New York City brides (and bridegrooms)...

[ammayernyc]

Where did you or where are you getting married?

I''m in full venue search mode and am looking for some ideas that maybe I haven''t heard of!

Thanks!

 

[curlygirl]

Oh Amanda, I can''t say enough good things about my venue--the Yale Club. It was perfect from start to finish and well priced! We had our ceremony in a church and then did the cocktail hour and reception at the Club but they can do your ceremony there if you want. And they have rooms so your out of town guests can stay there--they also give you a suite on your wedding night (free). It''s a great one stop shopping kind of place without being a wedding factory. The event rooms are gorgeous, the food is to die for, the service is impeccable, the location is very central, I can go on and on. The only negative is that you have to choose from one of their 8 house florists but I absolutely fell in love with the one I chose so it wasn''t an issue for me! My guests are still talking about how much they loved the place and especially the food, which to me was really important. I would highly, highly recommend it!!

I also just went to a wedding at Gotham Hall. Absolutely gorgeous place. I think it depends on what type of place you''re looking for. I know of people who have had weddings at the Essex House, W Union Square, Ritz Carlton Battery Park--but these are all super duper $$$$.

What type of venue are you looking for and how many people do you think you''ll invite?

 

[ammayernyc]

Date: 9/6/2006 10:00:04 AM
Author: curlygirl
Oh Amanda, I can''t say enough good things about my venue--the Yale Club. It was perfect from start to finish and well priced! We had our ceremony in a church and then did the cocktail hour and reception at the Club but they can do your ceremony there if you want. And they have rooms so your out of town guests can stay there--they also give you a suite on your wedding night (free). It''s a great one stop shopping kind of place without being a wedding factory. The event rooms are gorgeous, the food is to die for, the service is impeccable, the location is very central, I can go on and on. The only negative is that you have to choose from one of their 8 house florists but I absolutely fell in love with the one I chose so it wasn''t an issue for me! My guests are still talking about how much they loved the place and especially the food, which to me was really important. I would highly, highly recommend it!!

I also just went to a wedding at Gotham Hall. Absolutely gorgeous place. I think it depends on what type of place you''re looking for. I know of people who have had weddings at the Essex House, W Union Square, Ritz Carlton Battery Park--but these are all super duper $$$$.

What type of venue are you looking for and how many people do you think you''ll invite?

I''ve heard great things about the Yale Club. I''ve been to some very nice (non-wedding) events there. However, my fiance graduated from one of the other Ivy League schools so he won''t even consider it. Weird, I know, but I''m not going to push him when he seems so against it.

We''re going to have about 130 people and we''re hoping for a non-traditional type of wedding. We don''t want and aisle or anything like that --- we may not even have a wedding but just a reception. We haven''t figured it out yet.

We looked at a loft space and really liked it but they are not booking yet since the ownership is changing. So, we''re looking for other options in case something happens. I think we are looking for something that is not one-stop shopping since we also are thinking of a theme and that seems to be harder to do in a restaurant type place...

Oh, and jcrow I checked out that site -- thanks! I need to spend more time investigating it but it looks like it could be helpful!

 

[dani13]

Hi Amanda-

My fiance and I are getting married at the Tappan Hill Mannsion in Tarrytown, (Westchester), NY. It is a beautiful, old mansion which is an actual historic site with views of the river. The catering is done by Abigail Kirsch, a company known for their insanely great cuisine and impeccable service. The company is the house caterer for a few venues all around the city. So, we are really excited about it....

If you are considering lofty-like spaces, I would definitely check out The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. I have been to a wedding there (it is also another Abigail Kirsch venue) and it was just fabulous. It is very lofty and modern looking, and it has a wrap-around terrace right on the pier. Just gorgeous! Their website: www.abigailkirsch.com

Also check out Tribeca Rooftop- I have heard great things about that place too. Again, another loft space with a wrap around terrace and a fab view. Their website: http://www.tribec.com/
And Abigail Kirsch is opening a new venue (I believe in Brooklyn) which is another loft space, called Stage Six. I am sure that will be amazing too- I would not expect anything less from them.

There are so many places...fiance and I looked at about 12 possible reception venues- everything from loft spaces to old hotels in NY and NJ (we live in NJ, but have a lot of family from NY). None of them felt quite right. We were getting so tired of it. The last place we looked at was Tappan Hill- FI and I fell in love with it instantly, and knew it was the place for us right away. It was a great feeling!

Let me know if you need any other help- we are in full swing with planning, so I have a lot of info to share if you need it!
Good luck!

 

[moremoremore]

I got married almost 5 years ago at The Fountainhead (thefountainhead-ny.com) in Westchester....To this day, people say how awesome the food was. i didn't love the fact that it's not in some secluded location, on a golf course, etc....but it turned out great...b/c you forget about that once you're there...I got married in March and had the ceremony there...I had a good budget, not a 100k Ritz budget but still a good budget and I was really happy...oh, I noticed that the price per person in the wedding mags are so under the actual prices...

 

[curlygirl]

Darn Ivy Leaguers and their loyalties! I truly loved the Yale Club but I understand your issue! There are other university clubs if you want to go in that direction. There is also the Union League Club and the National Arts Society which are lovely venues.

There are lots of loft spaces that I''ve read about but never been to: Penthouse 15, Westside Loft, Loft Eleven. I''m sure they would let you have a lot of freedom but I don''t know too much about them.

I agree with Dani about the Abigail Kirsch places--have heard many great reviews about all of them.

There''s also a place called the Downtown Association in the Financial District which houses an old gentlemens'' club in a gorgeous mansion that I loved by they didn''t have my date available. And I''ve heard Bridgewater''s is really nice too!

Do you have a date yet or are you just going to see about venue availability first? I have to tell you, we did the very unpopular thing and had a February wedding and it was awesome! We were lucky to have great weather and the prices were so much more negotiable for all the vendors. For what it''s worth, I''ve also heard you can get good deals in the summer but my hair couldn''t survive the humidity!

If you need any other help let me know. I will also highly recommend my hair and makeup people if you don''t have anyone else in mind! They are unbelievably good and super sweet girls!

While I have total mixed feelings about the Knot, I did get a lot of info from the NYC board, although I never actually posted. You might want to lurk around there and see what you can find out...

 

[dani13]

Date: 9/7/2006 10:59:20 AM
Author: curlygirl
Darn Ivy Leaguers and their loyalties! I truly loved the Yale Club but I understand your issue! There are other university clubs if you want to go in that direction. There is also the Union League Club and the National Arts Society which are lovely venues.

There are lots of loft spaces that I''ve read about but never been to: Penthouse 15, Westside Loft, Loft Eleven. I''m sure they would let you have a lot of freedom but I don''t know too much about them.

I agree with Dani about the Abigail Kirsch places--have heard many great reviews about all of them.

There''s also a place called the Downtown Association in the Financial District which houses an old gentlemens'' club in a gorgeous mansion that I loved by they didn''t have my date available. And I''ve heard Bridgewater''s is really nice too!

Do you have a date yet or are you just going to see about venue availability first? I have to tell you, we did the very unpopular thing and had a February wedding and it was awesome! We were lucky to have great weather and the prices were so much more negotiable for all the vendors. For what it''s worth, I''ve also heard you can get good deals in the summer but my hair couldn''t survive the humidity!

If you need any other help let me know. I will also highly recommend my hair and makeup people if you don''t have anyone else in mind! They are unbelievably good and super sweet girls!

While I have total mixed feelings about the Knot, I did get a lot of info from the NYC board, although I never actually posted. You might want to lurk around there and see what you can find out...

Curlygirl-

My fiance and I actually looked at Penthouse 15/loft 11/westside loft (they are all in the same building). We were not that impressed. There were some great views, but it is located in a ratty area in the old garment district. From the same view of the Empire State bldg and the river, you also get panoramic views of old, burnt out factories/buildings. Also, if you go with a raw loft space like that, it can get very pricey. Everything was a la carte- there was a large rental fee, then the catering fees, then a lot of other miscellaneous fees. There was no parking- which was a big no-no for us, being that we have a ton of family and friends coming from far. To us, (and this is just imho) it wasn''t worth it.

We also looked at Bridgewaters down in the south street seaport. Nice space, but couldn''t get over the small sailboats hanging from the ceiling. I know it was supposed to give you the "seaport" feel, but we were just not into it. Again, there was a problem with parking- and even worse is that that area is always so filled with traffic, tourists, etc., it is kind of a PITA to deal with it. So, that''s my little bit of input when it comes to those venues.

As far as your vendors- do you mind recommending your hair/makeup people, and/or any other vendors that you felt did an exceptional job? We have to go with one of the house florists at Tappan Hill, so that''s out. But anything you can add would be great! THANKS SO MUCH!

 

[curlygirl]

Hi Dani!

Good info about those other spots. I never actually went to any of them but they were places that I had heard about over and over again.

OK, hair and makeup people. I can''t say enough positive things about these 2 sisters, Maureen and Claudia Pedala. Maureen does makeup and Claudia does hair. They are not cheap on the day of (if they come to you--it was $300 each) but they do give free trials. I don''t want to post her email address so she doesn''t get spammed but you can go to Maureen''s website for all her info: www.nyweddingmakeup.com. They get booked up really quickly so call or email as soon as you can. She may take a while to get back to you but be persistent! I absolutely loved these girls and would probably hang out with them in real life!! They did such an amazing job and really helped calm me down in those final hours before the big moment!

I''m not sure who the AK florists are but I''m sure you have a good one. I had to use one of the Yale Club''s florists and I went with Elegant Affairs--I was overjoyed with my flowers and Christina, the main contact there.

I love planning other people''s weddings--much more relaxing than doing my own!

 

[dani13]

Thanks, CG! I appreciate your feedback!

I have heard about the Pedala sisters...I would love to have them do me up, but they are so expensive! They charge almost DOUBLE what everyone else does....plus they are going to charge me to travel to Westchester....In your opinion, do you think they are really worth it? The only negative thing I have heard besides that they are a lot of $$ is that they are not quick to respond and are difficult to get in touch with- is that true? But mostly everyone raves about them.

I am going to email them and go for a trial. I have plenty of time, but I know they book up quickly, so I should probably contact them now. We are just a year away from our date. Who knows, they may be booked already!

 

[dani13]

CG-

Yikes!
I emailed Maureen earlier, and she responded pretty quickly...she told me that hair and makeup for the bride is $300 each, and she charges $200 for a travel fee up to Westchester....

THAT IS INSANE

....So lets add this up- just for me- hair, $300, makeup, $300, plus travel charge, $200 = $800!!!!! Is that ridiculous??? As much as I would LOVE to have them work on me, I am not sure I can justify the price...what do you think? And I think charging $200 is alot of $$ just to drive a little north of the city...

I am so NOT a cheap person, but I am not sure..give me your honest opinion whether you think they are really worth it!!!

Amanda- sorry to hijack your thread, but I am sure you will eventually find this info very useful....

 

[diamondfan]

what about an art gallery or something neat like that? keep it minimal with great lighting and some interesting florals and let the space speak for itself...just a thought...

 

[diamondfan]

Date: 9/7/2006 10:13:40 PM
Author: Dani
CG-


Yikes!

I emailed Maureen earlier, and she responded pretty quickly...she told me that hair and makeup for the bride is $300 each, and she charges $200 for a travel fee up to Westchester....

THAT IS INSANE

....So lets add this up- just for me- hair, $300, makeup, $300, plus travel charge, $200 = $800!!!!! Is that ridiculous??? As much as I would LOVE to have them work on me, I am not sure I can justify the price...what do you think? And I think charging $200 is alot of $$ just to drive a little north of the city...


I am so NOT a cheap person, but I am not sure..give me your honest opinion whether you think they are really worth it!!!


Amanda- sorry to hijack your thread, but I am sure you will eventually find this info very useful....

Dani, one thing I would say (and I do not know these two girls so this is a general comment)...you want to look amazing on your day. You want your makeup to last through hours, and crying, and you want to look great in the photos and video. It may not be cheap, but let me tell you that for my son''s bar mitzvah, I booked a great makeup artist to come that day and do the makeup, and my hair dresser came to touch me up since I had had my hair done the afternoon before because we were entertaining people that night too. But for some of our photos, which had to be done weeks before, I messed up and did not book her. Could not get her since it was so last minute and thought, heck, I love makeup and do a great job usually, so I will do something similar to what she will do on the day of the event (so it would look good and similar in the album) and when I got those photos back I looked washed out and tired. My makeup, which looked fine in daylight at home, did not look good in the pictures. Also, the night of, she used primer and such, and special individual false lashes that were not tooo much. My makeup held up for many hours, through crying and dancing, and looked great. One of my issues is I am fiar, nut my neck is lighter than my face, like a lot of people. When I do my makeup and match it to my neck so there is no line on my jaw, I often look quite chalky in photos from the flash reflecting on my skin. She did a great job mixing foundations so I did not look odd in person but in the photos I looked even. I highly suggest going for the trial, being very clear and specific about what you like and do not like (since you never want to not look like YOU on your day, enhancing is one thing but a 180 degree change is not good)...and see how you like her. Long after the flowers die and the food has been eaten, I think you want to have awesome photos and video to look at AND you want to look great in them!

 

[curlygirl]

Date: 9/7/2006 10:13:40 PM
Author: Dani
CG-

Yikes!
I emailed Maureen earlier, and she responded pretty quickly...she told me that hair and makeup for the bride is $300 each, and she charges $200 for a travel fee up to Westchester....

THAT IS INSANE

....So lets add this up- just for me- hair, $300, makeup, $300, plus travel charge, $200 = $800!!!!! Is that ridiculous??? As much as I would LOVE to have them work on me, I am not sure I can justify the price...what do you think? And I think charging $200 is alot of $$ just to drive a little north of the city...

I am so NOT a cheap person, but I am not sure..give me your honest opinion whether you think they are really worth it!!!

Amanda- sorry to hijack your thread, but I am sure you will eventually find this info very useful....

Dani, holy cow! I can''t believe she wants to charge $200 for the travel!!! I think that''s kind of insane. I assumed she would only charge the amount of a round trip car service which has got to be less than $200!! Wow.

It''s hard for me to answer whether or not you should do it. For me, I was in the city, they came to me and it wasn''t an issue. I knew I was paying a premium for their services but it was soooo worth it! If I were able to, I''d have them do my hair and makeup every day! Why don''t you go for a trial? It''s free and then you can see how you feel and if it''s worth it to spend the money. If it was only $100 for travel fees, I would say do it. But $200 is pretty steep. That can cover so many other things that you need for your wedding. Go for the trial and see for yourself! I don''t want to hype them up too much and then have you spend the money only to hate their work!

You can check out these 2 threads to see some of my photos: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/im-married.39820/=

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/self-indulgent-post-more-wedding-pics.42996/=


Amanda, sorry to hijack your thread!!!! I just want to cover my a$$ if I''m making recommendations!

 

[dani13]

Thanks, diamondfan!! I definitely agree with you....

CG- Thanks for the pics! You look stunning in your photos. Your hair and makeup was awesome. When Maureen emailed me the prices, she wrote, "travel charge= $200 (or cost of round trip car service)." That is exactly how it was worded....so do you think it is either/or? Like if I found a company for less than $200 for service up to Westchester, I could do that? I didn't clarify with her....
Regardless, it is a lot of $$$, but I do agree with you and df when you say it is important to look good in your photos, especially in different lighting...I think I will go for a trial and see what happens....

 

[kanne]

I second Tribeca Rooftop. Lovin Oven - the catering co that handles this space is wonderful. We got married at another Lovin Oven venue (Vanderbilt @ Dowling/Long Island) and everyone is still raving about the food - a year later.

I love the idea of a NYC wedding - so romantic! The Yale Club is amazing.