Purslane

f the company and the sustainability efforts to have a lower wedding emissions impact - The bartenders were on point, we received great feedback from the guest about the drinks, they were well mixed, and the bartenders were accommodating - The general flow of the event went well, even with a few hiccups - They offered us appetizers while we were doing pictures after the ceremony which was a nice touch, meaning they anticipated our potential hunger - The cocktail hour food was arranged nicely, and the hors d'oeuvres were delicious The things we did not like about Purslane were: - Communication: We pushed our wedding because of Covid one year ahead from October 2020 to September 2021. Once we resumed communication in late spring of 2021, it took Purslane a while to define our coordinator. When we finally had a coordinator assigned to us, this coordinator resigned shortly after. Purslane took around a month to assign a new coordinator, and at that point, we were 1 month out from the wedding. Hannah, our new coordinator was great, and very helpful during the event. But, she was not brought up to speed properly with regards to many of the details of our wedding, and so we had to repeat many of the details. Generally speaking, communication was slow, and often took Purslane some time to respond to our questions, some even a few days before our wedding. This was concerning. Leading up to the event, we felt that they had other weddings to take care of, and ours was second. - We were disinformed from the beginning about the alcohol for the event. At first (in 2020) we were told that we can purchase the alcohol ourselves, and so we began planning for that. We were later told (3 months before the wedding in 2021) that we were not allowed to purchase the alcohol, and that Purslane would supply the alcohol. A bit of miscommunication was solved but create some issues on our end. - The event rentals (plates, silverware, table cloths, etc.), were managed badly in our opinion. I went to visit Broadway Party Rentals (Purslanes exclusive vendor for these items), in the spring of 2021, and I selected my items. The list should have been finalized by Purslane based on their needs for the event. I should have received the finalized list for review including pricing, but this did not happen until 3 days before our wedding in 2021, which is absurd. I had to make decisions at the very last minute because they failed to finalize the list on time. - The day of the event we were supposed to have the desserts and coffee served at a specific time, but this did not happen until we asked them to (it was clearly stated in our timeline we provided to them months in advance). - The floor plans were designed by us with little input from purslane. Had I not had some design experience, for another person this would have been impossible. They said they had an app or software they use for designing the layout of the tables in the space, but that was not ever shared with us. To conclude our experience, it was good overall but we did have some issues during the communication process and during the event that we hope Purslane will improve on with future clients.

early months post-contract signing, as the coordination staff turned over a few times -- but who wasn't changing jobs during COVID? For us, that was a reflection of the time we're living in, not the Purslane team. Ultimately, Kelsey took the event manager reins and was an absolute GEM. In the months leading up to our wedding, Kelsey was very responsive and kind, provided countless menu permutations in response to our (many!) questions, and partnered incredibly well with our external day-of coordinator to facilitate some out-of-the-box logistics (like bringing an ice cream truck into the park after dinner, and storing a second cake as an anniversary surprise for my parents after our own cake cutting). On the day of the event, everything was a delight! From the check-in staff, to our wayfinders, to the kitchen team, and all the servers, everyone was lovely. A particular shout-out to the waitstaff who, upon hearing that my mother wanted to try all of the appetizers, followed her with every new dish that came out! They also made a plate for us after we returned from photos at the beginning of cocktail hour to ensure that we ate, and served all of our courses early so we had time to eat before circulating among our guests. Who leaves their own wedding full?! For a guest count of roughly 110 people, we had five passed appetizers and two floating stations during cocktail hour, followed by a seated dinner -- it was the perfect amount of food. Our guests raved about it, with extra accolades for the Asian station during cocktail hour and the filet mignon during dinner. Thank you for making our day so very special!

tions when booking the venue (this was done several months in advance). We experienced some anxiety-promoting changes in our assigned Event Managers through the months that followed, which we attribute to challenges recruiting, training and retaining competent staff after a year of Covid interruptions. A month or so prior to our wedding, Kelsey took charge as our Event Manager, and we found her to be hard-working, responsive, professional, and pleasant. Kelsey also interacted smoothly with our day-of coordinator, florist, our other vendors, and her staff. We received numerous compliments on the venue, flowers (Molly @ Brownstone Botanicals), apps, and filet, but not the arctic char. We recommend the Boathouse and Purslane catering if you want a beautiful wedding in Brooklyn!

setup and service, the team is really organized and helpful the entire way. The hors d'oeuvres, plated dinner and bar setups were all a big hit with our guests. Highly recommend this vendor for your next wedding or event!

were able to create for us after deciding we wanted to incorporate some Korean flavors into the meal, flawlessly executing a marinated skirt steak and farro bibimbap. They didn't bat an eye at our other asks, like a bountiful charcuterie table after the ceremony and late-night watermelon and popsicles (we got married on the hottest day of the year!). The whole evening felt very much like were really hosting our friends and family to a personal meal, which was such a gift. Big shouts and hugs to Isabel, who really made it happen for us.

ponsive, friendly, accommodating, and professional; the space is gorgeous and beautifully maintained and operated; the food and drink were bountiful and delicious, and the service rivaled any of New York’s fine restaurants. Best of all, the process of collaborating to make our wedding happen was easy and fun, and Machaela and Justin made us, the nervous engaged couple with a million things to manage, very confident that our day would not just go as planned, but would be a beautiful success. And indeed it was! Of all the people we worked with. Machaela and Justin deserve special mention. They are excellent communicators, responsive to the million questions and people that wedding planning entails. They are proactive collaborators, laying out a clear process and schedule not just for the day, but for the process of working to plan it. They provided useful, detailed documentation at every step of the way, including a very helpful list of recommended vendors. Every meeting with them was fun and friendly, but also productive, punctual and a good use of time. And of course, the food and wine tastings were delicious. Machaela and Justin were so helpful in giving us a sense of how the venue would perform in a situation we wouldn’t get to experience until the day itself. They guided us expertly, making shrewd suggestions we might not have considered (“Since you have an open bar, we recommend choosing a heavier vegetarian entree.”) My wife and I had a unique vision for our event, and these two not only assured us that it was possible, they worked with the park to accommodate myriad details, even down to the selection of lightbulbs. It’s no exaggeration to say that without their help, the event would not have had the specific atmosphere we imagined, nor would it have been the roaring success that it was. All the confidence they inspired along the way paid off on the day, when Machaela, Justin, and their staff were a machine. The service was prompt, helpful, and invisible; the food was great, not losing too much in the translation from tasting to event; the wedding ran perfectly smoothly, with Purslane on top of the schedule, keeping the momentum of the night alive as they moved tables, served each course, operated the bars, and so on with perfect cadence. We are so, so grateful to Purslane for making our wedding a true dream come to life. Our only regret is not responding sooner to their lovely post-wedding thank you note, and for taking so long to write this review! To you recently-engageds with so many decisions to make, let me help you with this one: your search is over; just hire Purslane.

ring a wedding planner, and that's what Purslane delivered. The team was very communicative and even helped us get our timeline in order. If you are looking for a low stress wedding, definitely consider getting married at The Boathouse. Purslane handled all of the rentals - we just had to make decisions about food, linens, plateware, chairs, etc. The venue itself is incredible and speak for itself - you really don't need that many decorations because the Boathouse photographs beautifully without them. We had a hiccup with the final bill, but everything was eventually sorted out and they were responsive and easy to work with.

ent we made contact through the end of the wedding, everyone at Purslane bowled us over. Isabel was our primary contact and was incredibly organized and A PURE DELIGHT 100% of the time. The initial tasting was so fun - with both Isabel and the fabulous Chef Arden in attendance, of course. Their vibe was just what we wanted: professional and friendly. If they'd asked us to be friends, we would have said YES. Then, THE FOOD. Holy cow. Chef Arden's food is fresh, beautiful and delicious!! We had a coursed, seated meal for about 170 people. How they prepared and served that uniformly high quality, beautifully presented and scrumptious food for so many people is beyond us. But they did. The service was flawless. We had a few requests which they happily accommodated. WE LOVE THEM AND RECOMMEND THEM 100%.

most ardent meat-lovers in our extended families. Boy, did they deliver! Even better than the food (if that's possible!) was interacting with the company. Isabel was our event manager and she was amaaaaaazing. From the very first meeting I knew we were in extremely capable and organized hands. I would recommend them to anyone hosting an event of any size in the greater NYC area. Purslane truly took our wedding reception dinner from being a just great meal to being a legendary meal for all our family and friends. We consider ourselves to lucky to have found them, and are so happy they came on board for our wedding!

rate. She truly went above and beyond. They worked with us to customize the menu and didn’t bat an eye at a number of dietary restrictions:) Everything was fresh, local and delicious. We got so many compliments. Isabel also has impeccable taste and helped me pick out the most gorgeous place settings and decor. Do yourself a favor - just go with Purslane, and get the brownies!

ue vision. We did our tasting on my birthday, and Isabel went above and beyond to make it a meal to remember. The food was amazing, and even our pickiest guest gobbled it up. Chef is incredible, and his skills combined with Purslane's vision create really special events. Highly recommend!

to end. We reached out to the Prospect Park Boathouse and were on the phone discussing details with Alex (who was incredible throughout the entire process) within 30 minutes. After meeting Alex in person a few days later to walk through the venue together, we were ready to sign the contract. The Purslane team was accommodating at every step. We had originally estimated 85 guests but ended up with over 100, and they had no issues pulling this off. Everyone on the Purslane team was easy to work with and far exceeded our expectations. The team was involved in every detail of the day, beyond just the food, and played an integral part in making sure everything went as planned on our big day. We felt comfortable putting all of our trust in Alex and the team to make sure we had the wedding we always wanted, despite our circumstances. They advised on the menu, set up (chairs, table layouts, etc.), the general flow of the evening, and much more. The team made sure my mom was comfortable all night, which was so important to me and my husband. They were in contact with all of our vendors and were a great resource when it came to choosing vendors to work with. We got so many compliments on the food and had friends asking about our caterer immediately after our wedding.They accommodated the many dietary restrictions and allergies of our guests without comprising the taste of any of the food. We can’t recommend Purslane highly enough! You definitely won’t regret hiring them for your wedding - it was the easiest decision we made in our planning.

as amazing and Michael and I loved doing our tasting.

ng you would choose to eat in a quality restaurant. And this truism seemed to hold up as we tried several very well reviewed and respected caterers…until Purslane. From the minute we sat down to do the tasting with them, we could tell this food was different. It was delicious! I would have happily gone to any restaurant that served the meal we had at our tasting. We decided to go with Purslane for our wedding and were completely happy with the result. Chef Arden and Isabel were warm and professional throughout the whole process, they were helpful and flexible as we planned our final menu, they were even able to accommodate an additional cocktail tasting and complicated deliveries to our venue in the Catskills, and the food at the wedding was absolutely delicious and so fresh and beautifully presented. It truly was of the quality one would expect from a top notch restaurant, and it was just as good when they made it for 130 people as when we had it at the tasting. Several guests independently said to us that in the many weddings they had been to, this was absolutely the best food they had ever had. Purslane really helped us to have a genuinely special night, and I could not recommend them more highly.

ng with a caterer who could entirely conform their services to your event particulars and aesthetic was invaluable and added to the personal touches we wanted to bring to our wedding. Ari was amazing. Aside from being a lovely person, she was so organized and always calm. She was an asset during the venue walkthrough, with helpful suggestions and meticulous note taking. We loved chatting with her during our (super fun) tasting at their Greenpoint restaurant and couldn't get over the tight ship she ran on our wedding day. She was also an amazing help at the decor rental meeting -- she patiently advised and set up samples of table settings so I could picture how things would look. Arden, the chef, is such a talent -- creative and charming, his work is like art on a plate. We felt so lucky to have been able to discuss our hopes for the menu on the phone and then meet him at the tasting. He explained each dish and was very collaborative (though we mostly marveled at the meal and asked fan-girl (/guy) questions about his career). The day of our wedding, the Purslane team was exceptional. They had a very tight window to work within, in terms of getting everything in and out of our venue, and did it will seeming ease. The waitstaff were so kind, gracious, polished, and professional -- without being pretentious. They made sure we ate and everyone felt so well attended to. The place settings were absolutely beautiful, minimalist and elegant. To us, food was such an important component of our celebration and we wanted something special and unique. Purslane transcended anything we could have imagined with the quality of their food and exceptional service. This is a fabulous company and wonderful group of people who run it -- you won't regret hiring them.

but not least, the food was spot on and won compliments from everyone of my guest! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Purslane to everyone I know!

she is not only knowledgeable about the ins and outs of literally everything in the industry, she pays attention to every little detail that I would never even think of. Like I said, a dream. Isabel and her day of staff were wonderful as well. Everything was smooth and went off without a hitch. And the food! It was absolutely delicious thanks to Chef Arden and his team. We went with a floating dinner style, and wanted to customize it a bit, incorporating some Greek food into the mix - and it was AWESOME. Seriously. We received so many compliments about the food and the set up and service. It was perfect. We could not have asked for anything more. Book them as your caterers and they will make you feel like family. But family that you want giving input - not stuffy Aunt Edna with her out-dated wedding tradition must-have suggestions. Thanks again to Nicolette, Isabel, Chef Arden and everyone at Purslane. You all rock. Any couple that has you as caterers for their special day will not be disappointed.

resh and delicious (one of our priorities was a seafood bar with raw oysters and they nailed it). Chef Arden was and is the best. And Ari, who was our primary contact, is still basically one of my favorite people ever. Their selections were tops, their presentation was gorgeous, and they were the most helpful team in the world throughout the entire process. THANK YOU!!!

out the food for our wedding - it was one of the only things we both were really invested in. Starting from the first meeting, we knew that Purslane was going to be great. We had a meeting with Amanda and Chef Arden to go over what we were looking for in terms of style of food, set up, etc. We had a ton of random requests - ranging from "ooh, how about breakfast tacos" to "can you do dosas?" When we mentioned dosas, Chef Arden got super excited - he claimed to make a bad-ass dosa, and more than lived up to it! After we got to the tasting, we were sure we'd found the right partner. Chef Arden made a fantastic menu for us, featuring a berbere spiced chicken and his truly bad-ass dosas. We told our guests that this was going to be the best food they'd ever had at a wedding - and we were right. We also had specific ideas about the bar. We're kind of beer and cocktail geeks, so we wanted to make sure our bar reflected that. Isabel (our contact person for Purslane) was fantastically helpful here, giving us multiple options and really going above and beyond to make sure this would work well. We ended up with a fantastic bar package (beer and wine + signature cocktails) that was exactly what we wanted. Beyond the food and drink, Purslane's staff were amazing. Isabel helped us pick out all of the rentals we needed for the space, and was amazingly helpful at giving us suggestions to help make the best choices for our budget and theming. In addition, their day-of service staff were absolutely stellar. They were so nice and thoughtful to all of our guests, and made sure that everyone was taken care of. We were beyond delighted with Purslane's service - and are trying to figure out ways that we can go eat Chef Arden's food again! You should absolutely hire Purslane for your wedding - and if you do, consider inviting us!

here. We can’t thank Nicolette, Chef Arden, and the entire Purslane staff enough as they were unparalleled, not only in their kindness, generosity, and skill, but the food and service at our wedding was like having family run the show - that is if you’re from a family who puts a lot of love and thought into their food, drinks, and good times. Flat out, Purslane nailed it from every angle for us: space, planning, food, drink, dancing, and memories. For our “leaner” wedding of thirty-five people, Stephanie and I had dreamt of a wedding that was centered around our own family, friends, plentiful drinks, unique food, and dancing through the night. Purslane exceeded all of our hopes and the space of Fitzcarraldo not only brought home the atmosphere of a classic Brooklyn night, but the outdoor patio and distinctive interior allowed for the intimacy, mingling, and dancing that we wanted for all of our family and friends. However, before we even got to the big night, I have to recognize the hard work and effort, especially of Chef Arden and the organization, support, and joy of Nicolette, in helping us to put it altogether. Although we had no wedding planner, Nicolette immediately dove in to help us, listened to us, let us know all of our options, made wonderful recommendations, and - most importantly - communicated with us promptly, warmly, and consistently through the whole process. It sounds “hoaky,” I’m sure (pretty hard to avoid in these things), but both Stephanie and I became “fast-friends” with Nicolette due to her caring, attention, and the fact that she works at the local restaurant of Franklin and Kent. Further, to put it bluntly, one of the nicest dinners my then-fiance and I had - prior to our wedding dinner, of course - was the “tasting” dinner that both Nicolette and Arden provided for us. We felt downright spoiled by the variety and diversity of flavors and the sincerity of Nicolette and Arden in helping us to make what we wanted happen for our wedding night. In terms of the wedding dinner, Chef Arden’s “crew” hit it out of the park. I'll let the food speak for itself. A first course of heirloom tomatoes with peaches, feta, and honey in a vinaigrette; a second course of strozzapreti in roasted tomato sauce with taggiasca olives, mozzarella, and basil; three different entrees, one of grilled seas bass in banana leaf with kung pao sauce, achiote, citrus, herb salad, and cashews, a second entree of “lomo al trapo,” a Colombian-style beef tenderloin that is wrapped in a towel and cooked directly in the coals (absolutely wonderful) served with salsa criolla, and a third entree of ratatouille a la plancha that consisted of beautifully grilled vegetables. We also had a number of passed appetizers including root-beer braised pork tacos, black seed crusted tuna, and vegetable spring rolls with rice vermicelli, cucumber, avocado, herbs, and nam prik. As many have already said, and I couldn’t agree more, this wasn’t your standard “get-by” wedding dinner - rather, this was a meal I continue to have conversations about with friends and family that were there. Thank you again, so much, to Nicolette, Chef Arden, and the whole Purslane group. Highly recommended and we will see you soon I’m sure!

reviews all around on the kale & gruyere quiche, maple - black pepper bacon, and friend chicken and biscuits, and baby buttermilk pancakes. Highly recommended!

it seemed like she was a wedding planner and catering director rolled into one because she helped us think through so many details of the day. Our wedding was held at a fairly unconventional venue and Amanda and her staff did not skip a beat in getting everything done smoothly despite less than perfect conditions. Chef Arden was also wonderful to work with and extremely talented. Every member of the day-of staff from the servers to the bartenders was professional and gracious to all of our guests. We had many guests remark that it was the best wedding food they'd ever had. I cannot say enough good things about the entire Purslane team!