The Sanctuary Roosevelt Island - New York, New York

Tracy S.

Long overdue but better late than never…

Look up hidden gem in the dictionary and you will find The Sanctuary. Hosted a baby shower for my brother and his girlfriend, and I can’t say enough about how amazing the experience was. From start to finish, Alfonso was incredibly helpful, making the entire planning process seamless. On the day of the event, Kat and the staff were fantastic. Can’t beat immaculate views, great ambiance and good food and drinks. 10/10 recommend booking for your next special event, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Leah S.

My husband and I had our wedding here in September and we were blown away by the entire experience. All of our guests – from NYC locals to out-of-towners – commented on how magical the venue and the setting were. Alfonso, Kath and Amelia were thoughtful, attentive and SO thorough. They are total pros, and also just lovely people. In addition to all of the beautiful decor, food and ambiance, I have included a photo of Alfonso hand delivering a cocktail to me because he wanted to ensure I enjoyed myself while chatting with the guests. Not pictured: when he brought plates of food to my husband and I to make sure we got to eat! Cannot recommend it more highly!

Sydney T.

The Sanctuary on Roosevelt Island provided the dreamiest backdrop for our wedding last month! Their entire team went above and beyond for us on our big day. Our friends and family raved about the location, the ambiance, the food, the service.

About an hour before our ceremony started, it began to pour outside- and we were meant to have an outdoor ceremony! My husband and I sat in our vintage taxi parked out front of the venue, and watched The Sanctuary staff run around in the torrential downpour to save our ceremony and move everything indoors- and the fact that the rain only put us about 15 minutes behind the original schedule?! I’m still not sure how they managed it.

Would also like to send a special shout out to Amelia, who more recently joined the Sanctuary team as event coordinator- she was not part of the team when we first signed out contract, but she proved to be an invaluable resource to us on the day of the wedding. She is a fabulous addition! Alfonso gave us our first tour of the venue that made us fall in love with the space. Frank was so patient and kind and answered all of our questions- and even helped us accommodate a last minute addition guest who was originally too ill to attend our wedding but who luckily recovered well enough to be able to come.

Thank you again to the Sanctuary team from the bottom of our hearts for helping make our wedding the most magical and special day of our life!

Courtney K.

The Sanctuary will forever have a special place in our hearts. We had the most magical wedding there on 11/2/2024. The views, the food and the hospitality were absolutely top notch. We heard over and over from our guests how amazing they thought the venue was. Ceremony on the pier with beautiful views of Manhattan and the east river, scrumptious meal in the gorgeous clear tent, and an epic dance party in the old church with a modern bar. Alfonso, Kat and the team both know exactly how to throw a great event in that space AND offer options and are willing to work with you to make the event right for you and your vision - there are just enough choices that you can make it what you want and also a thought through flow for the day so that you don't have to start from scratch. Do yourselves a favor and have your wedding (or other event) here - and enjoy every moment as much as we did!

Photos by the fabulous @nadialeonphotography

Anissa T.

Our wedding at The Sanctuary was everything we dreamed of and more! From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by how stunning the venue is. The grounds are meticulously maintained, the decor is elegant yet welcoming, and every space—from the ceremony area to the reception hall—was picture-perfect. It truly felt like something out of a fairytale.

The staff went above and beyond to make our day seamless and unforgettable. They were incredibly attentive, professional, and always one step ahead, making sure every detail was just right. We felt genuinely cared for, and our guests are still raving about how beautiful everything was and how well they were looked after.

A heartfelt thank you to Alfonso, whose guidance and support made this experience enjoyable from the very beginning. He was with us every step of the way, answering our questions, helping with our plans, and offering his expert advice on how to make our day perfect.

We couldn’t be more grateful for everything The Sanctuary did to make our wedding day so special. It was an absolutely perfect experience, and we wholeheartedly recommend this venue to anyone looking for an exceptional setting and an outstanding team for their big day!

Preeti N. C.

We recently had our wedding reception at the sanctuary and it was an amazing experience. This venue is great for a small budget intimate wedding. Amelia and her team helped us plan this event. We planned our event in 3 months without a wedding planner and they worked with us. They were very accommodating to our intercultural family needs and on the day they coordinated everything perfectly. They have special deals and I would highly recommend to try those. There were so many delays from our end to finalize and keep the communication going because of our busy schedules but they made sure to reach out to us when needed and were very patient. We gave them an outline of the day and they ensured to complete the detailed vision. I highly recommend this venue and this team.

Oziba D. C. L.

As the vendor for a wedding that took place here in June, it was the perfect month and weather for a wedding here.

The sanctuary’s history is expansive and it’s an architectural beauty in all its glory. The ceremony space taking place in the piers was idyllic. More importantly, the various spaces (the tented outdoor space and the indoor sanctuary lounge), combined with numerous outdoor areas makes the space feel quite large and yet somehow manages to stay intimate.

The staff members here are beyond helpful and friendly. They were a pleasure to work alongside.

Erica T.

My mother and I had a joint celebration of our birthdays around late September last year. The venue was everything we could have dreamed of. Since it is situated in Roosevelt Island, it was the perfect venue to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city and yet still get a beautiful view of the Manhattan Skyline.

Frank and the team were also very friendly and supportive to all of our requests and questions. They made sure that our event will go accordingly to what we have envisioned.

To top it all off, the food was amazing!!! It is so rare for the celebrants to eat during the event itself but I personally couldn't contain myself. Every dish that was offered during our event was impeccable and there wasn't any miss.

There is not one bad thing that I could honestly say about this venue and the team behind. I highly recommend this to everyone!