Oyster Bay Wedding Photographer
Arboretum gardens, Gold Coast estates, and harbor light on Nassau’s North Shore.
Weddings in
Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay is Gold Coast country in the fullest sense. The Town of Oyster Bay stretches across much of central and northern Nassau County, and the hamlet itself sits on a working harbor surrounded by preserved estates, arboretums, and some of the best-kept historic architecture on Long Island.
For photographs, its real asset is variety within a very short drive. Formal gardens, greenhouse interiors, woodland, historic stone, and open harbor water all sit within a few minutes of one another — which means a gallery from an Oyster Bay session does not repeat itself, and a wedding day here does not need a long portrait convoy to look varied.
George Pompilio photographs one wedding per day and personally leads every wedding. In Oyster Bay that includes regular work at Planting Fields Arboretum, where knowing the permit rules and the seasonal restrictions matters as much as knowing the light.
Where I photograph
in Oyster Bay.
Planting Fields Arboretum
A 409-acre former Coe estate and State Historic Park, and one of my favorite locations in Oyster Bay — formal gardens, historic buildings, and a summer flower arch. Photography permits are $100 for engagement, family, and sweet sixteen sessions and $250 for wedding photography, the Camellia Greenhouse is a separate and extremely limited $250 permit, sessions are capped at 90 minutes, and as of 2026 the Piet Oudolf Garden is off limits with the Rose Arbor permitted instead. Full details are in my photo locations guide.
Other venues
in the area.
Harbor and yacht club venues
Oyster Bay harbor supports club and waterfront receptions with open water views.
Gold Coast estate venues
Several preserved estates across the Town of Oyster Bay host weddings, from formal mansions to garden properties.
Country clubs
The town holds a number of private clubs with ceremony lawns and clubhouse reception space.
Where the pictures
happen.
Planting Fields Arboretum
Formal gardens, historic buildings, greenhouse interiors, and the Rose Arbor. Permit required — and worth planning around, since sessions are capped at 90 minutes.
Oyster Bay harbor and Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park
Working harbor, docks, and open water at the foot of the village.
Sagamore Hill grounds
Theodore Roosevelt’s home and the surrounding national historic site, with woodland and meadow.
Sands Point Preserve, Port Washington
Twenty-five minutes west. Hempstead House and Castle Gould give you old-world architecture with Sound shoreline in one session — permits are $350 outdoors, $450 indoors.
Planning a
n Oyster Bay wedding.
If a permitted location is part of your day, it is not a detour — it is a scheduled block with a hard edge. Planting Fields caps sessions at ninety minutes, and that ninety minutes starts whether or not your hair and makeup ran late. Building the permit window into the timeline, with travel either side, is the difference between a relaxed garden session and a sprint.
It is also worth choosing the specific gardens in advance. A 409-acre arboretum is far too large to wander during a wedding day, and the strongest results come from picking two or three settings beforehand — the formal gardens, the historic architecture, an arch or arbour in season — and moving deliberately between them.
Seasonality is more pronounced here than at a ballroom venue. Summer gives you the flower arch and full gardens; spring and autumn give you better light and thinner crowds; winter shifts the value toward the historic buildings and greenhouse interiors, which need separate permission and are extremely limited. Ask early, because these are park bookings, not venue bookings, and they follow their own calendar.
The wider Town of Oyster Bay spans a lot of central and northern Nassau, so as with Huntington, confirm where your three locations actually sit relative to one another. The hamlet itself is compact and walkable; the town is not.
Oyster Bay photography
questions.
Do you photograph weddings and engagement sessions in Oyster Bay?
Yes. Planting Fields Arboretum is one of George’s favorite locations in Oyster Bay and features in his engagement work, and he photographs weddings across Nassau County and the Gold Coast. One wedding per day, always.
Do I need a permit to photograph at Planting Fields Arboretum?
Yes. Permits are $100 for engagement, family, and sweet sixteen sessions and $250 for wedding photography. The Camellia Greenhouse requires a separate $250 permit, is extremely limited, and must be approved by the park in advance. Sessions are capped at 90 minutes and there is an $8 vehicle fee in season.
Are there restrictions at Planting Fields I should know about?
As of 2026 the Piet Oudolf Garden is off limits for photography, with the Rose Arbor permitted instead. Rules are set by the park and can change, so they are confirmed before every session — knowing them ahead of time is part of the job, so your 90 minutes are never wasted.
What are the best wedding photo locations in Oyster Bay?
Planting Fields for gardens and historic architecture, the harbor and Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park for open water, and Sagamore Hill’s grounds for woodland and meadow. Sands Point Preserve is twenty-five minutes west if you want estate interiors as well.
How many hours of coverage does an Oyster Bay wedding need?
Ten to twelve hours. If your portraits include a permitted arboretum stop, build in the travel and the 90-minute cap rather than treating it as a quick detour. See how many hours of coverage you need.
How far in advance should I book?
George books up to three years out and photographs one wedding per day. Permit-based locations add a second booking to coordinate, so earlier is better.
More across
Long Island.
Getting married in
Oyster Bay?
George shoots one wedding per day and books up to three years out. Reach out to check your date while it's still open.
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