Fornino

). We’d been speaking with him for a rehearsal dinner when our original wedding venue told us they were closing. Not only did Michael and his team rescue us after a rather scary scramble, but they gave us a wedding that blew our original plan out of the water. It’s a restaurant, not a wedding venue, so logistics are a little less established - but in staying organized on our end, and working with a day-of coordinator to be sure things went off without a hitch, we were able to make it go smoothly. What we got in return for an unorthodox venue was an unbeatable view of the skyline, a cocktail hour with pizza, and an absolutely fantastic menu. Our guests have still not stopped talking about the food, and it’s almost 6 months later. The staff are lovely, so willing to work with you, and they seemed just as excited about our wedding as we were. The whole Fornino team contributed to the feeling of festivity and celebration that made our wedding into the killer party it was. For brides considering Fornino, there are 2 downsides to this harborside idyll: (1) if you need a rain plan (as we did), you book Almar Tents, the only tent vendor Fornino works w/. $7-8K added to the overall budget at the 11th hour was a blow. It was 100% worth it, but maybe a little competition could have brought that massive additional charge down a little (2) legally, as part of the Park Fornino must keep the bathrooms available to the public. This was not a huge issue for me, as we got married a little earlier in the season with less people around. But during the high summer, the park is packed, and there will be many families, runners, etc. using the same facilities your guests. That means it gets dirty and may be a little non-traditional for some guests.