From the start, our experience with Guastavino's was top notch. We got married on December 10, 2022 at an off-site ceremony spot and had our reception here. Quick response, set up a site visit, and fell in love with this spectacular venue. Not only is the venue itself breathtaking when you walk in the doors, the staff is so professional, attentive, friendly, and pay very close attention to detail.

Onto one of the more important aspects of any wedding: the food. We were very thankful to have done a tasting at Guastavino's to narrow down their delicious selections. It was a very tough decision because everything was amazing but all of our guests were pleased with our choices. The cocktail hour was spectacular. What a start to the event! We did 4 of their standard stations and last minute added on their seafood tower. Our guests were amazed by the quality, taste, and display of the food. The seafood tower was a show stopper and elevated the event! For dinner we opted for the Filet and Salmon and both were a hit. You have several options to choose from for first course, main course, and dessert. Instead of doing a full dessert hour, we wanted guests to remain on the dance floor so Guastavino's was kind enough to change to a passed dessert style of seven options which was amazing! And included one of my favorites - Magnolia banana pudding.

The cake was also included in our pricing and the baker they work with creates absolutely delicious and beautiful cakes! We opted for a cake with flavors and designs that were included in their standard package. It was a 4-tier tall round cake covered in white fondant with a white satin bow to match the bow on my wedding dress. We chose the dark chocolate cake with strawberry cream filling. SO delicious! Guastavino's also handled this aspect of the tasting and coordination with the baker so we did not have to do anything for it which was great.

One of the things we appreciated most was the honestly and realness of the team. When we first visited Guastavino's we were feeling discouraged from a prior visit with another venue that did not go as expected and were turned off with how snooty the person was. We initially met with Joseph Gabis and he was wonderful! Coming from Long Island, we were used to having several dinner options offered for guests but in NYC the standard is only 2 options at most venues. Joseph offered to add a 3rd option for an upcharge but advised that there would be plenty of food throughout the event that we could save that money and use it towards something else for the day. He eased my mother's worries about lack of food and there was more than enough for everyone to enjoy the day of!

Huge shout out to Joseph Gabis, Joseph De Jesus, Victoria Bongo, and the rest of their incredible team for taking such great care of us during our most special day. Everyone was always happy to answer our questions, fulfill our requests, and make accommodations for us where needed. You will truly be in excellent hands when working with Guastavino's.

All of our guests can't stop raving about everything! We are already hoping to use this venue again one day for future events. You will not be disappointed and are getting your money worth!

Guastavino's is right in line with the top wedding venues in NYC like The Plaza and The Pierre and after having our wedding here in September, I can easily say that Guastavino's tops both of those across all categories: class, service, food, flexibility, size, personality, luxury, the list goes on and on...

Throughout our process of exploring venues, we did look at other top venues like The Plaza, The Pierre, The Essex House, and others. We also attended weddings previously as guests at all of these venues. We were never guests at a wedding at Guastavino's so in that sense, we were going in blind.

When we first walked into the space, we were in awe. It is so unique in its architecture, layout, and feel, and is very iconic New York. Built right into the arches of the Queenboro Bridge, it doesn't get much more Manhattan than that.

Besides falling in love with the space instantly, what put us over the top was the attentiveness, personal care, and obvious experience from every single person we interacted with from day 1. I will add, this feeling and attentiveness did not subside for one second throughout our year long process leading up to the wedding and even after. It is clear that owner John and his staff really understand what service means and they certainly understand how to put on an exceptional event.

What's even more impressive is that, while the price is not by any means cheap or budget, it is absolutely reasonable. Reasonable in the sense that it's not outrageous, you fully understand every single cost without any secrets, shadiness, or question at all, but also the entire team actually cares and listens to your budget concerns, vision, and ideas and does everything in their power to make it all come together. And if for some reason they cannot, they are transparent and let you know. We cannot say the same about ANY of the other venues we looked at.

Beyond that, when I say that Guastavino's has done it all, seen it all, and can handle literally any request you can think of (even if its the week of the wedding), I really mean it. There were several occasions where I asked "can we do this" or "is this possible" knowing well that the answer is likely no, but the answer was always "yes absolutely" or "we've never done that, but we will make it happen."

What makes Guastavino's really special is the staff all led by John as I mentioned. John is a real New Yorker, not a pushy salesman, and it's clear he is a family man. It's also obvious this is the culture he engrained in his team. I can honestly say, whether I was interacting with John, our talented coordinator Megan, our awesome host Joe, Abdul (who needs no title), our attendant Erica, or ANYONE else on the team, WE felt like family.

Ok, so the food... Have you ever been to a wedding and said "wow the food was great?" Probably not, but your guests absolutely will. The best way to describe it is that Guastavino's went into a top New York restaurant, hand picked the chef and his entire team, and brought it to Guastavino's. The food is actually incredible, and your guests will tell you. Warning: they may never stop telling you. We left our tasting a little skeptical of how they could possibly deliver that elegance, flavor, and experience the night of our wedding for 220+ people, and believe me when I tell you, they absolutely did. Dishes are creative, flavorful, HUGE PORTIONS, and all around just 5-star.

I will leave it with this: you absolutely get what you see at Guastavino's and if you want an honest, luxury, top 5 NYC venue, you MUST at least give Guastavino's a look. Arguably, I didn't even need to write this entire review, because I know that the second you step foot in the space and interact with the team, you will experience the same magic we did and then, and only then will you understand (and ask yourself "why didn't I check this place out sooner?").

Thanks John, Megan, Joe, Erica, and the entire team at Guastavino's. You really are the best in the business.

We were married at Guastavino's on 12/15/18 and the entire day went by so smoothly.

Megan and Annmarie (the event managers) were so thorough, organized, creative, and attentive throughout the entire process. They are open to any request and make you feel at ease.

The food was outstanding -- you get a large qty of cocktail hour choices (all of them amazing) and entree choices. The food doesn't feel mass-produced like at some other venues. Every dish seems like it was made special for you. My only complaint is that I wish the cocktail hour was more than an hour! The stations and pass-arounds were exceptional.

The bar service exceeded expectations -- the signature drink at the cocktail hour was served as guests left the ceremony so the bars didn't get jammed, plus there were plenty of trays of champagne and wine for people to grab from. The bars never really formed a line. Not to mention, Guastavino's only serves top-shelf brands. The reception service was treated the same way...servers came around with wine/drink orders, wine was on the table, plus guests can go up to the bar.

Music -- we chose Cafe Wha (also outstanding) and the acoustics/partnership between the band and Guastavino's was perfect.

General flow of the day -- soooo organized, on-schedule, and seamless. I can't name one hiccup.

The best part is that Guastavino's assigns both a day-of coordinator to make sure you stay on schedule AND a bridal attendant (she was incredible. I felt so spoiled!).

Highly recommend!