The Bordone

Why Couples Love Hosting Weddings at The Bordone

Long Island City has quietly transformed into one of New York’s most sought-after wedding destinations, and sitting at the heart of this shift is The Bordone. Tucked away on a quiet street, this venue has garnered a reputation for being equal parts breathtaking and versatile.

Choosing a wedding venue is often the most stressful part of planning. You want a space that feels unique, accommodates your guest list comfortably, and offers a memorable experience. Judging by the rave reviews from newlyweds, The Bordone manages to check all these boxes. From the panoramic skyline to the helpful staff, here is why so many couples are saying “I do” to this industrial-chic gem.

Unmatched Skyline Views

If there is one feature that steals the show, it is the view. The Bordone offers a vantage point that is hard to find elsewhere in the city. Guests are treated to an unobstructed, panoramic sweep of the Manhattan skyline and the Queensboro Bridge.

This backdrop does more than just impress guests; it transforms the atmosphere of the entire event. As the sun sets and the city lights flicker on, the scenery creates a romantic, almost movie-like setting. Many couples find that the view is so spectacular, they can scale back on floral arrangements and decor budget. When you have the Empire State Building shimmering behind you during your first dance, you don’t need much else to set the mood.

A Blank Canvas for Your Vision

One of the biggest draws for creative couples is the venue’s “blank canvas” philosophy. Unlike ballrooms with patterned carpets or fixed color schemes, The Bordone offers a modern, industrial-chic raw space. This flexibility allows you to tailor every inch of the venue to your specific taste.

Whether you are dreaming of a minimalist aesthetic with candlelight and greenery or a lavish production with hanging installations and bold colors, the space adapts to you. It offers a rare freedom to create an event that feels authentic to your relationship, rather than forcing your style to fit a pre-set mold.

Two Distinct Spaces to Choose From

Flexibility extends to the layout as well. The venue features two primary event areas, allowing for significant customization based on your guest count and preferences.

• The Main Space & Terrace: Located on the third floor, this is the larger of the two options. It features expansive indoor square footage paired with a massive outdoor terrace. It’s perfect for larger gatherings where you want a seamless flow between an outdoor cocktail hour and an indoor reception.
• The Penthouse & Rooftop: For more intimate affairs, the fifth-floor Penthouse offers a cozy yet sophisticated vibe. The rooftop access here provides arguably the best views in the building, making it a favorite spot for ceremonies and golden-hour photos.

Both spaces offer indoor and outdoor versatility, which is a crucial safety net for New York weddings. If the weather takes a turn, the indoor areas are spacious and beautiful enough that moving the party inside doesn’t feel like a compromise.

A Team That Actually Helps

A beautiful building is useless if the management adds stress to your life. Fortunately, the team at The Bordone is frequently cited as a major highlight. Staff members like Mary, Ashley, and Hector are often mentioned by name in reviews for their responsiveness and professionalism.

This isn’t a venue that hands you the keys and disappears. The team is known for coordinating effectively with outside vendors and handling logistical details to ensure the day runs smoothly. Having a supportive venue team means you can actually enjoy your reception rather than worrying about whether the caterer knows where to load in.

Is The Bordone Right for You?

The Bordone offers a compelling mix of freedom and scenery. It appeals to couples who want the “wow” factor of a New York City wedding without the stuffiness of a traditional banquet hall.

If you value a customizable space, prioritize incredible photography backdrops, and want a professional team to back you up, this Long Island City venue deserves a spot on your shortlist. It’s a place where the city skyline becomes the guest of honor, second only to the couple themselves.

WHY IS LIGHTING IMPORTANT?:

Lighting makes up one-half of the most essential elements of décor at The Bordone. Your wedding florals should complete the other half.

A perfect balance of lighting and florals are the key ingredients needed for a visually stunning event in this space. If it is the use of candles often provided by your florist or lighting fixtures rented from our company, a perfect balance will ensure the beauty of your florals and this venue are still visible after the sun goes down.

Here are a few lighting tips for the different locations at The Bordone:

ZIGZAGGING PATTERN OF STRING LIGHTS

• Make sure to consider a simple arrangement of String Lights suspended in parallel lines between the 1st and 2nd  terrace doorway. Similar to a zigzagging pattern, String Lights in parallel lines is also a timeless lighting pattern. Therefore, it is a great choice to enhance the wedding reception room at The Bordone. Additionally, an arrangement of string lights visually supplies “more bang for fewer bucks.”

PARALLEL LINES OF STRING LIGHTS

• Additionally, make sure to consider a simple arrangement of String Lights suspended in a zigzagging pattern between the 1st and 2nd  terrace doorway. Zigzagging String Lights is a timeless lighting pattern. Therefore, it is a great choice to enhance the wedding reception room at The Bordone. Additionally, an arrangement of string lights visually supplies “more bang for fewer bucks.”

PAPER LANTERNS WITH STRING LIGHTS

• Consider hanging a combination paper lanterns and zigzagging String Lights for a wedding reception in the main room at The Bordone. Our paper lanterns are evenly spaced along our Zigzagging String Lights. Therefore, the paper lanterns make a beautiful enhancement to hanging string lights. As a result, it is a great upgrade to an arrangement of string lights for a wedding at The Bordone

UP-LIGHTING AGAINST WALLS

• Our company is a huge fan of up-lighting placed against walls, and this venue is no exception. Therefore, we strongly support using Warm White Up-Lights along the perimeter walls of the main room. Furthermore, Up-lights greatly enhance the space by providing an accent light against the walls. Consider placing Warm White Up-Lights along the perimeter walls of the 3rd-floor reception room. Additionally, Consider placing Warm White Up-Lights at the base of the three center columns of the 3rd-floor reception room.

LARGE HANGING FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

• Highlight a sizeable hanging floral arrangement with a spotlight. Hanging floral arrangements are almost always a conversation piece. Therefore, any sizeable floral arrangement should be highlighted with additional lighting to remain visible after dark. Fortunately, there are better options than the in-house track lights included with the venue for illuminating hanging florals. As an alternative, consider including spotlights provided by our company to highlight any large-scale hanging floral arrangements. Alternatively, at a minimum, consider hanging string lights with your sizeable floral arrangement to ensure they remain visible after dark.

LARGE FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS (set on the bar)

• Sizeable floral arrangements are always a conversation piece. Therefore, consider providing a spotlight for them to ensure they remain visible after the sun has gone down. Thus, highlight any sizeable standing floral arrangements or sizeable florals on display on the main bar in the rear section of the venue. Similarly, highlight any sizeable florals that are on display on tables.

BAND MEMBERS

• Seeing the members of a band is a crucial part of their performance. Therefore, consider providing a spotlight to highlight their performance area. Therefore, members of your band will remain seen after sunset. Additionally, their movements and facial expressions are visible. As a result, your wedding at The Bordone will benefit significantly from additional lighting for your band.
• Furthermore, you can also consider using a set of color-changing lights to highlight your band members. Usually, dimmable warm-white lights are appropriate. Also, you can consider color-changing lights for your band as an upgrade from warm-white lights. However, a person must operate a controller to change the colors during the band’s performance.

THE BAR

• The main bar at The Bordone is a celebrity in popularity. As a result, the main bar usually becomes a gathering place where guests exchange conversations and laughs while waiting to receive their drinks. For this reason, you can consider highlighting the main bar with a set of spotlights.

WEDDING CEREMONY LIGHTING AT THE BORDONE

• During the fall and winter months, sunset will arrive early in the day. Therefore, your ceremony area may appear dark. As a result, viewing your ceremony and the quality of your wedding photos may be affected. For this reason, highlighting your wedding ceremony at The Bordone with additional lighting is usually essential during these months. Hence, adding additional lighting will ensure your wedding ceremony at The Bordone remains visible at sunset.

WEDDING CAKE LIGHTING AT THE BORDONE

• After dark, your wedding cake may also require additional lighting at The Bordone. Therefore, pin-spot lighting is essential to highlight your wedding cake after dark.

CURTAIN OF VERTICAL STRING LIGHTS

• Vertical Strings (or String Lights hanging horizontally with multiple swoops) are an excellent addition to the wall behind your ceremony area. Therefore, consider suspending a curtain of string lights vertically against the wall behind the ceremony area.

Note: Don’t overlook the use of candles. Our company does not provide candles for decoration, but you can place an extensive arrangement of candles along the window ledges. 

ZIGZAGGING PATTERN OF STRING LIGHTS

• String Lights are a timeless lighting pattern that looks terrific against the NYC skyline. Therefore, consider a 300ft arrangement of our String Lights hanging in a zigzagging pattern over most of the 3rd-floor Terrace. Additionally, consider a 200ft, arrangement of our String Lights hanging in a zigzagging pattern over half of the 3rd-floor Terrace.

V-SHAPED PATTERN OF STRING LIGHTS

• Alternatively, a budget-friendly option is an arrangement of 150ft of our String Lights hanging in a V-Shaped pattern over the 3rd-floor Terrace.  This option cost considerable less but it does not have the same visually impact as a zigzagging option.

STRING LIGHTS SUSPENDED ALONG PERIMETER WALL

• Furthermore, an even more budget-friendly option are String Lights hanging along he perimeter wall of the 3rd-floor Terrace.\

Note: Don’t overlook the use of candles. Our company does not provide candles for decoration, but you can place an extensive arrangement of candles along the perimeter walls of the Terrace. 

ZIGZAGGING PATTERN OF STRING LIGHTS

• Make sure to consider a simple arrangement of String Lights suspended in a zigzagging. Zigzagging String Lights is a timeless lighting pattern. Therefore, it is a great choice to enhance the wedding reception room at The Bordone. Additionally, an arrangement of string lights visually supplies “more bang for fewer bucks.”

PAPER LANTERNS WITH STRING LIGHTS

• Consider hanging a combination paper lanterns and zigzagging String Lights for a wedding reception in the main room at The Bordone. Our paper lanterns are evenly spaced along our Zigzagging String Lights. Therefore, the paper lanterns make a beautiful enhancement to hanging string lights. As a result, it is a great upgrade to an arrangement of string lights for a wedding at The Bordone

UP-LIGHTING AGAINST WALLS

• Our company is a huge fan of up-lighting placed against walls, and this venue is no exception. Therefore, we strongly support using Warm White Up-Lights along the perimeter walls of the main room. Furthermore, Up-lights greatly enhance the space by providing an accent light against the walls.

LARGE HANGING FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

• Highlight a sizeable hanging floral arrangement with a spotlight. Hanging floral arrangements are almost always a conversation piece. Therefore, any sizeable floral arrangement should be highlighted with additional lighting to remain visible after dark. Fortunately, there are better options than the in-house track lights included with the venue for illuminating hanging florals. As an alternative, consider including spotlights provided by our company to highlight any large-scale hanging floral arrangements. Alternatively, at a minimum, consider hanging string lights with your sizeable floral arrangement to ensure they remain visible after dark.

LARGE FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS (set on the bar)

• Sizeable floral arrangements are always a conversation piece. Therefore, consider providing a spotlight for them to ensure they remain visible after the sun has gone down. Thus, highlight any sizeable standing floral arrangements or sizeable florals on display on the main bar in the rear section of the venue. Similarly, highlight any sizeable florals that are on display on tables.

BAND MEMBERS

• Seeing the members of a band is a crucial part of their performance. Therefore, consider providing a spotlight to highlight their performance area. Therefore, members of your band will remain seen after sunset. Additionally, their movements and facial expressions are visible. As a result, your wedding at The Bordone will benefit significantly from additional lighting for your band.
• Furthermore, you can also consider using a set of color-changing lights to highlight your band members. Usually, dimmable warm-white lights are appropriate. As an alternative, you can consider color-changing lights for your band as an upgrade from warm-white lights. However, a person must operate a controller to change the colors during the band’s performance.

THE BAR

• The main bar at The Bordone is a celebrity in popularity. As a result, the main bar usually becomes a gathering place where guests exchange conversations and laughs while waiting to receive their drinks. For this reason, you can consider highlighting the main bar with a set of spotlights.

WEDDING CEREMONY LIGHTING AT THE BORDONE

• During the fall and winter months, sunset will arrive early in the day. Therefore, your ceremony area may appear dark. As a result, viewing your ceremony and the quality of your wedding photos may be affected. For this reason, highlighting your wedding ceremony at The Bordone with additional lighting is usually essential during these months. Hence, adding additional lighting will ensure your wedding ceremony at The Bordone remains visible at sunset.

WEDDING CAKE LIGHTING AT THE BORDONE

• After dark, your wedding cake may also require additional lighting at The Bordone. Therefore, pin-spot lighting is essential to highlight your wedding cake after dark.

CURTAIN OF VERTICAL STRING LIGHTS

• Vertical Strings (or String Lights hanging horizontally with multiple swoops) are an excellent addition to the wall behind your ceremony area. Therefore, consider suspending a curtain of string lights vertically against the wall behind the ceremony area.