Lighthouse Photography

When you’re taking wedding or engagement photos, you want to go somewhere memorable. Somewhere magnificent. Somewhere that makes you feel like absolute royalty. And there’s nowhere more majestic than the estate in the Hempstead House.

Located on the North Shore of Long Island, Hempstead House was once the estate of Howard Gould, the son of railroad baron Jay Gould, bought in 1900 at the height of the Gilded Age. The Preserve is home to two gorgeous historic mansions. The smaller of the two, Gould Castle, took twelve years to build and is designed as a replica of Kilkenny Castle is Ireland. But once it was done, the Goulds decided it was too small -- and so they built the beautiful -- and enormous! -- Hempstead House.

Both houses are magnificent, and both make an amazing backdrop for your photos. You’ll feel as if you’ve wandered onto a movie set, or maybe right into one of the most glamorous periods in Long Island history. From soaring ceilings to enormous ballrooms to terraces flanked with marble columns, every inch of the houses are gorgeous.

And then there are the grounds: 216 acres of rolling green lawns, terraces of rosebushes, and gardens overflowing with flowers. A meandering path takes you through shady woodlands and down to a private beach, with the sparkling water of Hempstead Bay beyond. It’s one of the most magnificent spots on Long Island; we know you’ll love it!



Hempstead House

127 Middle Neck Road

Sands Point, New York 11050

Phone: 516.571.7901


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