I'm leaving some reviews since many knottie reviews were helpful for me. I live in Hoboken NJ but got married in Manhanttan so these apply to the general area. Will rate 1-5 will 5 being best. I'll try to post some pics so you can see the work too.
Reception--The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers by Abigail Kirsch catering: 5
amazing! gourmet food that everyone raved about, even after the wedding. it is pricey but worth the money if you can swing it. The Lighthouse is a beautfil modern space overlooking the Hudson. Was very pleased
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Flowers--Superior Florist in Manhattan.5: If you book the Lighthouse you must work with one of their preferred florists. Steve was the most reasonably priced. I gave him a budget and he exceeded my expectations with the quality of the work. As a side note the creativity of Bardin Palomo was excellent. I recommend them for brides with a very high budget.
DJ--Musically Yours: 4 Ronnie owns his business and works in the music business outside of weddings. He was very professional, had a good read on the mood in the room, and did a solid job overall.
Photographer--Francesco Mastalia: 5. Francesco is a seasoned wedding photographer. He is a very friendly and calm individual who blended into the day nicely and took some beautiful and creative photos. He exceeded expectations.
Dress, earrings, hair comb--Bridal Reflections in Manhattan: 5. The dress I bought was strapless but they converted it to one shoulder. The final result looked as if it was always one shoulder. The sales staff was always helpful and the craftsmanship of the tailors was good.
Veil and purse--Olga Kvitko in Hoboken: 4.5 Olga specializes in couture work but I went in to see her, told her I had to hit a certain price and described what I was looking for and she made it happen. She did a solid job and turned it around very quickly.
Hair and makeup--Ene Salon in Manhattan: 4.5 Nelson for hair and Aisha for Makeup. They are a fun lively team and give excellent customer service. I was happy with the final results.