If daytime picnics and late night beach dance parties are your idea of romance, have we got a venue for you! Lisa from the Wedding Artists Collective recently shared jewelry designer Pamela Love’sMontauk wedding with us, and boy, are we drooling over the casual simplicity of her weekend with friends. These East Coast vows will have you seeing more macramé than polo shirts and will make you crave the adult summer camp vibe of the super stylish Ruschmeyer’s Lodge.
Summer Camp Turns Boutique Hotel
Reopened in 2011 by the Chelsea Hotels Group (formerly King & Grove), this vintage 1950s motel property is reminiscent of the summer camps you dreamed up as a kid. Featuring 19 cabins, the décor is sparse with nods to mid-century beach life. Luxuries include hammocks, Moroccan rugs, fine bed linens by Frette, and John Masters Organics toiletries. And if the grounds alone don’t sell you on the property, you can live out the East Coast summer dream with paddleboards, kayaks, yoga, bicycles, bocce ball, ping-pong, horseback rides, and poolside or beach lounging.
The property is totally self-contained if you’re thinking about hosting a wedding here. You can do all the getting ready, ceremony, reception and late-night dance party on-site. Plus, there’s an outdoor space that’s great for a lobster or crab boil as a welcome party or rehearsal dinner spot, complete with picnic tables and sand pits.
“The staff was really friendly and accommodating. It's a one-stop-shop kind of venue, which always makes for a relaxed vibe for everyone. It's kind of a well oiled machine, so the staff knows the ins and outs and they were super helpful.” - Lisa
Wedding Spot for New York’s Stylish Set
The Hamptons have long been a destination getaway for New Yorkers, and Montauk offers an approachable aesthetic as a low-key surfers’ village. Style maven, Pamela Love, and her illustrator beau, Matthew Nelson, brought a creative group of friends out to Montauk for the wedding and utilized all their different skill sets. Their friends, the Naked Gods, played the reception music while another friend, Francesco Clemente (a famous painter), officiated the ceremony. Friend and famed designer Mara Hoffman designed the bride’s gown and the bridesmaids’ dresses while Billy Reid was responsible for the groom’s ensemble. Love, of course, designed all of the jewelry for the wedding.
With a ceremony enclosed by the property’s campgrounds, Pamela and Matthew said their vows under a canopy of handmade quilts.
Décor throughout the evening was simple with mostly potted plants and wildflowers around the property and little seating vignettes set aside where guests could listen to music.
Highlights of Ruschmeyer’s
As soon as you’re greeted by the bright red neon hotel sign, Ruschmeyer’s makes you feel right at home in the countryside with a certain summertime nostalgia, and with just enough activities to keep you occupied.
The property has multiple event spaces, including outdoor options and a full dining hall indoors for a seated dinner. You can set up a dancefloor outside under the stars or inside if you’d prefer. There’s a pool area complete with ping pong tables and anything you’d need for a raucous party, so you could easily do a late night nosh and DJ out there too.
Lisa mentioned to us that there’s a cool outdoor swing hanging from a big old tree, an awesome spot for a photo session.
Inside Scoop
The restaurant at Ruschmeyer’s is a known Montauk hot spot. With a menu created by the dynamic duo from Fat Radish, the food changes seasonally and highlights a ton of local seafood. The restaurant is often booked by non-hotel guests, so be sure to get your name on the reservation list in advance.
Ruschmeyer’s is known around town for having pretty awesome late night parties on the weekends, so be sure to get in on the action if that’s what you’re after. While kids are allowed on-site, you might not want them around on the weekends when guests are known to get turnt up.
Ruschmeyer’s operates as a summer-only vacation spot, open from May to September.
Types of Events the Venue is Ideal For
Weddings, Wedding Reception, Group Getaway, Girls Trip, Birthday Party, Anniversary, Vow Renewal, Corporate Event, Holiday Party, Retreats, Family Reunions, Bachelor Party, Bachelorette Party, Workshops, Elopement, Engagement Party, Rehearsal Dinner
Around Town
“Ditchwitch food truck at Ditch Plains beach is a great spot to get a breakfast sandwich and coffee, and watch people surf while the locals hang out. The lighthouse is at the end of the island and it’s a great place to go and sit or walk around. Navy Beach Restaurant on Navy Beach is a good spot to watch the sunset and have a cocktail or eat dinner. Whale Bone Creative sells really cool locally made/designed t-shirts and hats.” – Lisa
