Favorite Williamsburg Wedding Venues

As a long-time Williamsburg resident (ten years!), I thought I would take this opportunity to talk venues.  This neighborhood has so many amazing businesses, and many of them are (wisely) starting to cater to the wedding biz.  Some of them are legit event spaces, while others are restaurants.  The beauty of choosing a venue in this area is that there are so many different vibes and spaces to choose from.  So, whatever kind of event you’re envisioning, you can probably find something to suit your taste here.  Here are some of my favorites:

The Brooklyn Winery.  Beautiful, dark wood everywhere, high ceilings in the main room, and lots of little hidden nooks and crannies to settle into.  Note that they only have a beer/wine license, if that’s an issue.  They have a small outdoor patio that would be ideal for a small ceremony, and then you could take the reception inside.  This is also an ideal place to plan for rain – if it happens to be too rainy for an outdoor ceremony, you could always just move everything inside. Or, honestly, I wonder if they could just tarp over the whole thing….something to consider.

My Moon.  A Turkish restaurant quickly becoming one of W’berg’s most popular wedding venues.  The decor is stunning, probably the most lavish and beautiful in the neighborhood, without going overboard. Think Arabian Nights meets really cool iron and woodwork.  The front patio is huge, two levels, and the second level converts really well to a traditional aisle with seating on either side.

Steiner Studios.  Stage 6 at this huge building complex in the Brooklyn Navy Yard is quickly becoming a popular upscale spot. Abigail Kirsch is the in-house caterer here, and the food is not your average wedding-event food; more like fine dining.  This is definitely
a luxury venue.  Generally, the ceremony and receptions are done inside (there are a few rooms to choose from), but there’s also a huge outdoor space with an amazing view that would be beautiful for an outdoor ceremony.

East River Park.  An adorable little patch of park right on the waterfront, with amazing views of the river and Manhattan.  Breezy and always full of beautiful people lounging about, this has always been my go-to summer park.  This would be an amazing spot for a ceremony, and then a quick walk over to The Bedford for dancing and drinks.  The
Bedford’s back room is the perfect spot for a private party.

Huckleberry Bar.  One of my go-to neighborhood bars.  Amazingly crafted cocktails at a decent price, plus a huge selection of wines and beers.  And their menu boasts a really impressive selection of upscale bar food (think cheese plates, cured meats, lemon/caper tuna sandwiches, etc).  Their outdoor garden is small but utterly charming, and would do well for a small outdoor ceremony.  Then, inside for drinks, food, dancing, and music – there’s a DJ booth and a great sound system, and a sunken dance floor.

Radegast Biergarten.  I’m surprised this one hasn’t caught on yet, I think it would be an amazing spot for a wedding.  It’s huge, and would be ideal for a large party.  There’s both indoor and outdoor areas. The food is authentically German, and the waitstaff wears traditional German barmaid outfits.  Adorable, kitschy, and fun, a wedding here
would be raucous and merry!  And again, you have your choice of indoor or outdoor (or both).

Surf Bar.  This place is the only one of it’s kind in the area.  Three rooms – the first, indoor, the second, covered garden space, and the 3rd, fully open-air garden.  All three rooms are strewn with sand, as if you were walking on the beach.  There’s surfboards everywhere and the food is ocean/beach-inspired.  This would be a great spot for ocean-lovers who maybe wanted to do a destination wedding, but decided to stay local instead!

Good luck choosing a spot!

xo,

Anni

Sunday Snaps!

“Something Blue…” by Kristina Hill Photography

How to Handle Gratuities on Your Wedding Day

Giving gratuities on a wedding day can be a sensitive subject, one that has come up in conversation on more than one occasion at a Brooklyn Betrothed meeting. Who should get tips, when should they be distributed, how much, etc.

First off it’s my recommendation that you delegate someone trustworthy to take on the responsibility of distributing cash and checks on your wedding day. This is a service I offer all my clients.  Review any final payments and all gratuities one week before your wedding.  Write the checks in advance and label the envelopes with the vendors’ names and add a post-it note to indicate the time of the day or evening you want it distributed and if a gratuity is contingent on anything.  (Actual thank you notes with a hand written message from the couple with payments or gratuity is so sweet and remembered/appreciated by vendors, I promise.)

While it’s not uncommon for couples to resist giving up control of their money; writing checks, running to ATMs, counting cash and finding vendors are not how most want to be spending their time during their wedding reception. The night is going to go fast enough; delegate the responsibilities so you can celebrate and enjoy every second of the festivities you’ve planned and paid for.

That said, gratuities for your wedding professionals are most certainly not expected and are 100% at your discretion.

It’s common to tip hair and make-up professionals the standard rate of what you would at a salon, so 15-20%.

Drivers would also be acknowledged in the same manner as if you were going to take a cab or a car service.  So gratuity should be determined on length of trip, number of passengers, etc.

A gratuity for the catering staff is a must, but this is often included in the catering contract. This is something you will want to confirm with your catering contact.

It’s also common to tip head chefs and the maître d as they are the ones responsible for and overseeing the good service and food your guests are enjoying.

When live bands are performing, if they have done an amazing job and packed the dance floor all night (assuming that was the goal) $25-50 per band member is generous.  This could be lumped together, and given to the leader of the band at the end of the night, but small bills are appreciated so they can distribute the tips accordingly.)

The people at your venue are working hard for you. It may not be obvious but it would be obvious if things were not running smoothly in terms of lighting, temperature and overall logistics. As a wedding planner, I am in constant contact with the venue as they are my silent partner in making sure the day runs flawlessly. It’s also a long day for them and typically a late night as they are often the key holder waiting on the florists, lighting and rentals being broken down and retrieved. If you’ve found they have been easy to reach, open to easing your anxiety and knowledgeable in handling any wedding day woes, I know they’d like knowing how much you appreciate their often behind-the -scenes orchestrating.

You hope that you’ve hired people who will exceed expectations and it’s their responsibility to price their services accordingly. Should things come up, plans change, schedules extend or situations require vendors to go beyond the terms of their contract, such as staying late, working extra, pitching in in ways not previously outlined, cash gratuities are an excellent way of expressing your sincere appreciation.

Maybe more than money, know what we love? Thank yous, testimonials and on-line reviews. Referrals thrill us more than you can imagine. If your guests are raving, forward us the email, we’d love to see it! While you’re still on a high from your wedding day, jot us an email sharing your thoughts from the day.  We are a sincere and captive audience and welcome positive feedback from your wedding day!

If you have specific questions about gratuities, know others may share your need for clarification, so please leave a comment here and I’ll respond promptly. If it’s of a more private nature, drop me an email at tammy@tammygolson.com and I’ll answer your question personally.

Happy planning!

xo,

Tammy

 

Note to vendors/Personal pet peeve:

PLEASE do not ask, prompt or indicate in any way that you are looking for/expecting a tip.  I feel like this should be an obvious “no brainer,” but I’ve had two incidents, one recent, where I’ve had to ask that tip jars or the signage be removed, assuring the service provider that the client has accounted for all gratuities and we do not want guests tipping from their pockets.

A Brooklyn Betrothed Wedding!

Tags

brooklyn wedding, galapagos wedding

Anni, Rebecca, Carissa, Ruth and I can’t stop buzzing about how wonderful it was to work together on Jackie and Michael’s wedding this past weekend! We had a fabulous time collaborating on details as their wedding day approached and an even better time when the day arrived, working together and watching everything unfold so seamlessly. The two are such a lovely couple and we wish them a marriage filled with so much love and happiness! I hope you enjoy this sneak peek at their big day!

Additional Vendors

Venue: Galapagos

Cake: One Girl Cookies

Food Truck: Mexicue

Caterer: My Chef Direct

DJ: DJ Gaza

Hair: Nackie from The Parlour Brooklyn

Rings: Catbird

 

xo,

Kristina

Sunday Snaps!

“We are Family…” by Kristina Hill Photography

A Brooklyn Betrothed Wedding!

It’s a big wedding weekend and we at Brooklyn Betrothed want to wish all the couples who are marrying this weekend and all of our colleagues who are hard at work lots of warm wishes and congratulations!

But a special congratulations goes out to Jackie and Michael who will be tying the knot today at Galapagos in DUMBO Brooklyn.  Kristina, Anni, Rebecca, Carissa and Ruth are thrilled to be working together, helping to make their wedding day a beautiful success.

To see more images from their engagement shoot, click here!

xo,

Kristina

Easing a Catholic Family into a Non-Catholic Wedding

Growing up, I always thought I’d have a Catholic wedding. The religion was always a part of my life, as I attended a private Catholic school. My uncle, who happens to be a Catholic priest, was my confirmation sponsor when I received the sacrament in 8^th grade. While my school and family always encouraged asking questions, I didn’t have information about the rest of the world to really ask anything important. I went to a public high school, where I first began asking real questions, but always retained my religious devotion. Looking to the future and marriage, I expected my uncle would be the one to carry out the ceremony one day.

Well, my traditional family is in for a shock when that day comes, because I don’t think I can consider myself Catholic anymore. I believe in equal marriage for all, under the law and within the church. I believe that woman as well as men can be religious leaders and priests. I think it’s perfectly fine to use contraception and other forms of birth control and, while I think life starts in the womb, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t start at conception. For a while, I told myself I would promote change within the church but found my connection to God fading. All I saw were stubborn people who appeared to me to be un-accepting of diversity in beliefs and who actively condemned people whose beliefs were different from theirs. This I could not stand. Well, I guess I’m not having a Catholic wedding.

A wedding for me is at least a few years off, so I don’t have to completely panic about my family’s reaction when I tell them…yet. My terror of having a non-traditional wedding is more centered in telling my family I’m not Catholic than telling them about the wedding. I am most concerned about hurting my uncle’s feelings if he feels he cannot participate or attend my wedding because of my religious views.

I have already started prepping my immediate family. Every so often, we engage in a conversation about religion or about human rights. I’m pretty sure they know where I stand, but in my family, if you don’t talk about something, it doesn’t exist. They may already know I don’t consider myself Catholic, but as long as no one says it out loud, they don’t have to believe it.

I hope that, by the time I am getting married, they will be so used to all my ‘crazy’ wedding ideas that having a non-traditional, non-Catholic wedding will come to no surprise. That being said, the first thing I had to do, and the hardest, is stop saying I expect my uncle to marry me. I don’t even know if he will show up as all research shows we will not be considered a legitimately married couple in the Catholic church. I’ve known of parents who refused to go to their own child’s wedding because the ceremony would not be Catholic.

That feels a bit overwhelming, so let’s start small: the wedding veil. I understand that the wedding veil has a different meaning today than it did in the past. Some people may not care about the origin of the veil, but I do. There are multiple stories about its origin. Some believe that in ancient Rome or medieval times, evil spirits were thought to be attracted to the bride. The veil was meant to obscure her features and confuse the spirits. Another purpose for the veil has been in arranged marriages, where the woman’s face was hidden until after the ceremony. The groom didn’t have a chance to back out if her features were less than satisfactory to him.

As I disagree with both of these ideas, I am seeking out a birdcage veil as I find them to be quite elegant. I still don’t need my face covered in any way so I am seeking out a birdcage style that is more of a hair accessory than a veil. I think I may have some trouble,  but I know they’re out there.

My second requirement is to have a tea length wedding dress instead of this huge full length monstrosity. I do not have the proper coordination to walk in a traditional wedding dress, at least, not in heels. I’m looking for something simple, elegant and short, with some sort of color mixed in (another no no). I’ve already brought up the dress length to my family, and they are fine with that. I haven’t got the guts yet to express my desire for color.

Lastly, I really don’t want my wedding or engagement ring to have diamonds on it. I’ve found a few online sources for conflict-free diamonds, but I’d rather not support the industry at all. I’ve heard moonstones can be cut to look like diamonds and even reflect more light. Spending thousands of dollars on something as small as a ring seems so ridiculous to me. The best idea I’ve found for wedding rings is one which incorporates the birthstone of each person. Each stone makes half a heart. It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Too bad I was born in April.

I guess for the actual wedding, what I consider untraditional may be seen as traditional by some. While I have abandoned Catholic views, I still have spiritual faith. I would like the ceremony to be performed by a religious leader and I will probably keep it inside. I’m too afraid weather, dirt or bugs will ruin the ceremony. The ideal would be to have tons of large windows to let all the sunlight in and peacock feathers mixed in with all the flowers. When I walk down the aisle, I want both my parents to be with me. It makes no sense to me that only my father should walk with me when my mother had just as much influence on my life.

To date, I still fear telling my family about my intentions for a wedding. I feel lucky that I have time to slowly get the used to the idea. My wedding will be about the union of two people and incorporate our beliefs and desires. While I believe it is important for the family to be involved in the wedding, they do not get to decide how the ceremony is carried out. I’m excited for the day when I feel ready to be married. Here’s hoping all family members show.

xo,

Tonya Vrba

 

Author Bio: Tonya Vrba is a passionate writer. Her work has been published in newspapers and blogs. She writes frequently about health, career and dating issues. Tonya currently writes with Dating Sites Online. Learn more about her work at her personal website.

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Wedding

On Saturday, Anni and I had the pleasure of working with Erica and Michael on their Brooklyn Botanic Gardens wedding. It was a gorgeous day and a stunning event! Congratulations to Erica and Michael, it was an honor to be part of your day. Happy honeymooning!

Planner: Leigh Kamioner

Florist: Denise Fasanello

Hair Stylist: Lisa, Cocorro

Make Up Artist: Anni Bruno

Dress Maker: Pronovias 

Officiate: Bettina Yiannakourou

Ceremony Music: Gainsborough Trio 

Cocktail Hour: Baby Soda

Reception: DJ – Play Something Good

Cake: Charles Sally Charles (Palm House caterers)

Caterer: Charles Sally Charles (Palm House caterers)

xo,

Kristina

Sunday Snaps!

“Details…” by Kristina Hill Photography

xo,

Kristina

A Brooklyn Betrothed Wedding!

Congratulations to Erica and Mike! The two will be saying, ‘I do!’ today at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Stay tuned for a peek at their day this Monday on the blog. But for now, check out some snaps from their engagement session!

Want to see more? Check out their full engagement session here!

 xo,

Kristina