states to date but when I signed, I signed a form that stated “suggested matre d fee 10%”. When it came time to pay, Soundview stated that MUST pay the 10% fee. This went against the contract- yet I was forced to pay it even after discussions with management. Michael, the owner compensated with a nice gesture- which was very kind. However, I was still disappointed because the gesture was not able to take the place of Soundview not adhering to the contract. I wanted my contractual agreement to be honored and I was coerced into doing something against my will as well as against the contract. This was especially disappointing being that the lack of admin fee was an influencer in the decision to book The Soundview.

My fiancé wanted a destination wedding and that was unable to happen. We attempted to make our wedding at Soundview feel as “destination” as possible. With that being said, it wasn’t until after my wedding was over that I learned that guests were not allowed to access the waterfront during the reception. This was disappointing because the place is literally called sound view- yet you’re not allowed to view the sound? I would have liked to know this information prior to booking.

Overall Soundview exceeded my expectations in many ways such as adding some decorations and candles to the sweetheart table that were not mine to elevate the total look and feel of the place. We shared that crème brûlée was our favorite desert. They surprised us with obtaining crème brûlée and getting it to the groom and myself for desert. Incredibly thoughtful! The food was amazing, and cocktail hour was great.

Diego- Matre d was totally amazing and accommodating leading up to the party and throughout. He gave me his cell number and would text me, answering any questions I had! He has a great personality and tried his best to ensure everything went smoothly the day of. He was an integral part of the day.

Ada - Bridal attendant- helping me in every way from the moment we pulled up to the property to the moment I left. She bustled my dress in record time. This was so important to me because I didn’t waste valuable time bustling. She was truly experienced with this.

In the same way Soundview also fell short of expectations. All of the aspects which led to me saying the venue exceeded my expectations by them existing where the aspects that fell short of my expeditions by these things malfunctioning or not materializing in some way. Such as: live-streaming not being accesible by guests not playing cocktail hour music as requested mirror TV issue- 2 not working forgetting to decorate the cake with flower - the cake is pictured in my photos and videos without the flower. This was very disappointing some other decorating issue happened- the Mr. & Mrs. Sign on the sweetheart table was placed on the table as Mrs. & Mr. This is in my photos and videos and was very disappointing. Signature drink was not a layered shot as expected- I shared photo and directions and was told the drink would be possible. I typed out all of the directions, and also verbally went over them, but somehow these details were missed. I asked for the uplighting to be orange many times, and it kept changing from orange to other colors. Another couple made custom made napkins, and they were put out during our event. Owner went against the contracted agreement and forced me to pay a 10% matre d fee 10 days before the wedding which was not agreed upon or consented.

It took a lot of time out of my night to keep asking for these changes to be made and keep on top of...

🔴I have a lot of shocking feedback about this place 🔴 *Note: I took down my review and I re-uploaded after NO APOLOGY or accountability from the business for their actions. They acted defensive instead of being sorry and had asked me to delete my review, which I complied to and did.

I am furious and utterly disgusted with the appalling service and incompetence we endured at your venue during our recent event. What was supposed to be a joyous and memorable occasion turned into an absolute disaster. I cannot even begin to express how disrespectful and unprofessional your staff were to our guests, and how miserably inadequate the food and service were.

Here are the details of our experience:

🔴 MAJOR: REFUSING A 9 MONTH PREGNANT WOMAN TO USE THE BRIDAL SUITE RESTROOM, AND SHE HAD TO WALK ALL THE WAY DOWN THE STAIRS EVEN AFTER SHE ASKED TO USE THE BRIDAL SUITE RESTROOM.

Inadequate and Disrespectful Food Service

The lack of food for our guests was nothing short of insulting. Appetizers were an embarrassing joke—just a few scraps of cheese, tomatoes, and salad. Meanwhile, the bride and groom received the only decent portions, while the rest of the guests were left hungry and frustrated. Dinner was barely enough to feed half of our guests. When my father asked your staff to replenish, he was rudely told there was “enough food” when it was clear there wasn’t. This is absolutely unacceptable. Our guests left starving and furious, and I will never forget the embarrassment this caused.

Rude, Dismissive, and Hostile Staff

The staff at your venue was not only unhelpful, but they were also downright hostile. They treated our family with complete disdain. My father repeatedly asked to speak with a manager, and was met with sarcastic, condescending responses like, “What do you need?” and a snappy attitude. The sheer rudeness of your staff is beyond belief and should not be tolerated in any professional setting.

Cake at 11:30 PM and No Desserts

The cake was served at 11:30 PM, well after the majority of our guests had already left the venue. On top of that, there were no desserts available until my father had to forcefully remind your staff. This should have been handled long before. This poor timing and lack of basic attention to detail completely ruined the experience for everyone.

Unbelievable Understaffing and Bar Chaos

Your bar was severely understaffed—one bartender for a packed crowd is insane. When my father asked for another staff member, he was told “one person is enough.” Unbelievable. Then, to top it off, when a celebrity guest and family members arrived at the bar, the bartender was incredibly rude, aggressively shaking a bottle and loudly declaring, “We’re all out!” And worst of all, she was drunk herself. This behavior is completely unprofessional, and I can’t believe it was allowed to happen.

My grandmother Catherine and my grandfather Shri paid you an immense amount for this event with the expectation that it’ll be pleasant. Yet with them being the guests of honor from our family, they were denied a simple glass of wine. This is enraging.

Aggressive and Disrespectful Staff Behavior

Throughout the evening, your staff acted with complete disregard for our guests. They started taking full plates off tables before people had even finished eating and even took the utensils. This is utterly disrespectful and shows a complete lack of training or concern for guest satisfaction. If this is how your venue operates, you should seriously reconsider your staffing practices.

Conclusion: Our guests left angry, hungry, and embarrassed—and so did we. The food was flavorless, the portions were laughable, and the service was horrendous. I can’t believe how unprepared your staff was to handle a simple event. You are running a facility that is completely mismanaged, and the level of disrespect we encountered is unforgivable. This has been one of the worst experiences my family and guests ever had, and I will make sure this feedback is...

August 6th, 2016. Soundview Caterers…you made my dream come true! But, let me go back a little first. When you’re a little girl and you dream about your wedding day, you dream about the man and the dress. You may even dream about a horse-drawn carriage ride. But, you could NEVER dream up the day my husband and I had – and it is with sincere love and gratitude that we thank our new friends and “family” at Soundview Caterers for that. Where should I begin? Well, for starters, my husband Eric and I found Soundview by doing a search for Long Island wedding venues that held only one event at a time. This was important, especially to me. I didn’t want to be one of two, three, even four brides…I wanted to be THE BRIDE. After all, I was only going to have this day once in my life, I figured I deserved as much. Another non-negotiable was carpeting! YUCK! I was ONLY going to get married at a venue with hardwood floors. Carpeting and food should never be together! And, so, I wound up at Soundview Caterers. One event at a time. Hardwood floors (brand-new might I add). It was the first of thirteen halls Eric and I looked at. Truth be told, I wanted to stop as soon as I saw Soundview and met Michael. First impression: Drop dead gorgeous! “This is where I want to get married!!!” Right on the Long Island Sound, breathtaking view. Brand-new!!! Ballroom: Hardwood floors, cream-colored walls, white accents, chandeliers. It was everything I wanted and more. Cocktail hour leading out to a patio. Stone walkway leading to a ceremony space. Gazebo. Again…that view! I was getting married in Church, but the space outside, even if just for photos…amazing!!! When we sat down with Michael, I could hardly contain my excitement. After going over menu options and pricing, I had made up my mind for the fifth time since we’d gotten there. Michael, the owner (and subsequently a new member of my family) said he wanted us to go look at other places. That the first place shouldn’t be the only place we look. And I thought…WHAT?!?! Why would he want us to look elsewhere? Basically he wanted us to see what else was out there and that, if we made the decision he thought we would, we’d be back. And…he was right! He knew we’d be back!!! There was nothing not to love! Thirteen halls later and an additional trip to Soundview in the middle where I met Aldiana (one of Michael’s Daughters and my go-to-girl for all things Soundview), I was certain we had found our wedding venue. And, as I said earlier, my dream came true on Saturday, August 6th 2016, our Wedding Day. I made sure to take it all in. Someone had given me that advice. Our arrival: The red carpet, champagne toast to greet us, the foyer with tables displaying pictures of Eric and me (you can customize the venue however you like…remember, YOU are the ONLY event!), the Ballroom!!! Exquisite! Our cocktail hour and main courses…our guests are still calling us to rave about the food! The drinks that kept on flowing! Our guests were happy and we were over-the-moon. From ushering the guests into the ballroom after cocktail hour, making sure the bridal party was in place for their entrance, Michael’s golf-cart ride to take photos at sunset, and ALLLLLLLL that was in-between, I am forever grateful. It was the wedding of a lifetime! I’d say I’m someone who makes smart decisions and choosing Soundview for our wedding is a decision I will never regret! I chose the right husband and I chose the right venue! I am one lucky girl!!! My heartfelt love and gratitude to the staff at Soundview Caterers, especially Michael, Aldiana, Mia, Nick, Christina, Fredo, and everyone else. My husband would like to give an extra special shout-out from his friends to the bartenders! Michael, I will never forget my wedding day, how beautiful it was, and how much of that I owe to you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I love you all!!! To all the engaged couples out there…choose Soundview Caterers! It will be everything you...