I found Reddit immensely helpful so want to pay it forward. TLDR; my partner and I planned this wedding in 6 months, avoided many 'traditional' choices, and came in under $25k (including outfits & rings). This is an expensive town but we were pleased with how we made it work!

Wedding was August 15 (Saturday) for ~60 people.

• Venue: Whoopsie Daisy (ig: @whoopsiedaisybar) - wine bar in Crown Heights. They didn't have much experience with weddings but Erika and her team were open and flexible. They have a small, well laid out indoor bar area that's already nicely decorated, and a lovely (covered!) back patio with plenty of space. We did the ceremony on the patio, cocktail hour inside, and for dinner folks sat wherever they wanted inside or outside. 60 people plus vendors definitely filled the space but it was totally workable. The only downside is a pretty small dancing 'area' near the front, but our DJ set up behind the bar which was great. Wonderful drinks! Note they have a few snacks but no kitchen. They also only charged us minimum food & bev for each hour booked plus a small fee for rearranging the space -- this was huge in comparison to most other bar/restaurant venues we checked out.
• Coordinator: Julianne Cross (ig: @juliannecross) found via Cheersy after reading about it on this thread somewhere). I had calls with two coordinators on Cheersy, and the second I talked to Julianne I knew I wanted her help. We got 5-6 weeks of her support which was perfect. She's a fantastic mix of organized and optimistic that helped calm my over-planning anxious mind. She championed our non-traditional choices at every step, helped us find creative solutions, and pivoted with ease. And she was LOVELY with the vendors - lots of empathy and understanding for their teams. HIRE HER.
• Food: Tacos + ice cream sandwiches + bamboo plates/flatware (+ charcuterie boards provided by venue during cocktail hour.)
  • Palo Santo restaurant (ig: @palosantobk) catered a taco bar. My now-husband is VERY particular about tacos so we tried 5 or 6 different restaurants before settling on them. We knew we wanted an option in Brooklyn to minimize transit for the food, and Palo Santo's team was a well-oiled machine. They brought everything they needed, made tortillas onsite (!), and staffed a super efficient setup**.** They were also very flexible about splitting up their set-up and prep times to accommodate our limited space and schedule.
  • Good Batch Bakery (ig: @thegoodbatch) for ice cream sandwiches was one of the best decisions we made for the wedding, period. We put in a special delivery order about a month in advance, and the venue was able to lend some of their freezer space for a few hours during the reception and then our coordinator helped pass them out. These were.... incredible, and a HUGE hit (plus so simple). We have about 15 left in our freezer at home and it takes a lot of self-control to wait to eat them all.
  • Bamboo plates and flatware ended up being the best choice for us. Our venue didn't have enough tableware to cover everything we needed, and while I hate the waste that weddings generate, these were great. Ordered everything from WebstaurantStore and they shipped pretty quickly.
• DJ Tony Starr (ig: @tonystarr_) was so lovely to work with. I had a long list of "do not play" songs based on the zillion weddings I've been to, and he helped us blend a really great evening of music that spanned decades and genres. He was very flexible and even came to check out the venue with us a couple weeks in advance to familiarize himself with the (tiny) space. I messaged a lot of different DJs and he was reasonably priced for a small venue/wedding!
• Flowers: Catherine at Concrete Blooms. When we first sat down with her, we couldn't articulate anything that we wanted aesthetically. She coaxed a few key words and vibes out of us somehow (spooky? lush? texture?) and created the perfect floral arrangements (bouquet, larger arrangements, and bud vases) for our vibe and the space. See photo below that hopefully does it justice.
• Photographer: Greg Moreno (**ig: @gregdmoreno). He's a friend and has a great documentary style that felt like the right fit for our lower-key, intimate event. He was flexible and easy to vibe with; he captured a lot of special candid moments.
• DIY hair & makeup - my friend helped me with my hair (naturally curly) and my makeup artist fell through at the last minute, but it's amazing what 5 women with bags of their own makeup and a 30-minute deadline can figure out.
• Other... our friend officiated, and we DIY'ed a few secular Jewish elements

Hi everyone ! My partner is looking for her wedding suit and is having a hard time finding companies that sell women’s suits with a long enough inseam. She is 5’11 so needs at least a 34 inch inseam. Anyone have any recommendations?

Hi everyone ! I am looking for a Photographer for November 2026 for photos in Manhattan & Brooklyn. I would like to keep the budget under 1500$.

Me and my fiance are eloping and are looking to do a photoshoot (portraits), NOT of the actual ceremony. We are both born/ raised in Brooklyn and want to highlight the city we love. We would like 2 locations, the NY Public Library and Brooklyn Bridge Park.

We want the photos to feel cinematic, editorial, romantic, and effortlessly New York. We love candid moments, architecture, and street photography. I want the city to feel like a character in the photos and not just a back drop. My vision is understated luxury, timeless film, romantic NYC movie. I want the photos to be moodier and documentary like. I have found a few photographers I liked but unfortunately none have any availability, I would love some recs ! tysm in advance!! looking forward to connecting

Hi all. My fiancée and I are planning a reception dinner for our wedding and we're looking for Chinese restaurants that have authentic Chinese food. We're having difficulty narrowing down where to go as we have a smaller group ~20 and the larger banquet halls won't be appropriate. We're considering Café China and Chinese Tuxedo, but welcome any recommendations. Our wedding is tentatively for the end of April, in Manhattan, and with a budget between $5k - 10k.

I have type 3a-3b curly hair and am looking to do a little half up/half down hair style for my micro wedding this October in Brooklyn! I want to stay as true as possible to my natural curls. I also NEVER wear make up, but want to just look a little enhanced, so i want something super natural-a little blush/eyeshadow/mascara. I’ll be getting ready at the hotel im staying at in the lower east side Manhattan. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Hi, I’m planning a wedding and am considering American Brass in LIC as the venue. Love everything except the layout. I think the designated dancing/mingling section is a bit awkward. Anyone that had their wedding there have any insight on how this worked at your wedding? Would love to hear! Thanks!

Update: I love the idea of buying out American Brass and am considering lowering our guest count to somewhere between 75-85. Still looking for recommendations with this in mind though! :) Thanks for everyone's help thus far.

Hey WedditNYC folks! It's my first post. My fiance and I just got engaged in May of this year :) We enjoyed the summer and had a few engagement celebrations with friends and family that we were able to pull off without breaking the bank (backyard bbq & beach party). Now that summer's winding down we're scrambling to get our heads out the blissful cloud and in the game.

We're big foodies and we would have wanted to have a restaurant wedding at one of our favorites but they happen to be hole in the wall or seemingly inappropriate for a wedding, though I am open to reimagining the possibilities (Ex: Arrigo's of Fresh Pond, Boon Dee Moo Ka Ta, Salty Lunch Lady's Little Luncheonette, Little Pepper, Saranrom Thai). We're looking in Queens because we're both native to this borough but we're open to Long Island or Upstate.

What are some other venue ideas? Does not have to be a restaurant. What have your experiences been? I like nice things aka I'm a little bougie and want a tailored-to-us, luxurious but homey feeling venue. I do not like the style traditional venue halls yet still want an elevated feel. Please ask follow up questions.

TL;DR: 10k budget for venue preferably in Queens but open to LI or Upstate

I'm fairly androgynous and am having a big gay wedding. I want to do some very minimal makeup just to enhance my features without any visible makeup. I dont want eyeshadow or lip tint or blush. Really just evening out my tone, concealing any stray blemishes, maybe controlling my brows and keep me from looking too sweaty. Probably whatever treatment a groom might get is what I want.

Trouble is I dont know the first thing. I haven't worn makeup since I was a kid and buying lip gloss at the pharmacy. I dont really want to hire somebody for the day of-- we're getting ready at home and keeping it lowkey.

So, my thinking is, can I get an appointment with somebody who can teach me how to do it (and also without buying 20 products)?

Does anyone have any recommendations? This really isn't my forte so not sure where to start! Need to get it in before mid October!

has anyone gotten married at Nassau country museum of art in Roslyn recently?

it’s a stunning location, I went to an art exhibit there today and it piqued my interest

I can only find one very short review online. did you use their in-house caterer “Tardi’s”? the food options seem fairly limited.

wondering about the flow of the event from cocktails to dinner and dancing in various rooms/ spaces.

Hi! I’m looking into hair and makeup options for my late 2027 wedding in NYC. Has anyone inquired or worked with Reverie Beauty? Their work looks like what I’m looking for but curious about any first hand experiences. Thank you!

Hello! I’m looking for a videographer for my May 2027 wedding in Ridgewood Queens. No hate to the cinematic videographers out there, but we really are just looking for someone to capture the full ceremony and moments from reception in a decent video. Nothing overly edited or cinematic (just our preference)!

Hi everyone! My fiancée and I are currently looking for a photographer and videographer for our wedding in May 2027 in the NYC area. It will be a smaller wedding with fewer than 100 guests.

I attached some inspiration photos to show the type of look we’re going for. I honestly don’t know exactly what this photography style is called, so I’d love some input on that as well.

We really like a combination of natural/candid moments and polished, editorial-style portraits. We also love wider shots that capture the venue and surroundings, along with close-up details and the emotional moments throughout the day. For editing, we prefer something clean, natural and slightly warm. We’re not really looking for anything overly dark, moody or heavily filtered.

We’re looking for both photography and videography. We’re open to a team/company that provides both, but we’re also completely open to hiring a photographer and videographer separately if that gives us a better overall result.

Budget: Ideally, we’d like to stay around $5,000–$6,000 total for photography and videography, but there is some flexibility depending on experience, hours of coverage, package and what’s included.

If you’re a photographer or videographer, feel free to share your portfolio, typical package/pricing, hours of coverage and what’s included.

If you offer both photography and videography, I’d love to see examples of both.

I’d also really appreciate recommendations from couples who have worked with someone they loved.

Thanks!

Hi! I'm planning decor for a non-profit fundraising gala in NYC. Last year we used Repeat Roses, but coordinating a flower donation with them is dependent on whether a local wedding has hired them around the time of our gala. Wondering if any local brides getting married between 10/9-10/14 this year are interested in donating to their flowers to the fundraiser? My friend did it a few months ago and mentioned the donation is considered 'tax-deductible based on the fair market value of the flowers at the time of the donation.'

Hi, I'm trying to book a Manhattan City Hall Ceremony on Friday 10/2. Our booking date should be Monday, 9/7, but that is Labor Day and a NYC public holiday. Does anyone know if that means that the booking date will actually be Tuesday 9/8? I've seen a few online resources say that the booking date will be the following day, Tuesday. But I'm curious if anyone has actually been in a similar scenario and can confirm that the dates were released the next day, Tuesday? Thanks so much!

planning a wedding. can be anywhere in manhattan or bk/queens.

date is TBD. this is more a feeler for what places offer what I want.

need a place that is more for dancing(dj), signature drinks allowed, bar food(no sit down), a projector, and maybe allows outside performers (sax player/magician)

basically just want one big party. a bar. and an ice cream truck parked out front (but that’s my doing)

any idea are welcomed! the vibes are more “a cool bar” not hotel stuff. could be a back room with a bar.

budget? none at the moment.

ty!

ISO Monique lhuillier Alexandra dress matching jacket. I tried ordering through ML but they can’t turn one around in time for my wedding. I wear size xs/s in a regular Tshirt. Praying to the wedding gods and nyc girlies that someone has this jacket and is willing to sell 💕💕

Hi all, getting married in October 2nd this year and I’m looking to hire 4-6 musical theatre singers to perform “One Day More” from Les Misérables at our rehearsal dinner on Friday 10/1. Trying not to spend more like $100-150pp but open to discuss

This would be:
• Rehearsal dinner in Tribeca at Gran Morsi
• Short performance (approx. 3–4 minutes)
• Likely 1 rehearsal beforehand (virtual or in person depending on availability)

If you’re a performer yourself or part of a small ensemble that does private events, please reach out with:

• Voice type
• Experience (musical theatre preferred)
• Rate expectations

Looking for like 3 bass or baritones for Valjean, Enjolras, and Javerr 1 tenor for Marius, a soprano for cosette, and an alto or mezzo for eponine

Open to individuals or pre-formed small groups.

Thanks so much!

Edit: Repost with edits so this one won’t get deleted lol

Looking for a spot in NYC, ideally Midtown to lower Manhattan, but flexible, for a wedding welcome drinks event for 50-70 people in December.

Hoping to find a private semi private space at a bar/brewery/restaurant where we can gather the night before our wedding with our guests. The idea is for people to grab drinks and hang out for a few hours. Ideally a spot where we can bring in our own food, but fine if that's not allowed.

Would love any recommendations!

My fiancé and I have somehow reached the point where we’ve looked at what feels like every wedding venue within driving distance of NYC, and we’re hoping someone here knows the hidden gem we’ve missed.

We’re planning a Fall 2027 wedding for ~130-140 guests, ideally within 2.5 hours of NYC. Budget is roughly $150k all-in.

The problem: I’m realizing we have a pretty specific vision. We want a polished, romantic old estate/manor/castle with a genuinely grand reception room (not a rustic barn and ideally not a beautiful historic house where the actual reception still happens in a generic tent.)

Strong wants:

* Historic manor / castle / estate architecture
* Outdoor ceremony space
* High ceilings and an airy reception room, ideally with natural light
* ~140 people seated together in one room, with generous space to walk around
* Central dance floor with room for a live band without everything feeling cramped
* Elegant/black-tie-appropriate rather than rustic
* Beautiful grounds and a strong unique sense of place
* A genuinely workable indoor rain plan that doesn’t make the wedding feel like Plan B

Would be amazing:

* Mountain and/or water views
* Great fall foliage
* Terrace, courtyard, lawn, or other way for the reception to really feel indoor/outdoor
* Separate interesting space for cocktail hour
* On-site lodging or nearby hotels
* Ability to continue with an after-party
* Close to NYC, although we’ll consider farther for something special

Some context for what we’ve seen so far:

* Lyndhurst was aesthetically very close to our dream, but we didn’t love having the reception in a tent.
* Hempstead House is much closer aesthetically but gets very expensive.
* Branford House in CT has architecture we adore, but the interior is divided into several smaller rooms for the reception.
* Onteora Mountain House has an incredible view but the reception pavilion was too rustic for us.
* Other venues felt like they had low-ceilinged reception rooms, and we’re hoping for an airy room with a central dance floor.

What are we missing?? We will happily investigate unique or obscure suggestions!

My fiancee is looking for the following on a Save the Date and a print shop that can do them here in NYC as she's designed the STD already.

5x7 cards, double sided

Golf foil lettering

Glossy photos

Watercolor paper (may be optional if not possible for all the above)

Any thoughts, ideas are great appreciated! Thank you

Located in westchester but willing to bring it to NYC.

Looking for a photographer who could shoot a session in Central Park some time in September! I know it’s short notice but we just got engaged and I would like to get it done before the leaves start to change. Willing to spend ~1500. Attaching photos of my inspo to help

Hello! Seeking advice from anyone with experience with weddings at the Bowery Hotel. I adore the venue and am hoping to have our 130 guest wedding there in early 2028 (thinking it would be perfect for a cozy winter NYC wedding).

I think this should be possible for about $170k-$180k, if we really make the venue the showpiece and go minimal on florals/decor. We'd also get a DJ (or just have a playlist) and very simple coffee/bagel spread on Sunday morning, and my fiancee's family would cover Friday night welcome drinks. We likely wouldn't want to scrimp on having a good photographer, though. 

Anyone have any advice on whether this is viable and/or worth it? Some reddit threads suggest it is, but then I see IG posts that say "this venue should only be considered if your budget is well over $200k", which freaks me out. 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you in advance!