• Yes. We offer the Platinum Wedding Experience, which brings the reception and a range of wedding services together through our banquet team and event partners. Available elements can include DJ entertainment, photography, videography, floral centerpieces, uplighting, tablescape styling, and premium beverage service. Ask one of our experienced banquet managers for package details and a proposal for your upcoming special celebration.

  • Of course. Our banquet managers have decades of experience guiding excited couples through the planning and  coordination of their wedding celebration. Our dedicated banquet team will work to bring your unique vision to life. We’ll guide you through all the important details and shape your memorable wedding celebration around the experience you’ve dreamt about for that special day.

  • Yes. This is a distinguishing feature of Villa Russo. We gladly offer a variety of choices in dining styles and event details to ensure your wedding reflects your unique vision. Discuss your vision and ideas with our banquet team and we’ll make sure they’re flawlessly executed. We encourage you to explore your personalized  wedding plans with Villa Russo.

  • We certainly host wedding ceremonies as well as receptions at our venue. Share your ceremony plans with our banquet  team and we’ll work together to find the appropriate room, setup, timing, and any additional arrangements for your wedding’s ceremony.

  • Yes. We have the unique experience of hosting varied events for our richly diverse clientele. The Indian and Indo-Caribbean community have embraced Villa Russo, holding many of their family’s wedding celebrations at our Richmond Hill catering venue. Our team can discuss cultural traditions, ceremony plans, and West Indian-style dishes associated with Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and the surrounding Caribbean. Explore Indian and Indo-Caribbean weddings and other occasions on our website.

  • Yes. The Spanish speaking community makes up a substantial part of our valued clientele. We have Spanish-speaking banquet managers who can answer questions and help plan your wedding in your language. And a majority of our service staff are bilingual.Conoce nuestro salón de bodas en Queens.

  • That depends on a variety of factors.The Villa Russo offers numerous options to specifically meet your family’s intended budget. Pricing often depends on the particular day of the week /  month of your memorable event. Other factors that affect pricing are menu selections, alcohol service and dessert choices. An important factor affecting the price of your wedding will be the amount of guests in attendance. At Villa Russo we accommodate from 25 to 250 guests.  Discuss your wedding date and menu choices with one of our experienced banquet professionals.

  • There is an additional charge for having your ceremony at Villa Russo. We offer a few options when planning the actual ceremony prior to your reception. Our Grotto room is uniquely designed to accommodate your distinctive wedding ceremony. Along with the private rental of our Grotto room prior to your reception, we offer a ceremonial floor runner, candles and a celebrant’s podium. We also offer the choice of having your ceremony in the same room as your wedding reception. The cost of the ceremony will depend on your choices. We welcome you to discuss the vision you have for your wedding ceremony with our banquet managers.

  • The planning of your wedding day involves a multitude of decisions that ideally shouldn’t be rushed. Your invitations alone should be sent to your invited guests at least two (2) months prior to your wedding. We recommend dedicating at least four (4) to six (6) months as being ideal for the planning phase. However, particular situations may dictate a shortened planning time-frame. We’re ready to assist you within any planning period required to ensure your special day is seamlessly executed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sweet 16s and Quinceañeras

  • Absolutely, At Villa Russo we specialize in hosting both Sweet 16 and Quinceañera celebrations. Our castle-inspired surroundings are designed to create an evening fit for your young princess. Dining options, event services and your unique theme provide a setting for an amazing celebration shaped around her individual vision and style.

  • Our Sweet 16 and Quinceañera packages include a four-hour event, ( longer if requested ) with a 90 minutes of setup time. Plated or buffet dining service,  room décor and lighting, an event manager and service staff, a VIP hospitality area, and complimentary valet parking are included in that package. We also include custom mocktails, ice cream, popcorn, and cotton candy plus  chair covers & sashes ( if added ). Our experienced banquet team is excited to bring the unique vision you have for your special celebration to life. Tell us about the theme you have in mind for your celebration and we’ll make it happen together.

  • We’re so excited to help personalize the unique vision you have for your special day. We’d love to work with you and your family to customize your entire evening’s celebration. Discuss your event’s theme, colors, décor, and entertainment plans with us when selecting your package and any enhancements we can add. Let’s collaborate to make your dream celebration come true.

  • The cost of your Sweet 16 or Quinceañera will depend on the date you choose for your event (there’s different pricing for Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays) , your package choice, as well as the amount of guests you invite. We’d be happy to create a proposal based upon those factors. Keep in mind we make every effort to work within your preferred budget.

  • You will be hiring third-party vendors of your choice, such as DJ’s, photo booths, backdrops, etc. They are not included in your package. However, we can provide a list of our preferred vendors in every category that we stand behind & highly recommend and who will be very competitive with their pricing.

Bridal and Baby Showers

  • Absolutely, we’ve hosted countless bridal and baby showers. You'll work with one of our banquet managers to help plan your special shower celebration. We provide tables, chairs, linens, place settings, event supervision, and complimentary valet parking. Our banquet team can help select a room and menu. We’ll organize the entire celebration around your family’s preferences.

  • The overall cost of celebrating your shower will depend on a variety of factors, including the package you choose, the day & time of your event and especially the amount of guests you invite. We’ll work to ensure you create your special event within a budget you can readily afford.

  • At Villa Russo we have a variety of different size banquet rooms that can accommodate from 25, and up to 250 of your invited guests. Minimum guarantees are 25 guests for our Renaissance Room, 75 guests for our Grotto Room and 100 guests for our Palace Room.

Proms and Graduation Parties

  • Yes. Villa Russo has been a venue of choice for our local schools and colleges for many years. Each prom or graduation has a dedicated banquet manager to assist with each event’s planning & coordination. We provide all of your special celebration’s needs, including package choices, banquet furnishings, linens, table settings, event supervision, and free valet parking. Explore our prom and graduation offerings.

  • As with other special occasions held at Villa Russo, the cost of your prom or graduation will depend on menu choices and especially guest count. However, we have created affordable pricing particularly for proms and graduations which are especially budget conscious.

Micro Weddings

  • Yes. Our Mediterranean-style Renaissance Room is ideal for hosting your micro wedding, from 25 up to 60 guests. It offers a private setting in a uniquely designed room perfect for intimate gatherings. Our Renaissance Room is extremely popular for smaller sized special occasions.

  • Our micro wedding packages are designed with a smaller budget in mind. Allow us to provide an exceptional experience in an intimate setting when your guest count is relatively low. Request one of our banquet managers to explain our economical packages for your upcoming micro wedding. Explore micro weddings at Villa Russo.

  • We can accommodate a micro wedding for as few as 25, and up to 60 guests, in our Renaissance Room.

Rooms and Guest Count

  • We have three (3) finely appointed rooms: the Palace Room, the Grotto Room, and the Renaissance Room.

  • Our private banquet rooms accommodate celebrations ranging from 25 to 250 guests. The Palace Room can accommodate up to 250, the Grotto Room up to 150, and the Renaissance Room up to 60 of your guests. Discuss your seating arrangement and event requirements with our experienced banquet team when choosing a room that accommodates your guest count.

  • The Palace Room is our largest banquet room. With its high ceilings, surrounding balconies, and old-world charm & elegance, it can accommodate larger celebrations with dining and dancing, for up to 250 guests.

  • The Grotto Room is a warm and inviting option for a mid-sized celebration, with capacity for up to 150 guests. It is on the lower level and is not wheelchair accessible.

  • The Palace Room requires a minimum guaranteed count of 100 guests, the Grotto room carries a minimum guarantee of 75 guests, and the Renaissance Room’s minimum guarantee is 25 guests.

Food and Drinks

  • Our cuisine is rooted in Italian traditions, with Italian favorites and other selections for private events. However, our professional chefs' are adept at diverse cuisines. Menus can be arranged around cultural requirements, type of celebration and guests’ tastes.

  • Absolutely. We are experienced in customizing your menu around personal food preferences and the unique dining experience you have in mind. Our banquet team will help you explore the diverse food options available. 

  • We expertly prepare our food using only fresh ingredients sourced from the best local vendors to create amazing dishes from family recipes passed down through generations.

  • Yes, of course. Our chefs are trained in multiple and diverse cuisines and can discuss and prepare menus from a variety of cultural traditions and dish preferences.

  • Our team can help plan for dietary needs and preferences. Provide specific requirements and restrictions when discussing your menu choices with our banquet team and we’ll include those in our customized menu plan. 

  • Yes. We offer open-bar packages that include name-brand, top-shelf liquor. Ask about our unlimited open-bar offerings and service hours you’d like to be included in your proposal.

  • Yes. We offer specialty cakes and desserts as delicious additions to the menu for your special occasion.

  • We can arrange tastings of food and cakes at mutually convenient scheduled times. 

  • Absolutely. We’re happy to receive the delivery of your special occasion cake from the bakery of your choice.

  • We typically do not offer off-premise catering. All our special events are held in our uniquely designed banquet rooms.

Location and Accessibility

  • Villa Russo is located in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York. Our banquet office & Renaissance Room are located at: 118-16 101st Avenue, Richmond Hill. Il Palazzo, our catering hall and attached building, has the address of: 101-12 Lefferts Boulevard, South Richmond Hill, NY 11419. 

    Confirm the appropriate entrance when arranging a visit or preparing guest directions.

  • Yes. We offer complimentary valet parking for all the special events held at our establishment.

  • Accessibility is available in all our rooms except the lower-level Grotto Room which is not wheelchair accessible. Contact our banquet team before booking to confirm suitable room access, entrances, and restroom arrangements for your guests.

  • Yes. We offer private bridal, hospitality and dressing rooms for your special occasion. Confirm the arrangements for your chosen event space with our banquet team.

  • Our banquet offices are open from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm every day except Tuesdays. 

Pricing and Payments

  • Yes. We offer per-person pricing, different package price levels, and flexible payment arrangements.

  • Yes. We proudly offer military and civil service discounts. 

  • Our banquet managers will develop a personal proposal and fully explain any and all charges that may be added to your basic per-person pricing.

  • We typically request a $500 for our smaller events and $1,000 for the larger events as a deposit to secure your date. 

  • We will arrange a flexible payment schedule that meets your financial and budgetary needs. 

  • Our cancellation policy takes into consideration the circumstances for a party’s termination. The potential loss of a client’s deposit depends on the timing of the cancellation. We do attempt to work with our clients to avoid the loss of any portion of their deposit. Our banquet managers will explain the details behind our cancellation policies.

  • Yes. Pricing for children and vendors are discounted.

  • Absolutely, we encourage our clients to be fully familiar with the terms and conditions of our contracts. Our banquet managers will go over our contracts line-by-line to ensure our client’s complete understanding of their contract.

  • No, we do not require event insurance. We do require DJ’s to provide their insurance however.

Event Planning

  • Call 718-849-0990, email info@villarussocatering.com, or use our contact form. Share your event type, preferred date, and approximate guest count to discuss availability, packages, and a visit. Our banquet managers are located on premises and will personally and quickly respond, usually not longer than one business day (we are closed on Tuesdays).

  • We’re experts in assisting with the planning of your special occasion. Our experienced banquet managers are eager to help with all your event planning needs including room and menu selection, service timing, vendor coordination, and decor details. Contact our banquet team to discuss how we can help coordinate the finer details that go into making your celebration one to cherish forever. 

  • Depending on the event, our experienced team of banquet professionals can help recommend and coordinate entertainment, photography, DJ’s, floral arrangements, photobooths and any other enhancements and additions, adding that special touch to your memorable event. Ask which additions and services are available to enhance your package that we can help arrange. 

  • Yes. We love to be involved in all aspects of the theme-planning of your special event. From our many years of event planning, we can offer recommendations and assist in coordinating every important detail that goes into creating an amazing event experience, right down to linen color choices, seating cards, and seating charts.

  • Yes. We provide a preferred-vendor list to assist with choosing professional and quality third-party vendors. 

  • Our maître‘d’s are service professionals who will be at your side throughout the entire event to assist you with every detail. 

  • Wedding receptions held at Villa Russo are usually either four (4) or five (5) hours in length. Overtime carries an additional charge of $10 per person when there’s no bar service included with the overtime, and $20 per person when an open bar is included within the extra hour. 

  • Vendors have one & a half (1 ½ ) hours prior to the event to set up and one (1) hour after the conclusion of the event to break down and exit the building. 

  • Yes you can choose your own vendors for your event. DJ’s must be insured. 

  • There’s a chance that other events may be going on at our facility. We strive to alter starting and ending times to ensure each event is given the special attention it deserves. Each room is private and soundproof and each event is booked with timing that avoids interference with another event that might be going on simultaneously.

  • Vendors can set up 90 minutes prior to the event. Clients can arrange a convenient and necessary entry time for their event with our banquet managers.

  • Vendors are expected to be fully cleaned and packed up one (1) hour after the event’s ending time.

  • We recommend finalizing the guest count two (2) weeks prior to your event.

  • Bringing your own alcohol is against State Liquor Authority rules. Flameless, rather than real candles are allowed. Anything that involves live, flaming pyrotechnics is a fire hazard and is not allowed.

  • Yes, we have arrangements with a number of local hotels and transportation companies that we can recommend to you and your guests.

  • The Villa Russo is a uniquely designed and photogenic facility with many areas that can provide an amazing background for the photos taken at your special event.

Other Celebrations

  • Yes. We host birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestone celebrations. Tell us a little about the special occasion you’re planning and we’ll help you arrange an event to remember.

  • Yes. We host company meetings, luncheons, dinners, holiday parties, fundraisers, expos, and annual celebrations. Our banquet team helps coordinate room arrangements, timing, menus, service, and event-day details. Dining can be planned around a working lunch, cocktail reception, or seated dinner.

About Villa Russo

  • Villa Russo is a long established wedding and event venue located in Richmond Hill, Queens, offering banquet rooms, catering, and planning support for private celebrations and business gatherings. Our setting combines Italian hospitality with Old World architectural character.

  • Yes. We are a second-generation, family-owned and operated business. Our story began in 1954, when brothers Frank and Joseph Russo opened Russo’s Pizzeria in Richmond Hill. We grew from a local, neighborhood pizzeria into a full-service restaurant and now are considered a premier Queens catering venue.

  • We have hosted thousands of special events for over 72 years, bringing together families through hospitality, Italian culinary traditions, distinctive banquet rooms, and experienced event staff. Guests can choose a setting for a smaller gathering or a larger celebration, with help from our experienced banquet managers organizing the food, service, and details. We are proud to be a family owned and operated business, with the owner George Russo overseeing each event held at our facility.

  • Yes. Our owner George Russo is on-site for every event.

  • Yes. With a 72 year existence in the service to our valued patrons we are proud to be designated as a New York State historic business by New York State.

Explore answers about our rooms, event options, and planning services below.
To discuss your date, menu choices and guest count, we encourage you to consult with our banquet team.

Weddings

Connect with our team