r/NYCweddings

Hey all - a couple of weeks? ago I posted about compiling wedding venue pricing information while planning my own wedding, and I asked this group if anyone would be willing to share initial quotes to help build out a spreadsheet/database.

First I just want to say thank you. People in this sub were incredibly generous with their time and information and it honestly helped this project grow way faster than I expected!

The database now includes pricing for 130ish venues in NY and almost all of the data is recent - 2025 to the present. It's all crowd sourced or pricing guides from venues. I wanted to circle back and share the resource with the community since this group helped so much. I’ll drop the link in the comments.

I’m also very open to feedback on ways to make it more useful for future brides and grooms - whether that’s additional fields, better organization, budget filters etc.

My only ask: if you find it helpful, please consider contributing pricing info from venues you’ve contacted so we can keep building this into a genuinely useful resource for the next couple.

TYTY!

Hi y’all! Getting married to my honey on May 29 at manhattan city hall. So psyched we were even able to get the date we wanted (was up and refreshing like a psycho to make it happen haha). From my research it seemed like the ceremony was way harder to book so I focused on that. Now that we’re 10 days out, I attempted to book our marriage license appt and I’m seeing absolutely nothing available for both in person or virtual leading up to the 29.

Does anyone have experience with this? What can I do besides refresh the page and hope someone cancels?

Looking for someone to take natural/candid lifestyle photos for dating apps. 60–90 minutes, a few locations, 2 outfits, mostly iPhone/candid-looking shots. Happy to pay (thinking $100-300); please send portfolio/examples. I live in wburg but can meet by CP, hudson, east river, or another good outdoor spot.

UPDATE: Thank you all SO MUCH - these are exactly the kind of reference points we needed. Will update again with what we end up doing!

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My partner and I aren’t fans of a lot of wedding fanfare, and are opting for a small ~50 person event (ceremony/reception combo) at a wine bar in our neighborhood in BK. Trying to cut out unnecessary decisions/details/costs. Originally were thinking of doing DIY music with Spotify playlists, but have been encouraged by trusted friends to get a DJ to help manage transitions and ensure consistent music vibes.

My question: what’s the minimum budget for a quality DJ for something this low-key? Minimum equipment is needed, basic setup, 4-5 hours etc. I’ve gotten quotes for $1800-2000 for people who seem great and understand the venue and vibe. That still feels high to us but maybe it’s just sticker shock? We’ve also collected lower quotes on GigSalad but everyone there feels like the totally wrong vibe (tons of mixing, EDM or Pitbull, fog machines, flashing lights etc.).

Any gut checks welcome!!
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If helpful, this is how I’ve described our intended vibe to several DJs:

This is what I’ve shared with a few so far:

“For the cocktails/food, we’re looking for soul, indie, and chill hip hop. Think Aretha Franklin, Leon Bridges, Nujabes, Stevie Wonder, Brenton Wood, Van Morrison, Sade, Olivia Dean, Neil Young, Thundercat. Vibe after dinner mingling/dancing should be an eclectic mix of ‘90s R&B and hip hop, a few post-2010s hits, ‘80s new wave and pop; a mix of fun hits and ever-so-slightly deeper cuts. Think 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., The Roots, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Selena, Cher, Robyn, Paul Simon, Childish Gambino, Prince, George Michael.”

Looking for a wedding photographer in NYC and have no idea where to actually search beyond instagram. The problem with instagram is theres no way to know if someone is available or in budget before you message them, and cold DMs in this city feel like sending messages into a black hole.

Is there a platform or method that actually works for searching photographers in your area? Something with filters so you can narrow things down before reaching out?

becuase i cannot get a straight answer from any vendor and its starting to feel insane

i've been quoted completely different prices for the exact same event depending on how i describe it. same date, same headcount, same menu, same hours. "private party" gets me one number. "wedding reception" and suddenly its $300 a head or a $30,000 minimum spend just to walk in the door. at places that do corporate buyouts for way less. nothing about the actual event has changed

the explanation i keep getting is "weddings are high stakes and emotional so there's more pressure on our team." okay but that's a reason for YOU to charge more for your own stress tolerance. that's not a service you're providing to me lol. if anything you're billing me for your anxiety and expecting me to nod along

and like a corporate dinner for 80 people in manhattan isnt exactly low stakes either?? nobody's charging those clients $300/head to manage the "emotional weight" of thr quarterly review. somehow they figure it out

i get that NYC is expensive for everything but the gap between what these same venues charge for other private events vs the second you say wedding is not a cost of living thing. its a "we know you'll pay it" thing

is there an actual justification i'm missing or did the industry just collectively figure out that people planning weddings will pay almost anything and never bother correcting it

genuinely asking btw, not being rhetorical. if there's something real here i want to understand it

Hi! I'm looking for a photographer, preferably a package but can also do separate photographers for a better deal. Under 3k if possible. But please give best offers/pricing if you think there’s a good fit.

1. City hall elopement (no date yet)
2. Intimate wedding reception at a restaurant in NYC on 9/5/26.

I like a mix of candid, documentary style photography and editorial/vogue. I would like some guidance and direction (as photos can be a bit unnatural and awkward!)

I don't love the dark/moody or blurry/dizzy photos and am not really into the straight black and white or grainy film look. Although a couple film photos can be cool, it's not the main style I'm going for.

Any reccs? Thanks so much!

Has anyone done their ceremony in Brooklyn in the last month or so? When we went to get our license it looked like people were just getting married right at the counter... Is the ceremony room closed due to the construction? Thanks!

I was really hoping to book a lesson with Maya Moves because I like the concept - one lesson, one hour, no packages, learn a few simple natural moves that you can incorporate casually as you see fit, not overly choreographed, etc.

Unfortunately she’s fully booked before my wedding. Does anyone have recommendations for similar dance instructors? Not interested in taking more than one class or someone who overly choreographs.

Thank you in advance!

Brooklyn city hall on 12th of May! Anyone available for a
Photography?

My fiance and I are getting a courthouse wedding and then just inviting all our loved ones to a nice private venue for dinner.

We have a roughly $4,000 max budget and are intending to have 35 people there, are there any websites or apps I can use to peruse potential venues?

Hi! My wedding is about a month away and today is the last day to RSVP. It looks like we will have about 144 yes RSVPs and the minimum for our venue is 150. Since we’re a month away from the wedding, I’m not sure how to approach inviting extra people. Is it rude to text people on the “b list”? How should we approach inviting extra people? #weddingguestlist #blist

hi all! hope all is well. my partner and i are in the early stages of planning - figuring out budgeting and what works. i’m wondering, venue/food cost aside, what should our budget look like? i know it differs based on style and what exactly we want but, if any of you were to estimate how much we’d be spending on the following, where would be a good starting point?

note - no more than 75 guests, within an estate with lodging. we have a wedding planner too.

where would you estimate:
flowers, dj, photographer / video, decor/candles, content creator for the day ;and anything else that i may be missing outside of venue, food, lodging and planner.

thanks!!