Kelly R.
Yelp
From our initial meeting with Todd Smith, Even Coordinator, about a year ago, we knew that The Garrison would be the ideal location for our December 1st wedding. Because there is so much to talk (rave) about, I will discuss each piece of The Garrison that makes it the most perfect place for a wedding!
The Space
The venue consists of two separate rooms- one that is ideal for the cocktail hour (The Hudson Room) and the other that is perfect for the reception (The River Room). Both have floor to ceiling windows with magnificent views of the Hudson River and the mountains beyond. No matter the season, the view is spectacular. The dance floor is large enough for the whole crowd and placed perfectly so that you can take in the view. Although we got married in a church, there is a beautiful space outdoors for a ceremony, if that is required. The Bridal Suite is a perfect space upstairs that is large enough for the entire wedding party to leave all of their coats, bags, makeup, suitcases, etc., with there still being plenty of room to relax for a moment between the cocktail hour and reception and touch up makeup. We stayed in Room 202 on our wedding night. It was very spacious, with a king size bed with a cozy duvet, plenty of space to sit down and relax, a fridge, Keurig, toiletries by FACE, and a lovely walk-in shower. It is an ideal place to unwind after the most perfect wedding day.
The Event Coordinator
Our Event Coordinator was Todd Smith. From the moment we met Todd, I was completely confident that our wedding would be absolutely perfect. He is the definition of organized and can put a vision that is floating in your mind, into reality. Todd is totally accessible by email and telephone and will answer any little questions that you may have, however silly or insignificant that you feel it may be. Throughout the course of the year, he kept us on track with reminders of what we should be doing and when. I could literally write about him for hours, but I will simply say that he made the wedding planning process a joyful, fun, exciting, easy, perfect, relaxing experience. He even reminds you to breathe. Perfection in the form of an Event Coordinator.
The Food
Oh. My. God. The food at The Garrison is absolutely divine. It should not come as a shock that the food rating receives a 26 from Zagat. From our initial tasting of the passed hors d'oeuvres, we were in food love. The choices are endless and you simply cannot go wrong. Our food package included 7 passed and 2 stations and people were raving about the deliciousness of it all! The salad course was fantastic and then came out dinner. This is not your typical wedding food. The filet mignon was cooked to perfection and the salmon was to die for. Everyone is served simultaneously at the table so that there is no waiting and no time for food to get cold. And trust me, the chocolate covered strawberries are well worth it. They were phenomenal.
The Bar
There is a bar in the Hudson Room during the Cocktail Hour, followed by a bar in the River Room during the Reception. The packages include top shelf liquor and even include additional upgrades. The bartenders were great...so pleasant and certainly knew how to mix their drinks. The Garrison has a "no shots" policy which I loved.
The Wedding Day
We arrived at 2:45 PM and were ushered in by Todd and his amazing assistant, Bridget. From the moment we got there, everything was perfection. The room looked AMAZING. It was perfectly executed and attention was paid to every detail. Todd and Bridget ensured that everyone was having a great time and there was enough staff available to ensure that everyone's needs were met. The Coat Check and Valets were very attentive and there were no issues. Cocktail Hour went smoothly into the Reception. The courses were served as planned, dances were danced, drinks were drank, and the party was perfection. I may be a little bit partial, but I'm pretty sure that our wedding may have been the best wedding ever, thanks to Todd and the entire Garrison staff.
The evening ended and I was sad to see it go. However, Bridget and Todd escorted us upstairs to our beautiful room, where we were greeted by champagne, cookies, cake, and chocolate covered strawberries. We were able to relax and just enjoy the absolute quiet. The next morning we went to brunch at 11:30. Although check-out time was 11, we were able to leave all of our stuff (and there was a lot of it) in the locked bridal suite. This may not seem like a big deal to the reader, but trust me, it was.
Big thanks to Todd, Bridget, Nick, and EVERYONE at The Garrison for making our wedding day truly the best day of our lives. It was the perfect start to our life together. Our guests had a fantastic time and have said that it was the best wedding that they have ever been to. It truly was a magical winter wedding!