You should break the rule on Blackfish, my absolute favorite!
But if it is new you are seeking, Marly's has my vote. We live in Phoenixville and have never had a meal there that wasn't amazing. The chef knows flavors and the menu is really different from other places.
Majolica is also a great choice. I'm not huge into french food, but my husband is and he adores it. I've done a tasting menu there and it was fabulous.

LOVE LOVE Blackfish. Never had anything less than outstanding there. Service & food, it's the complete package. Save room for dessert, even if it means opting out of the appetizers, so worth it. Parking is less than fun, but you'll have this in Conshohocken. Also with crappy parking but amazing food and service is Marly's in Phoenixville, they have the best outdoor seating behind the restaurant. I love this place during the week, it's bustling, but not crowded. Obviously the fish at Blackfish is perfection, and the "Cheesesteak" (filet) at Marly's, is ridiculous, also try their shrimp & grits. Both are byo's, and there are 2 local wineries with stores down the street from Marly's.
If you are willing to go a little further than Phoenixville to Royersford and you like spicy, try French Quarter Bistro on Main st. Also in Royersford is the BEST breakfast place in America., Annamarie's. Their pancakes are bigger than the plate and their specials are crazy.

It's one of my husband's favorites and another reason to go to Bridge St. It's like restaurant row down there, but they have to get the parking worked out! I'm used to parking in the city but on the weekends Phoenixville is impossible.

So many places have failed in this spot over the past few years but I think this one will stick. They seem to be doing well with getting both the older crowd 30+ during the evening-early night and then shifting into the younger crowd for the drinking hours. The food isn't fancy but it's delicious and cheap. The staff is attentive and the bartender always notices that you're ready for another round.

Good luck with the planning!! Planning our wedding made me go crazy, and in the end, several things didn't go as planned and the entire day was still excellent, so don't drive yourself insane like I did!
There are a ton of good restaurants out this way, not sure which ones do rehearsal dinners, but we love Becca's & Marly's.(both BYO's- we refuse to pay a 300% upcharge while being forced to chose off sad wine menus) as for places with liquor, I went to one over a year ago at Baxter's in Phoenixville, but they have since closed and I recently noticed there are permits and such on the door, maybe a new place to try since I'm sure it will be open by next year and maybe looking to cut you a break? We had dinner at French Quarter Bistro in Royersford recently and loved their home-cooked funky menu. Bistro on Bridge is cute, especially in the warmer weather, right in the middle of the block and with an upscale but open feel, and the Epicurean is my parents favorite spot- so naturally I've never liked it, but it should not be held against the restaurant!!!

I love their carmelized brussel sprouts! I've always loved 'sprouts (I was a weird kid) but rarely see them on a menu and even more rarely find them done correctly. I've never had a bad experience there but I guess everyone has different tastes.

Had dinner at Marly's again a couple weeks ago and sat outside, I have to say, I LOVE this place. The food and service put it miles above the rest of phoenixville. The staff is super accommodating, and the food speaks for itself, IMHO.
Another place to try, the bookend cafe on rt 23. The sandwiches they have for lunch are BEYOND great. they are also beyond messy, but whatever, once you have one you'll see, and the prices are so cheap you feel like you're stealing from them.

I'm a server and we also eat out a lot, so i feel like I can see both side of the issue. I've been asked to vacate and i've had to ask people, neither of which is ever fun.
If I am told when I'm being seated that they have a table available for a set amount of time, I'm fine with it, and if we're lingering and they politely mention that they have reservations waiting, I'm usually cool with that too, especially if they hook us up with some free drinks :)
at a local BYO we frequent we know that servers pretty well and they often tell us of the nightly gossip knowing I'm a server and can relate, and I know they have a huge problem with people thinking it is fine to come and eat and then stay for over an hour after they have finished, including opening bottles of wine AFTER dessert, which is just plain rude.
As a server, when I have had to get people to move along I first try asking if they need anything else, then I give them a few minutes, then i re-approach and take their paid check from the table (this is the universal sign that you server needs the table back!) and when I finally had no choice I simply and politely say that we have reservations waiting and surprisingly I have never had anyone get mad at me.
At our restaurant the management would never ask us to ask a table to leave unless they have been sitting for over 20-30 minutes after they have paid their check, they have no wine or drinks left, and they have been at the table for over 2 hours, which i think is fair.

It all depends on what you're looking for. We love teresa's Next Door for their beer selection and they always have amazing specials, usually things that you won't see anywhere else, and we eat at Marly's in Phoenixville several times a month, it's a great BYO on Bridge St.
I know Teresa's doesn't have a private area if you're doing something bigger, and they don't take reservations, but Marly's does, although I'm not sure what the specifications are for reserving their private room.

My husband and I goto Marly's all the time and we think its one of the best places around. We ate there last night to try there new spring menu and it was great. The Chef/owners name is Mike (I believe) I had some questions about how he did some of his dishes and you can see how much food means to him. Im not sure what dishes you might have had a problem with, but I think Chef Mike worked them out. If you still found some things wrong I think you should ask for him, he would probally want to hear it so he can fix it right away.

I'm loving the changes to the area too, I was a bit disappointed when we moved here a few years ago from the city, but now my only problem is that I never want to go to the city anymore. The options along bridge st are great, and I usually just head out a bit early and park in the municipal lot at the beginning of Bridge St. It's not usually full and the stroll is nice.
On a separate topic, does anyone know what is going in across the street from the parking lot? Someone mentioned to my wife that it was another restaurant, but it has been undergoing renovations since I can remember and is still empty.