BEST FOOD I'VE EVER HAD AT A WEDDING??

[prkrgrls]

Recently started a wedding venue search and have quickly become disapointed. My fiance and I are looking for something different from the typical hall wedding. We're also very big on good food. We have a guest list of 250 and want to stay close to NYC. (Long Island, Brooklyn, Hudson Valley and of course NYC are fine) any suggestions????

[Little Cupcake]

I highly recommend the Hyatt in Jersey City, which is where I got married. It is easily accessible to NYC & you get a fabulous view of the Hudson River & NY Skyline. The Hyatt Wedding Planner, Concierge & Head Waiter all made sure that our wedding ran smoothly. We were looking to cut costs, so we chose to do an extra appetizer instead of a dessert (I liked their savory stuff better than their desserts). We just served wedding cake for dessert. As part of our wedding package, Buddy the guy on the "Cake Boss" show did our wedding cake (He gives you some different cakes to choose from. If you want something crazy like fireworks shooting out of your cake, obviously you will pay extra). Everybody was raving about the sushi station, so definitely get that. They will set up a "private cocktail Hour" in your bridal suite, if you want that. And stock your bridal suite with liqour if you want to have an after-party with select guests. The bridal suite has a huge balcony. We had about 30 people there.

[Little Cupcake]

I also checked out Battery Gardens & Water's Edge when I was looking at venues 2 yrs ago. I didn't like the food at Battery Gardens as much as the Hyatt & I think the room would be awkward for 250 people. I felt like Water's Edge needed some updating. It struck me as dusty & stuck in time.

The other place I considered having my wedding was at the Lighthouse by Chelsea Piers. Abigail Kirsch caters this place. I think you also have to use their florist. The space is pretty blank, so you most likely will be spending more on flowers to decorate it.

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Battery Gardens
1 Battery Park Plz, New York, NY 10004

[kinggirl]

As someone who is currently planning a NYC wedding, if food is really important to you, and you have a guest list of 250, you will have to budget way more than $45K in NYC. A good caterer will run around $100-$150 pp and will provide very quality standard wedding fare, but if you really want food to be your focus and you want something more interesting/creative foodie quality, I would realistically budget $200 pp. seriously, its crazy here.

[fulminating]

we had our wedding reception at waters edge in lic 4 years ago and it was really fantastically done. the total package was great: champagne ferry ride from manhattan to lic; the best wedding food any of my friends had ever had (as my friends continue to affirm to this day), amazing view of the manhattan skyline, flawless service, and a great value to boot. i had never heard about it until i asked for suggestions on ch and boy did it come through.

i would probably describe the food as classic/modern nyc food like a gotham grill or river cafe. an emphasis on seafood but overall pretty versatile.

[Asumnuthin]

honestly waters edge food and decor has gotten seriously run down in the past few years

[clembeauchamp]

Bringing your own caterer is the definitely way to go imho. We had our wedding at the Prince George Ballroom on E27 and then hired Marco Polo Caterers (same people who run Tocqueville). I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Marco Polo Caterers - they run a very tight ship and the food was fabulous, right down to the cake.

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Prince George Ballroom
15 E 27th St, New York, NY 10016

[shaogo]

The party spaces in New York City are struggling for business. The more conventional spots include museums and the like. There are some private clubs that're opening up rooms for parties.

Do you have a date? What's your budget, approximately?

[prkrgrls]

We're looking to get married in the summer of 11. Our budget is 75,000 which doesnt seem like much for a wedding of 250 pp. Trying to keep the venue costs around 45,000.

[princeofpork]

Sturck a nerve huh? There is a castle in Weshcheter that uses Abigail Kirsh as a caterer that was a great food experience for us. Cant recall the name of the venue.
Also, went to a wedding at the brooklyun botanical gardens that was a great experience.

[kathryn]

I had an OK experience as a guest at an Abigail Kirsch wedding in Brooklyn at Studio 6:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4732...

I've also been to a wedding at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and the food, atmosphere, and garden were lovely. The service, well. Let's just say it's a good thing club soda gets red wine out of a dress.

My best food experience at a wedding was my own because we approached a local restaurant we loved and asked them to cater. However, we had a much smaller guest list and skewed the budget towards having better food than average.

[uwsister]

I'm pretty sure Movable Feast caters at Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Correct me if I'm wrong!

I've had Abigail Kirsch food at a non-wedding event and wasn't very impressed. It was good, but it was corporate catering food if you get what I mean.

[bobjbkln]

The caterer at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is Charles, Sally & Charles. And they are great.

[City Kid]

Tappan Hill in Tarrytown...I went to a wedding there that was catered by Abigail Hirsch, very good and a beautiful setting.

[princeofpork]

That is the one, thanks!

[shaogo]

In the OP's defense; both couples I know whose weddings cost daddy $100,000+ are still happily married after about 25 years. It's the ones who get married at City Hall and have the reception at the VFW Hall -- the "Hall People," if you will -- who break-up a few years later.

The suggestion of the Botanical Gardens was superb. So is Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, where they're really cool about issuing permits for tents/caterers/etc. And I wonder if The Cloisters has space? The Flushing Museum in Flushing Meadows Park is available as far as I know (I've attended two functions there; one private, one corporate). However, I was told that the client contact manager at Flushing Meadows Park is nasty.

[c oliver]

I think the Botanical Garden is stunning but you definitely have to have a Plan B in case of rain. Our older daughter got married outdoors a few years ago and the weather was perfect but they did have a backup plan to move it indoors, where the reception was going to be anyway.

[nycmlr]

Check out Battery Gardens in Battery Park City ... right on the Hudson (floor to ceiling window) ... owner used to be at The Pierre & runs a great event ... with great food!

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Battery Gardens
1 Battery Park Plz, New York, NY 10004

[princeofpork]

My sister got married there. Great views, but I cant remember the food. Drank to much.

[bobjbkln]

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden catering is indoors at their all glass Palm House which is a pretty spectacular venue during a thunderstorm. This place is quite expensive, but their caterer, Charles, Sally & Charles, is excellent.

Perhaps you should ask this question also on the Outer Boroughs board for Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx and the New York State Board for Westchester. I fear that any further discussion of non Manhattan sites here will be deleted by the monitors.

[c oliver]

Good points.

[goodhealthgourmet]

have you considered Blue Hill at Stone Barns?
http://www.bluehillfarm.com/events/we...

[prkrgrls]

Would LOVE to have it at Blue Hill but with our party size they can only provide dinner...no dance floor :(

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Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011

[uwsister]

I've almost always been disappointed at venues where they have their own caterers. Go with a place where they'll let you bring your own caterer. I've been impressed by food catered by Feast & Fetes, Creative Edge, Seasons, Tip of the Tongue, Great Performances, and Cleaver Co.

[c oliver]

http://www.wainwright.org/weddings.htm

We went to a wedding here in Rye last summer and it was a stunning venue. Don't know if that's too far away. The food not so much but I don't know if they have their own caterer or if you provide your own.