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

Nestled in a beautifully restored former church, The Sanctuary RI combines historic elegance with modern charm. The venue boasts stunning original stained glass and a serene, intimate atmosphere. Guests are often impressed by the exceptional service and the breathtaking views of the East River, making it an ideal setting for any special event. The landscaped patio provides a perfect space for cocktail hours, while private rooms offer cozy settings for more intimate gatherings. This venue's flexibility and attention to detail ensure a memorable experience for all occasions.

Seated guest capacity

  • 50-300

Venue type

  • Beaches, Waterfront Settings
  • Historic Estates, Mansions

Venue setting

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

Our event spaces

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

The Terrace

Beautiful fully paved and built-out exterior space. 2400 Sq Ft all-weather tent included.

Our 4000 Square Foot Terrace serves as the perfect space for receptions. Sweeping views of the East River and Manhattan’s Upper East Side, your guests will be mesmerized watching the waterfront activity as they enjoy one of our signature cocktails. This space accommodates up to 250 people seated or 400 people standing (with High-Top tables). The Terrace features one of two sculptures by the world-renowned artist, Don Gummer. The Terrace has a dedicated marble bar.

Guest capacity

250-300 Seated

400-600 Standing

Square footage

5,000

Ideal for

Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Engagement party, Welcome party, After party, Farewell brunch, Other, Cocktail hour

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

The Patio

The front yard

Our front yard has been converted to a landscaped and manicured space. Featuring our second Don Gummer sculpture and over 75 feet of East River waterfront, this is the space to impress your guests during cocktail hour or for a more intimate event. With immediate access to The Sanctuary & its bar your guests will enjoy mingling & walking the space throughout your entire event.

Guest capacity

200-300 Seated

400-500 Standing

Square footage

3,000

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Wedding shower, Engagement party, Other, Cocktail hour

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Private Room 1

One of our three private rooms on the second floor of the attached abode.

To be used as you please -- whether as green room for a shoot, private room for downtime and storage, or a bedroom. Each room comes with a pull out couch featuring a full sized Queen bed.

Guest capacity

5-10 Seated

10-15 Standing

Square footage

180

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Private Room 2

One of our three private rooms on the second floor of the attached abode.

To be used as you please -- whether as green room for a shoot, private room for downtime and storage, or a bedroom. Each room comes with a pull out couch featuring a full sized Queen bed.

Guest capacity

5-10 Seated

10-15 Standing

Square footage

200

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

Private Room 3

One of our three private rooms on the second floor of the attached abode.

To be used as you please -- whether as green room for a shoot, private room for downtime and storage, or a bedroom. Each room comes with a pull out couch featuring a full sized Queen bed.

Guest capacity

5-10 Seated

10-15 Standing

Square footage

130

Room cost

Included in total venue pricing

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

4.7 out of 5

21 reviews

Write a review

  • The most magical day of my life!

    •Verified review
    •Sydney D.•Oct 8, 2024

    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!

  • Incredible venue, food and hospitality

    •Verified review
    •Leah S.•Sep 29, 2024

    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, Kat 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!

  • BEST TEAM EVER!

    •Verified review
    •Christine•Sep 26, 2024

    The team at the Sanctuary was truly incredible from start to finish in the planning process and the day of our wedding. We were truly blown away by how stunning the venue is and how versatile the spaces are - from indoor and outdoor options for ceremony to spaces for getting ready to an incredible tent for dinner and gorgeous church for dancing. Alfonso was highly communicative and helpful leading up to the wedding to make sure everything would be seamless and Amelia our day of coordinator knocked it out of the park and was attentive to every step of the day and thoughtful of our guests and us. The whole staff was truly excellent throughout the event and we got rave reviews from guests about food and drinks! Thanks guys!

  • August 2024 Wedding

    •Verified review
    •Sara M.•Sep 22, 2024

    My husband and I got married two weeks ago at The Sanctuary and had the best night! Our guests loved the many features of the venue (the pier, patio, tent, and indoor space), complimented the food and drinks, and we were all extremely impressed by the high quality service provided by the bartenders and waiters. Working with Amelia and Kat on the day was a pleasure and we couldn’t thank them enough for supporting us as we got set up that morning, and throughout the day. Our wedding day was the first time we interacted with either of them, and it was a pleasant surprise to have so much support on our side. Throughout the planning process we worked closely with Alfonso. Alfonso does a great job selling The Sanctuary and was available to answer our questions along the way. There were definitely some things we needed to dig into a bit more than we thought we’d have to - creating a detailed timeline for the day based a few examples provided, develop clearer floorplans of the venue for our vendors to ensure they understood the space, putting together a table map for our dinner setup, renting/purchasing the sound equipment needed for our ceremony on the pier, finding an alternative rehearsal space, and hiring a day of coordinator to support with decor, set-up, flow, and cleanup. Reading other reviews of the venue was super helpful to ensure we were asking the right questions and following up on pieces that seemed unclear. If you’re looking for an affordable (relative to the rest of NYC), dynamic, and interesting wedding venue, and you’re willing to put in the work or hire a wedding planner, this is definitely a great contender!

Real couples who got married at The Sanctuary RI

Show all photos

Explore other vendors serving New York, NY

Complete your dream team

Other venues in New York

Other wedding services nearby