location, location, location (where to get married?)

location, location, location

when my mom (briefly) dabbled in real estate, those three words were pretty much her mantra. after all, location is what it's all about, no?

well, come wedding planning time, my mother again took those words to heart, deciding that a wedding in New York proper was the order of the day. now, you won't hear me object to a Manhattan wedding--indeed, in my wedding dreams of yore, the Plaza and Pierre featured quite prominently--but the cost of such a wedding is actually appalling.

to put this in perspective, i am hardly one to bat an eye at overspending. to be sure, Thurston might even suggest that i affirmatively look to find ways to spend money where money needn't even be spent. but, my lack of the thrift notwithstanding, even a spender such as i can recognize that when you pay the price of a Manhattan wedding you are paying, once, twice, three times for location.

accepting this, i began to look at venues, trying to narrow them down before making appointments to see them in person.

some contenders that didn't make it to the "viewing" stage:

The Ritz Carlton at Battery Park
although i loved the idea of a wedding that incorporated New York itself (if you're paying for it anyway, you may as well use it!) The Ritz, which overlooks the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson, seemed perfect for the task, because with views like these you can't fail:


alas, i then found out the Ritz's ballroom does not have the views at all and, while lovely, is decorated in a more contemporary style than i was looking for.

then i found out that their complimentary honeymoon package (5 nights in the Ritz of your choice) was not being offered anymore... bye, bye, Ritz!


The Essex House

the Essex House never called my mother back. then when i told T where it was located, he noted that--to him--the mere mention of Central Park South evokes the smell of horseshit. so, Essex House was off the list.

The St. Regis

the St. Regis is gorgeous and in a great location. however, our numbers did not mesh well with their capacity. my mother adored the guy there with whom she spoke and i would have loved to consider this space if the numbers had permitted it. (if you're ever thinking of the St. Regis for an event, let me know and i will give you this guy's contact info!) to my dismay, the St. Regis was also off the list.

Cipriani 42nd Street

it turns out that, unlike most spaces that were too small for the amount of people we plan to have at our wedding, the Cipriani space was just too big.

numerous "wedding" people in the city informed us that our party would be dwarfed by the space and look "dinky" in the massive greatness that is midtown Cipriani. this pains me. i really, really loved this place.

The Mandarin Oriental
another space that takes advantage of its NYC location-- on the 36th floor of the hotel in the Time Warner Center, it seemed like it would rule. but again with the modern-- the carpeting, pictured in miniature below is maddening, really.


to be continued...