The Sanctuary RI

All-inclusive venue

The venue takes care of it all - food and beverage, rentals, the works!

Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing

Starting at $15,000 for off-peak dates, and $20,000 for peak dates

Guest capacity

Up to 300 seated guests

About this venue

The Sanctuary is a beautiful and iconic wedding venue on the East River in New York City. It includes more than 16,000 square feet of event space and affords spectacular views of Manhattan. The property has several magnificent event spaces. The Sanctuary was formerly a church near The Octagon, a historic octagonal building on Roosevelt Island, now on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Sanctuary's original stained glass windows and locally quarried granite combine with more modern features, including a sweeping 40-foot ceiling and 30-foot marble bar, to create an effect that's nothing short of marvelous. The Sanctuary opens onto a covered veranda, complete with lounge seating and an Instagram-ready mural of Roosevelt Island. Beyond this lies the 4,000-square-foot Terrace, a beautiful reception space that can seat over 250 guests. Other notable event areas include the lovely front-yard Patio, the tranquil VIP Courtyard, and the fully renovated three-bedroom stone House

Seated guest capacity

  • 250-300

Venue type

  • Beaches, Waterfront Settings
  • Historic Estates, Mansions

Venue setting

  • Covered Outdoor
  • Indoor
  • Outdoor
851 Main St, New York, NY 10044

Our event spaces

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The Sanctuary

Historic converted premises to fit your each and every need.

Complete with brand new HVAC, a built out bar, and a stage.

Guest capacity

100-200 Seated

200-300 Standing

Square footage

2,000

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Available services that can be provided by The Sanctuary RI

Services & amenities

  • Bar services
  • Catering services
  • Clean up
  • Dance floor
  • Dressing room / Bridal Suite
  • Event coordinator
  • Event rentals
  • Event staff
  • Liability insurance
  • Lighting/Sound
  • On-site accommodations
  • Pet friendly
  • Service staff
  • Set up
  • Transportation
  • Wedding cake services
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Wifi

Reviews

Write a review

4.5 out of 5

12 reviews

Write a review

  • Magical First Birthday Celebration

    •Verified review
    •Gene S.•Jun 13

    This was our first child's first birthday, and let's just say we went quite a little bit over the top. The Sanctuary delivered above and beyond any and all expectations. We are looking forward to our #2 and to the next first birthday celebration, as well as many more parties to come. The staff was super helpful and considerate. The food and drinks great. Our guests were blown away by this hidden NYC gem. We cannot recommend them enough.

  • Dinner and Cocktails for 200

    •Verified review
    •Debbie B.•Jun 12

    We held a dinner for about 200 people attending a conference on Roosevelt Island. The staff was amazing from start to finish. They helped us plan the event and accommodated our needs. The food and cocktails were wonderful! Everyone had a great time at this beautiful venue!

  • Beautiful Event!

    •Verified review
    •Jessica•Jun 12

    What an amazing venue! The location is such a gem, and everyone we worked with really cared about us and helped us every step of the way, especially Frank and Alfonso. Kat and her team in the kitchen crafted a delicious menu and all my guests said how amazing the experience of visiting the Sanctuary was. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to have an amazing event that isn't so typical cookie cutter catering hall - much more personalized, fun, and special!!

  • WELL priced in secret corner of NYC

    •Verified review
    •Martin•Jun 13

    Roosevelt Island is a gem of a place for a wedding….a little Manhattan, a little Queens/Brooklyn…traditional but funky…The Sanctuary has character bc of its history as a hospital chapel; has an awesome view because of its location on the East River; has parking because it’s not Manhattan; and has a family business vibe because of the owners…you get personal attention from the owners. Pricing for winter wedding on a Friday was especially reasonable. The venue’s holiday seasonal decorations made it cheery (you don’t need to do lots of yourself and in fact, you shouldn’t bc you do need to take everything away the night of the event). The food was fresh…there was lots of it—enough for our 20-something year old guests! The vegetarian’s got a real meal, not just the side dishes that so many places offer. The younger guests esp loved the pizza bar at dessert time. Desserts were varied and delicious. Liquor/drinks kept flowing. There was even a special cocktail as a surprise. We loved having two distinct places for the evening—the chapel and the tent—but it helps to think about the flow of the event…our guests started dancing in the tent while dinner was still on! Definitely we recommend having some of the event during daylight hours because the sun looks great on the East River and sunset is a treat, esp for visitors to NYC. We had our ceremony offsite, but the price is esp good if you do the ceremony at the Sanctuary (and don’t have to pay for another venue), and the extra/side house would be a great place to dress. Also, the photographer and dj were happy at the venue…one improvement would be an in house sound system. Highly recommend this place! Congrats.

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