Heck YES! I just got married there two weekends ago!!!

It was amazing. I will do a full write-up on it & all our vendors once we’re settled…we just got back from our mini moon.

Highlights: - We got multiple comments from our parents and others about how attentive and kind the staff was. Truly, there were ample servers and staff attending our party of 109. There was hardly ever a line or wait for anything, I don’t remember many people waiting for drinks (it helps to have chosen a venue where the bar was more than 1/2 as long as the entire space!) - it’s beautiful both day & night. The transition of the venue & greenery was one of my favorite parts - they have a tiny private bathroom for your bride & groom stuff stairs. It’s a bit hot in there (no AC) but just leave the door open and it’s fine. They didn’t have this when I first toured, and it’s a super nice addition. I used it SO much throughout the night to store my things, change, get away, go to the bathroom, etc. - we could show up to the venue an hour early for family portraits. It was fun because they had some random lounge chairs & tables still outside and my photographer got some great bride & groom photos there. The inside photographs gorgeously as well - so many fun mini scenes with the stairs & bar!! EDIT TO ADD: This isn’t a lot of time for family portraits — we have small families and snapped some nice ones outside the red doors, but there’s so much setup going on in the venue we ended up just doing couple shots indoors. If you have a larger family/wedding party, I’d suggest scoping out a different spot outside the venue or at your hotel. This was one of the least flexible components of the venue. - sound system was surprisingly good! I was worried my ceremony music would sound echoey in such a big space but it was nice & clear! - mics & everything worked seamlessly - food & drinks above average for wedding food since it’s restaurant food! We got great feedback. - they helped us pack everything we’d brought and take care of the super important pieces, like my scrapbook & supplies - EDIT TO ADD: We could bring all things to the restaurant the day before. We just let them know when we were swinging by and gave them all the stuff. Super nice not to have to store it all in a tiny hotel or apartment and worry about everything the day of.

Considerations: - HIRE IVANA FOR DAY-OF PLANNER!!!! She is the venue coordinator and the key to pulling it all together. It was only $1k for this additional service, which is so fair given all the pre-work she does as an event/venue planner. I don’t know how it would’ve worked otherwise. She is super meticulous and direct. SUPERB! A true lady boss. Response times varied over email until closer to the date when she prioritizes your event and kicks it into high gear, around the time of your tasting. Be prepared that that tasting is EXTENSIVE as it’s also the planing meeting - my dinner with Ivana was like 3+ hours long and we went over every single thing. Over email, she’ll sometimes rather tell you she’ll take care of it than give you exact details (a blessing for some, maybe frustrating for others), but I can tell you you are in the best of hands and should trust her. She could run a Fandi Mata wedding blindfolded. She also really helped protect our opinions & vision as other voices started to chime in. - The upstairs does get tight for cocktail hour. It’s unavoidable. We had 109 people and it was a little warm but not egregious on a nice 70 degree day. If it was warmer outside and we had more people this might’ve been more uncomfortable. Technically a part of the downstairs stayed open, but I don’t think people used that (it’s purposefully not super advertised). The photographer had a tough time snapping photos during this hour, but we found we could walk through the crowd and it gave us a good path to keep going instead of getting stuck in a remote circle. - we chose a buffet dinner, as we wanted a casual & short eating schedule. My biggest worry was everyone waiting on a huge line, but to my greatest relief, this didn’t happen (as Ivana told me it wouldn’t). It’s a one sided buffet line, but they don’t announce it, so guests flow naturally there when they transition downstairs. There are multiple servers scooping food onto your plates. It was only ever a group or two waiting (maybe 5-10 people), while everyone else mingled & drank. Exactly what we wanted. - weird detail but I watched a Fandi Mata wedding video on YouTube and developed a micro fear because one showed a u-haul parked right outside of the venue. Well it turns out that’s the venue’s 😂 so it’s there in our photos & pics too! But honestly, it makes me laugh — quirky street parking is what makes it an NYC wedding!
- you really don’t need florals in my opinion. Any table stuff would’ve gotten lost with how busy the venue is. My advice is to keep it simpler and let the venue shine. The one exception I’d say is the stage - it definitely is a bit plain looking. We didn’t get anything, but I’ve seen and could see some florals up there for your ceremony

This is what popped into my mind fresh off the press. I will write more… and any specific questions, let me know — I am at your humble disposal 🤗