The Aurora Gallery is an event coordination company, NOT a specific venue; they work with multiple…read morevenues. This review is of how this event coordinator organized our wedding ceremony and reception this September, at a venue called T Studio in Astoria (you can see amy review of that venue separately). Things they organized well: * For the most part the package is reasonably priced and a lot of the things are included (e.g. DJ, photographer, staff, décor) etc. However, as we've learned later (see below), this organizer takes on more than they can logistically handle and it would have been much better if we actually organized some of these elements ourselves. * The food -the restaurant this coordinator ordered catering from was very good. * The décor was in line with what I wanted, BUT...see the list of "buts" below... Things they organized.... NOT so well: * There were multiple warning signs early on that this wedding coordinator is not very detail-oriented. Communicating with her was hard--she took a long time to reply to emails and things were disappearing in the thread. For example, she sent us our wedding contract three times, each time with errors in it. * They set up very late so there's no chance to check everything--and that's too bad. For one: THEY MESSED UP THE TABLE SEATING. I provided a correct seating chart way in advance and we only had 8 tables (!). And somehow they couldn't get that right and put the same guests at two tables, which completely messed up the whole arrangement and resulted in two of our guests actually eating dinner in a back room next to garbage cans (!) because they wanted to sit together. To make it worse, the coordinator was trying to deny it in a conversation with me later. * Multiple things that were part of our package were missing during the event, including a coffee station and a water station. I myself (as bride) had to run to the bar every time I wanted a glass of water, and towards the end of the event the guests informed me that there is no coffee! Which was in our package! They refunded us for the cost of the missing items ($125! Out of ~$14K), but well, we only had one wedding. * The bar RAN OUT OF WINE before the event ended. Already the bar under this company closes 30mins before the end of the event, and all we had on offer for wine was house red and house white. * The ceremony took place on the terrace: there was a loud air conditioning unit that practically drowned out our vows. * I wanted to add a champagne reception to our package, and at the beginning I wanted to manage it myself, but our wedding coordinator offered to take care of it for an extra charge. BIG MISTAKE. They did not get enough champagne and were serving glasses with embarrassingly tiny amounts of champagne at some point. I would have bought the bottles myself had I known in advance! * In general, the staff assistance was non-existent. My parents and multiple guests reported that the staff offered no guidance, the guests were confused as to where they were supposed to go or what to do. * We paid for "passed hors d'oevres " as part of our package, which were supposed to be distributed before the ceremony. My parents reported that a waiter showed up 2-3 times out on the terrace with a small plate of hors d'oevres which lasted for just a few people. * The décor was also included in our package including tables and altar décor. The wedding coordinator did provide a vision board and we discussed getting specific things, like fairy lights and lighting up the aisle with candles/lampions. There were neither. The coordinator said she made a budget decision to not include those -and did not inform me about it! But based on all the other fails my guess is that she simply forgot. The part that particularly irked me was: I found a Love-shaped balloon on Amazon and offered to buy it and bring it for decoration, but the wedding coordinator said she'll take care of it. You've guessed it...there was no balloon. I could have easily done that myself. * My general impression is: when you're planning a wedding, you can't possibly think of every single thing as the bride. That is why you hire a wedding organizer to take off some of the load (and pay them money for it!). Foresight and support was completely lacking from this vendor. I had to think of everything myself and spell everything out, and on occasion even the instructions I gave them were not executed correctly. From things I didn't spell out but I had hope that they will interpret them, here's one example: we provided little bottles of bubbles for guests to use during the ceremony. The event coordinator distributed the bottles on chairs for the ceremony, but provided no instructions to the guests to use them. Result: there were no bubbles during the ceremony or at any point. You just expect that an experienced wedding coordinator would know to "manage" the crowd and give out instructions. Needless to say, I cannot recommend this vendor.

This review is so overdue!…read more We had our reception here last October. The space is huge and you are really able to transform it however you'd like although the managers do help you with some standard seating layouts. We had 120 guests and the size was just right. We had plenty of room for seating buffet tables and dance floor. They even provide a bartender for you to use that night. I'll post some pictures which tell more than I can in the writeup but it's definitely worth 5 stars, and the main reason was John. When crap went wrong he calmed us down. Took us drinks and food in the back and to our table. Reminded us to relax and enjoy. Our DJ which we brought on our own was late and I started to get worked up but John cooled me down. He also helped us plan and figure out a lot of things as we had not a clue in the world what we were doing. He made it worth every penny. They also have many vendors to recommend should you need them. We used theirs for the tables and chairs and also the waitstaff. The prices were reasonable compared to other vendors and trust me, we checked. If you're looking to do a wedding on a budget and paying for yourself, you should use the Aurora Gallery.

I've never planned and held an event before, let alone one that needed to accommodate 100+ ppl…read more Finding Marte Hall (Queens Party Hall) was amazing !!!! I was able to see the space quickly, communication with my sales manager Tauseef was really seamlesss. He went above and beyond to meet my expectations. This venue is gorgeous and reasonably priced. I would most def do business with Queens Party Hall again. Highly recommend!

This review is long overdue! Our baby shower was held here April 2023 and the day, despite the…read moreheavy rain, was better than I had planned. Months leading up to our event was seamless to say the least working with Angie who initially showed us the space and Tausee who coordinated all the event logistics and needs we desired. The space is intimate yet uniquely designed for any celebration to remember. Marte staff/mgmt were extremely accommodating when it came to set up and event time. We live less than 10min away from the venue so we were even allowed to access the venue ahead of our event, a month in advance even, to assess our seating/table and photo booth arrangement etc and bring in decor just to see how it'll look in the space. The wait staff and security provided for our event were amazing! Loved having them for the event even to enjoy themselves. Easily accessible, great location. I had and still have no complaints!!! Thank you so much for your hospitality!!! 10/10 I recommend!!!

where do I even begin? Having our wedding with Ravel events exceeded our expectations more than I…read moreever could have imagined. From start to finish everything was perfection thanks to our amazing coordinator that the Ravel provided us with Eman. From day one Eman was there to guide me and support me through the whole wedding process. everyone was saying I was one of the most chill brides and I honestly think it's because of how easy Eman and the Ravel made this experience! On the wedding day, I was assigned a bridal attendant, Jadelyn. I wasn't quite sure what to expect since we had never met before, but she quickly became one of the highlights of my day. She was kind, attentive, hardworking, and always one step ahead of anything I needed. From the moment I met her, I felt completely at ease, as though I had another friend by my side throughout the day. The food, the views, the service... No notes. It was a dream. The week leading up to the wedding I was really nervous since the weather was predicting rain the day of the wedding. Eman gave me many different options to make sure my day would go exactly the way I wanted despite rain, but she was still very hopeful and positive that it would clear up. Fortunately, for us, no rain, beautiful clear skies, and our dream rooftop ceremony was able to happen. Plus, we got the most beautiful sunset. The thing about the Ravel is that it faces the city so you get the most beautiful views of Manhattan. Views that guest still are raving about and almost every guest has a new profile picture on their Instagram and Facebook of them at the Ravel with the view! And top it off the night was so perfect that Eman was able to open the roof of the penthouse for us to have the most dreamy night under the stars. If you're thinking about having your wedding at the Ravel, do not even double think it. It was the most perfect planning experience and the most perfect night. Thank you to everyone at the Ravel, especially Eman and Jadelyn!

My wife and I looked at several venues in the NYC area (specifically in Greenpoint, Red Hook, and…read moreJersey City). When we stepped into Ravel, we could immediately envision ourselves getting married there. Between the amazing views of Queens on the rooftop, the stunning backdrop of NYC from the penthouse, and the indoor spaces that allow for flexible weather planning, Ravel provided many beautiful options for hosting our wedding. We worked with Eman, and she helped us plan our wedding in less than 5 months! She is so much more than an event manager, she is your go-to person from the moment you book Ravel to the very last minute of your wedding day (and even after)! It was so fun getting to know her during the planning process, and she executed the day flawlessly. Our event booking also came with a bridal attendant, and Jadelyn was the greatest asset on the day of. We LOVED our wedding at Ravel, and so did our guests! We've been married for four weeks, and all of our friends and family are still gushing about the food, the drinks, and the views. Truly, the food was INCREDIBLE. I'm obviously biased, but I've personally been to 50+ weddings, and I cannot recall guests enjoying the food as much as they did at Ravel. If you're even considering this location, go immediately, meet Eman, try the food, and book it!

Attended a festive event at the PGB - it was such a gorgeous space. The ceiling alone (please see…read morepics!) was worth seeing! And the ballroom, while ornate and certainly grand, managed to feel intimate and warm at the same time. Not sure how it looks sans decor, but it seemed like the space itself gives you a lot to work with. The front room is more industrial, but it was a perfect space for pre-dinner cocktails. No idea what $$ is (and I imagine not inexpensive!) but if you're looking at event spaces for a wedding or bar mitzvah, this should be on your tour!

This venue is really beautiful. I have only been to one event at this venue in the main ballroom,…read moreand the decor was gorgeous. There were these long dramatic columns that were designed with heavy details, with garlands, leaves all in gold. Their ceiling was also designed with a lot of detail. It is not your standard venue, they really take pride in the history of NYC and pays homage to 1920's New York. The gallery from the entrance to the ballroom is clean and modern, and they have different art work every month or so. The staff is very accomodating. I know a lot of people have their wedding receptions here, but this venue is a bit on the smaller end, so if you are planning an event that is a large scale (400+) sit down dinner, then I would look elsewhere.

What a lovely space for an event in lower Manhattan. Open and airy rooms, very charming townhouse…read morefeeling, welcoming and reliable management, and reasonably priced. Easy to bring in catering. Tables, chairs, audio video all provided. Highly recommended.

I worked an engagement party here on Saturday , LR was wonderful and super helpful. Every event is…read morealways easier when the venue is cooperative and flexible to things not going according to plan. Im very grateful I had their help and understanding and cant wait to work with them in the future. 10/10 recommend, beautiful place!

Carlos and staff were AMAZING! We fell in love with this place when we first paid it a visit. I…read morehave shot many weddings here and loved the victorian look of the space. You can customize and adjust the space to your aesthetics for that day and really make it a UNIQUE experience for your guest. https://www.kevinliangphotography.com/lahila-jose/ https://www.kevinliangphotography.com/2014/11/19/wd-justine-cory/

Came here mid- Oct for a wedding, the reception and ceremony was located in second floor, where can…read moreaccommodate for about 100-150 guests. I like the rustic atmosphere, but there are several things that I don't like : 1. There are several pillars in the room. Too many pillars..actually. The room itself is beautiful even with minimal decoration, unfortunately, I couldn't see the bride and groom during the whole ceremony because the pillar just blocked my sight. 2. The stair is really shaky and there are no lights in Stairwell ( they don't have elevator in the building), so it's really dark esp in the night. If you are wearing heels, you need to be super careful.

So of course, I found this place through Instagram, and it looked amazing. Cherry Blossom pink…read moretheme, who could resist! We took the ferry from Astoria and got off at the last stop, which is only a few minutes away from Pier 15, where Watermark is located. The sun was out, but it was chilly with the wind. We arrived and were greeted and taken to our reservation after a few minutes. Right off the bat, it looked great with pink everywhere. The "glasshouse" was a bit small, and my chair was wobbly; I felt like it was going to break if I moved too much. There was barely any room to stretch your legs. Our server came by, gave us the menu, and disappeared. After a while, he eventually came back to take our order. The place was packed, I'll give them that, but given that we paid for the special dinner package, they would be more attentive, given the price we paid. We finally got our drinks, which were not included in the dinner experience, by the way. The package only includes the guava tea, hummus appetizer with pita bread, and a choice of one entree each with dessert to finish it off. Anything else you pay for separately. For my drink, I got the Blushing Bourbon, which was really good! As for the food, we started with the Crispy Coconut Shrimp app, which was good with the sweet chili sauce. As for the limited choice of entrees, we went for the Golden Chicken Milanese and the Sakura Teriyaki Chicken Bowl. The Milanese chicken, while it was huge, needed more seasoning; it tasted so bland, and the mustard sauce did not help at all. My friend did not like the Teriyaki chicken bowl, but I did, as it was much better than my dish. The portion, however, was small. After we had somewhat finished our food, we were served the raspberry macarons for dessert, which were good but tasted like regular macarons, so nothing special. Of course, the check came quickly without being asked, with an 18% tip automatically included. After paying, we went around exploring photo ops. There was a lot to take pictures of, very Instagram-worthy, but that's about it after experiencing it. I felt like we overpaid for the whole dining experience and should have just visited for the pictures and maybe a drink or two and gone somewhere else for dinner.

An event of a pretty pink party filled with plastic cherry blossoms was held here, with many…read moredifferent places to take photos. Your ticket includes a timed reservation, a cup of tea, an entree, and a dessert. Surprisingly the entree was actually pretty good. I ordered the salmon and it was cooked properly and the mashed potatoes were actually tasty. The experience itself was fun and probably great for people to just enjoy themselves. But I was a little bummed there weren't real cherry blossoms. But still it was good. If you love taking photos and dressing really cute this place could be a nice spot for you. Wasn't really prepared so I was just in a sweater and pants.

Joya Hall is a pretty big and spacious venue. It's definitely a great option for Desi weddings,…read morereceptions, and other large gatherings. The space looks like it can comfortably accommodate at least 100 people, so I would recommend it for events with a sizable guest list. The venue has two floors, but one thing to keep in mind is the stair situation. The stairs leading downstairs are fairly steep, and I could see some guests having difficulty navigating them. If you have older attendees or anyone with mobility concerns, they may need some assistance. The bathrooms are on the smaller side. The men's restroom, for example, can probably only accommodate about three people at a time comfortably. That said, I really liked the lighting and the overall setup of the space. It creates a nice atmosphere for celebrations and special events.

The food is overrated--it's just okay. Some employees provide good service, but others can be rude,…read moreand my friend even found a hair in the food.