Celebrate at Snug Harbor was not even a choice on my list for our venue. It had come up and we decided to go and look. Boy, did it exceed our expectations.
Staten Island is not known for a lot of positive things however, this venue is the secret gem, if not, the main reason why Staten Island is on the map to begin with.
From Erin O' Keefe, one of the wedding coordinators, as well as her entire team (from her counterparts, the bartenders, the waiters, the attendances, maire d's and especially Emily), my now husband and I felt like we were royalty.
I am a planner myself-so if there are any brides that are just as particular as I am, I am letting you know that Erin and her team are the DREAM team to make all your endeavors come true. For example, I wrote a 4 page (no spaces) in depth logistic summary that included the venue personnel, the photographer, videographer, DJ and florist. Celebrate and Snug dissected every line and every sentence to ensure that EVERY detail was met.
During the engagement period to the actual wedding day, my father had passed away from COVID. I lost all ambition to plan a wedding and to celebrate this important day. When we had spoken to the venue in regards to possibly cancelling the big day, Erin and her team showed so much compassion to our family. Regardless that they are a business that strives on events, they were the most compassionate people during the time of me going through the emotions of death of my father. Without being obnoxious, they would call from time to time just to check in- no wedding talk but just to check in to see if I was alright. Some people may find that annoying but during the time of isolation and also working in the medical field, i thoroughly relished in their support.
Now, the wedding day itself- all the weekends in May 2021 were beautiful and sunny...except for the weekend that we got married. It rained tremendously. However, this venue made me feel like the rain did not even exist. They were already pre-planning plan B in order to make sure to stay consistent with time and they found locations on the grounds to make sure I had amazing photos. My team- Erin and Emily and John stood in the rain- soaking wet to make sure that my husband and I looked like nothing phased us. With them by our sides, nothing actually did.
The food from Relish Catering is amazing. We love the food! Our signature cocktails and open bar were greatly used during the wedding. The bartenders were fun and witty and our guests had a blast enjoying their drinks.
The Great Hall, or as we call it the 9 3/4 room (harry potter reference), is as tall as a sky scraper but feels as intimate as a cottage. With the fire places lit and the candles aglow, our guests and us felt like Snug Harbor embraced us that night.
Our ceremony was held downstairs. We were supposed to have it in the Tuscan Garden but with the rain, we relocated. I did not have much to say in regards to the ceremony because the team pulled it off. They understood the vision, the feel, the vibe that we were trying to emulate.
If you are looking for a great wedding on beautiful grounds, then choose Celebrate at Snug Harbor, where the gardens and the flowers show endless beauty.
If you are looking for a perfect wedding that can overcome any situation, including downpour of rain and 40 degree weather in the month of May, then choose Celebrate at Snug Harbor. You will not regret anything.
Emily, John and my favorite Erin will not ever let you down!