Riviera Waterfront Mansion Reviews

My wife and I got married at The Riviera in Mid-September. It really was a dream come true. They were great to work with, answered all of our questions, and helped with any request we wanted. Very detailed oriented and helped made our special day a reality. The preferred vendors they have are great to work with and communication was great.

The Riviera made our wedding dreams come true! We were looking for a venue that had a unique look and feel and was on the water. As soon as we saw The Riviera’s stunning ballroom with the balcony we were sold! From the moment we walked in the door we immediately felt like family. The staff is incredible and they were so accommodating to ensure that we had the perfect wedding day. The entire banquet team was great to work with throughout the process and there was no need to hire a wedding coordinator because they handled everything. Julie was our maitre de and Christina was our bridal attendant they were the best and made sure that we were fed, hydrated and having the best time. The weather was touch and go for us that day and we weren’t sure if it was going to rain but they were so flexible and waited until the last possible second for us to decide where to hold the ceremony and the weather ended up being perfect. It was so great having that flexibility. The food was incredible! Our guests raved about it all night. We also used all of their preferred vendors so everything executed flawlessly. We highly recommend The Riviera to anyone looking for a stunning venue on LI. They are best in class all around

My wife and I chose the Riviera Waterfront Mansion for our wedding in August of 2023. We only looked at two venues but the Riviera stood out right away because of its beautiful chalet-like banquet hall with lots of outdoor lighting and exposed brick. The place was even more beautiful on our wedding day.

What stood out to me the most about the Riviera was the staff. Our assistants for the night, Megan and Maria, were absolutely fantastic. They always seemed to be around with a new drink, or to help with the brides dress or even to get some wine stains out of my shirt! They were fantastic and the rest of the staff from the people serving food to our bartenders were really attentive and fast with the requests - there were many nice touches including the staff setting up grab and go his/her cocktail drinks prior to the start of cocktail hour - which helped to keep the lines moving (this small touch is something i've never actually seen at other peoples weddings).

What surprised me most about the staff is how it rained all day, the night of our wedding yet somehow by 530pm (when the rain had passed), every chair for the ceremony and the outdoor cocktail hour setup seemed completely dry as if the rain never happened at all. The attention to details, the efficiency, and the level of service we received was far far beyond the expectations either of us had.

The Riviera recommended the band we used for the night and they were a huge hit as well. The acoustics are great and people danced all night.

Weddings are crazy expensive but as a whole, we felt that we got great value for the cost as the staffs service was truly grade-A. Nobody was hungry. Everybody was happy. The Riviera is a great place and we have zero regrets about our choice.

We had our wedding back in March 3/25/23 and it was everything we could have asked for! They were always willing to help and answer our questions and come the day of the wedding forget about it.. they were beyond amazing! I didn’t have to think about a single thing because it was all taken care of, through out the entire night. We highly recommend The Riviera!!

We had our wedding at the Riviera this August and it was an absolute dream. The staff went above and beyond to make sure our wedding was special. The maitre d made sure our guests were well taken care of. I would highly recommend this venue! The rustic decor is so beautiful as well as the water views. Also they only host one wedding at a time so it really allows you to enjoy the property!

I had my wedding of 170 at the Riviera on 10/29/22.

Having not found a venue a few weeks into our search and feeling like we were getting the same cookie cutter catering halls and venues, my mother and sister, both RN's, made the suggestion to look into The Riviera having received some great feedback from coworkers.

From the minute we stepped into the venue we knew that this was THE PLACE. Not only did we fall in love with the beautiful venue but their staff was absolutely amazing, answering any and every question we had and making us feel as if we were not just another wedding they were fitting into a time slot.

Another selling point for us: Almost all of their staff and management has been there for over 15 years.

After we booked our date, we continued to receive amazing support with every phone call and email being answered within a 24hr period, something we very much appreciated.

As the date fast approached, they were absolutely amazing with handling all of our special requests and extreme levels of detail (We knew we were "High Maintenance")

We had FDNY Bagpipes for our entrance, heater deliveries, an Irish band at cocktail hour, special requests for setting up our bars and cigar stations, several changes to our seating and table arrangements, elderly that needed to be served drinks at the tables, the list goes on......

The bottom line, we received THE ABSOLUTE BEST service, there was not one detail missed, the food was amazing, they treated all of our vendors and musicians amazingly.

We are still getting calls and texts that our wedding was the best that anyone has been to. Seriously, as I am writing this review Saturday afternoon after a group of friends attended a sub-par wedding on Friday.

12 out of 10 - food, liquor, table service, speed of bartenders, ambiance, bridal attendant, Maitre d and management.

Thank you so much for making our day amazing!!!!

With Love,

Tom and Lauren

Our guests raved about the service, the food (especially the duck and roast suckling pig!), the view of the water, and the beautiful ballroom! My husband and I wanted to include Filipino traditions in our ceremony, and they were happy to work with us! We also had guests with dietary restrictions and allergies, and Irene was happy to make note and accommodate. Overall, the wedding day itself went smoothly, thanks to Megan, Tara, and Christina! Megan, our maitre d, kept us calm and kept things running smoothly with any hiccups that came up. Christina made sure we were hydrated, fed, and happy! Our immediate families and bridal party in particular felt very well taken care of, but really all attendees complimented the staff and bartenders for being fun and attentive! Everyone had a great time.

I wish there were 10 stars to give because that is truly what this venue deserves. Had my wedding there on 10/10/21 and the entire day was absolutely magical. Top to bottom they were absolutely amazing to work with. From the fantastic views, to the breathtaking bridal suite I was completely blown away. Very professional, easily contacted, guests still raving about the food. Amazing team including Tara and Megan who knew what I needed before I even did. Staff was very attentive to all of my guests and really made my special day magical. Don’t walk but rub on over to them for an absolutely amazing wedding experience!

We got married on 09/03/2021. BEST DAY EVER!! Seriously, the Riviera blew us away the day of our wedding. The grounds are beautiful to begin with, and pair it with amazing service = day made. The staff was so attentive to not only my husband, myself, and our bridal party, but to ALL of our guests. Our guests could not get over how attentive the staff was and they could not stop saying how gorgeous the venue was itself as well. There were so many people that had never heard of the Riviera and said it was a hidden gem. We were SO happy to hear this. We fell in love with the venue when we toured it and were just as happy when we found out our guests fell in love with it too. If you're looking to get the best of both worlds, getting married on the water & a rustic feel, the Riviera is the place! Food is AMAZING too!! Highly, highly recommend!!

Failed to respond on 5 occasions attempting to notify of unsightly grounds before the wedding

My husband and I got married at the Riviera on 8/20/21 and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect night! All night long, we received compliments from our guests about how beautiful the venue was, how delicious the food was, and how the service provided by the staff was exceptional and we couldn’t agree more.

From the moment we walked in, our maître d’ and bridal assistant made sure everything flowed perfectly and that everything was taken care of. They went beyond our expectations and were constantly checking in on us, making sure we had enough food and drinks. They really did a fantastic job and we are so grateful we had them with us during the entire night!!

The pandemic has presented everyone with a lot of challenges but overall, the venue was very accommodating with us moving our date not once, but twice. They were responsive and made time to answer all our questions.

Overall we had a magical night and we are so happy we decided to choose to have our wedding at the Riviera! Thank you Riviera!!!!

Roz G
Saddle River, NJ

8/22/2021
My son got married last week and I am still over the moon on how perfect everything went. I have to start with that I am a very critical person and the owners and staff at the Rivera have exceeded my exceptions that my son ,the groom ,is still in shock that I can not find a thing to complain about.

Setting. Picturesque and Perfect!!!!!

Although rain was expected the owners never lost faith that the kids could have their magical wedding outside. Our guests flew in from all over and terms like magical, romantic and elegant is a common theme with all the thank you calls I have received from our guests. The mansion is located on a private road and when you pull up it is like you booked a destination wedding . It is located on the Great South Bay and during the ceremony you can view beautiful boats in the background. The flowers on the grounds are magnificent. I had some guests who were concerned about the Delta Variant and they were able to spend most of the evening outside overlooking the peaceful south bay if they chose to do so. Everyone was made to feel special and heard and their concerns addressed.
One event at a time so it is like having the mansion and grounds to yourself and your guests for the duration of your event.

The Cocktail Hour.
Everything you can imagine. We added the lamb chops, oyster and clam bar a lobster, crab legs and colossal shrimp station and a sushi station. Although ,we thought we had to add all this it was not necessary. I have never seen such a complete cocktail hour on the banks if the Great South Bay.

Dinner.

Choice of 4 entrees and they all came out hot and delicious.

Viennese Room not Table. Everything you can imagine plus more. A ice cream station and a cannoli station as well.

Staff and Service.

I was very concerned with service quality since during the pandemic I know good servers were hard to come by. This was not the case. All servers, bar tenders and staff could not be any more accommodating. Special shout out to Irene, Jimmy and Tara for making our day magical and perfect.

Thank you

Roz and Michael

I was blown away by how everything turned out so magical and exactly as visioned. one of the most amazing weddings i have ever attended by far

My husband and I are both from Suffolk county and we decided to get married at the riviera for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it is a breathtaking venue. Rustic and scenic overlooking the great South Bay. But the most incredible part was the service, it was absolutely outstanding. Our bridal Attendant Tara fixed my Bustle about 4-5 times because my husband kept stepping on it on the dance floor, she was always right there and ready to help. Our Maitre’d was just as attentive and did an incredible job. We wanted for nothing the entire event and they made sure everything and everyone was in its proper place from decor to groomsman and bridesmaids. It was a perfect day, and we have to say thank you to the amazing team and staff at the riviera ! Our wedding was incredible, and we owe it to the staff and management at the riviera.

Thank you !

Greg & Melissa Griffing

Absolutely amazing experience from the venue to the service!

The Riviera Waterfront is the place to be if you want your dream wedding. The banquet managers and staff are all so kind, professional, and extremely attentive! They were so helpful for any changes and concerns we had. They made my wedding beautiful and more than I could have ever imagined!

The location is well kept and the staff met the standard expectations for a catering venue. The food was as expected but nothing to honestly comment on and the overall experience was disappointing.
Unfortunately, we signed a contract with a representative that agreed to be flexible with certain perks that were not recognized or honored the day before the event, which obviously started our experience with a disappointment. Be sure to have ALL flexible or negotiable points stated in writing as you will certainly be nickel & dimed for every request. Lesson learned on our part, but we cannot provide a favorable review for this experience.

Samantha is the BEST and I would recommend anyone still searching for their venue to give this place a look. Its such a beautiful venue inside and out and i can not wait to get married here next November :)

The Riviera was an amazing partner from the beginning. They helped us to create a storybook day from the Cocktail hour to the Viennese hour - everything was perfect and our maitre d' Meghan and bridal attendant Danielle were a god send who made us feel like royalty - every couple should be lucky enough to have these two. As for the food - there was an abundance and it was exactly what we hoped for - delicious and perfect. Our guests were raving about the decor, food, drinks and overall experience - they loved the venue and had an amazing time. You should definitely look at the Riviera for your wedding.

Staff was great when booking, however when we arrived our wedding day there was 2 meetings going on and people walking around and not ONE staff member greeted me and my bridal party as we entered, or told us where to go. Our maitre d Paul was TERRIBLE, yelled at 2 of my photographers, and 3 family members. NEVER once said hi to my husband and I or let us know anything of what we should be doing at what time. Let the guests come in the back to sit as we were outside taking pictures still and then told us we shouldn’t be out there anymore! TELL US WHAT WERE SUPPOSED TO DO THEN! Had my bridal assistant who was great call the owner to get us a new maitre d and we then had Sara, she was amazing! Helped us our entire wedding and made sure everything ran smoothly!
We won a raffle for chips and Gatorade at the end of the night which was never put out, and we were very disappointed about that! Called the venue and emailed them NUMEROUS times about our experience and just to talk about Paul and not having our chips and Gatorade stand, it has now been almost a month since our wedding AND ZERO RESPONSE!! I guess once they have your money they do not care about any concerns you had on your day!!! They were great in the beginning and then when it came time for our wedding day it was like no one cared!! Absolutely ridiculous and thought their customer service would be ALOT better !!!!

I’d like to begin by stating the overall experience at The Riviera Waterfront Caterers (now known as “The Riviera Mansion”) was top notch.
My daughter and son-in-law’s wedding reception was held on Friday, July 19, 2019 beginning at 7 p.m. Both of them knew they wanted this venue within the first few minutes of their first tour of the reception hall and grounds. The Riviera hosts only one event at one time and this was important to them. The venue is located on the Great South Bay but is sheltered from wind and/or crashing waves because it’s situated in an inlet, and is also nestled in a residential area rather than on a commercial thoroughfare. It’s one of the few if not the only venue on Long Island outfitted with a (tremendous) generator should an unfortunate storm occur with an accompanying loss of power! Your event WILL go on as planned. Parking is ample; there are lots on either side of the building.
The grounds are well maintained and depending on the time of year, many flowers are in bloom. The gazebo and wedding ceremony area is lovely (although my daughter had her ceremony in church) and makes for a scenic backdrop for guests and for photographs.
The outdoor cocktail hour seating is right out over the water with many umbrellas. The tables are large enough to comfortably fit eight people. This area is also roomy enough to have a single musician, or small group of musicians entertain guests, and even large enough to fit the add-ons such as the sushi bar and the raw clam/oyster bar, as well as a lemonade stand! On the day of the wedding the weather was warm and humid but we had no rain and the cocktail hour food was set up all along the patio. Many guests commented on how pleasant it was to NOT have to wait on any line in order to be served any of the myriad selection of foods.
The venue has recently undergone some well thought out renovations. Outdoor lighting has been added under and along the many feet of bulkhead. The indoor cocktail room is bright and expansive and the ceilings have been remodeled in order for much more light to enter the room via the very large window overlooking the patio. This is the room in which the “Touch of Viennese” is offered toward the end of the evening. The reception room is rustic, with exposed beams and 2 fireplaces. Walls on either side of the room have been pushed back in order that no matter where guests are seated, there are no obstructed views of the dance floor and the doors leading to the kitchen and restrooms are tucked away from the guest tables. A new cathedral ceiling has been added over the tables in the center of the room which is a stunning addition.
Regarding the Riviera staff; we dealt almost exclusively with Elena who was a delight. Elena is professional, personable, attentive, thorough, understanding, and accommodating. She is an asset to this organization. We were in extremely competent hands from our first meeting until the day of the wedding. Elena knew exactly how to calm my mother-of-the-bride anxiety and she had a wonderful rapport with my daughter and son-in-law.
On the day of the wedding my daughter’s bridal attendant was Danielle. Danielle is conscientious, focused, and kind. She bustled my daughter’s dress like a pro. She made sure to check with my husband and me throughout the evening to see whether we needed anything. She helped the newlyweds and their bridal party throughout the photo taking with drinks and food, etc. My daughter had nothing but compliments about Danielle.
Our sole complaint regarding the service is the fact the maitre d’ never introduced himself to me, or to my husband, nor to the newlyweds. I think our maitre d’ was the man who lined up the wedding party prior to the introductions at the start of the dinner. Other than that point in time, I’m not sure any of us saw him during the evening and I’m sure he never stopped at our table to see whether everything was to our satisfaction. That was a major gaffe. In addition, the coffee and tea were slow in being served and at least the table next to ours was never served coffee and wedding cake at all. I’m unsure if this was true for other tables. Ensuring table service is prompt and efficient is one of the primary duties of the maitre d’ and this again fell short since he was missing in action.
Kudos to the staff for setting up the tables and the entire venue in the way my daughter had indicated on the diagram they provided. From the balcony of the bridal suite the entire room looked as if it were glimmering under the specialty lights provided by Tim’s Florist (a preferred vendor).
Regarding the food: In a word, ‘Excellent’. We received nothing but COMPLIMENTS about the food. The cocktail hour was delicious and abundant from start to finish. The dinner selections were great and our guests couldn’t believe the variety of desserts available during the Viennese hour. The wedding cake from Campbell’s (a preferred vendor) was very reasonable and delicious, especially the raspberry mousse filling. We had two exit stations (All-American Burgers and Gator Ade with chips) which must have been enjoyed because by the time I had the opportunity to wander into the main foyer most everything was gone! In addition, I’d like to recommend Tim’s Florist. The bridal and bridesmaids bouquets as well as the table centerpieces were exquisite and Tim’s decorated the wedding cake with fresh flowers exactly as my daughter specified.
All in all, people have told us this wedding set a high bar and will be “the wedding to beat” going forward; many thanks to The Riviera Waterfront Caterers!

I instantly loved the whole vibe at the riviera gorgeous grounds, vaulted ceilings, dark wood, spacious bridal suite with deck outside and the indoor balcony overlooking everything! I let my husband decide where we were getting married and he chose this place out of the 3 we narrowed down. we had the best day all around..... the weather was amazing for the beautiful outdoor setting and the staff was above and beyond accommodating.... Irene and Elena always responded to me quickly and answered any questions I had.... all the staff day of were so freaking nice Megan and Danielle were the bomb! I’m beyond grateful and happy to have had such an amazing experience on the best day of my life!

They definitely exceeded my expectations from when I booked them. In the beginning through the week before my wedding I was very nervous because they are not to great with responding, but from the days leading up to my event they were finishing the renovations which are breathtaking. Irene was SUPER accommodating, i was nervous because people talk so much crap about her in reviews, but she never told me i couldn’t do something and always had a smile on her face, she really made it a pleasant experience. Danielle my bridal manager was amazing, she was following us around all night making sure that we always had a drink in our hand & whatever food we wanted. She also helped fix my bustle that broke. The only thing that wasn’t too great was i heard afterwards that not everyone got cake, or champagne for the champagne toast. The service was not 100%, however I think that is expected from a staff that has been working since morning time to accommodate a day wedding and an evening wedding. Overall, i would say the Riviera made sure it was the wedding of my dreams!

I had my daughter's wedding at the Riviera on May 19, 2019. From the moment we got out of the limo and stepped onto the grounds, it was an amazing experience. The venue and view are amazing as well as the food. The service was outstanding..they were attentive and responsive to us the entire day. I can't say enough about this place...it was truly a magical day!!

Absolutely terrific in every way! Truly went above and beyond. I cannot rave enough and I HIGHLY recommend for everyone!