New York - April 14, 2009

Put a Ring on It

Spring 2009 Wedding Guide

New York, New York, it’s a helluva town. Old-world charm. Modern amenities. A come-hither look. Of course you’ll take Manhattan.

Say yes to the new Manhattan Marriage Bureau with self-serve kiosks (to cut down on paperwork) and phone translators in 170 languages. The gift shop sells flowers and fake diamond rings; bathrooms have vanities and full-length mirrors. You can take your iPod, but the ceremony lasts about a New York minute.

Friends can wait outside with a jaunty fleet of Mr. Rickshaw pedicabs.

No need to show off that gray rose-cut diamond ring at the party: It’s the subtlety that’s stunning. Conroy & Wilcox versions are big sellers at Erie Basin. The jewelry duo launched a barrette/collar/tiara collaboration with Bushwick artist Jolynn Krystosek that’s perfect for brides. Accessorize on a whole new level with a Suzanna Dai bib.

Ladies will coo over your gemstone while you stuff your face with Sweetiepie’s bite-size microcakes and the Sweetiepig eighteen-scoop sundae. Rent out the precious 75-seat parlor with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, tufted leather booths, marbled floors, and nine-foot brass birdcage (it seats ten).

Tell us what street compares to Mott Street in July. Um, how about The Desmond Tutu Center’s private outdoor grounds in the middle of Chelsea. Have a 175-person ceremony on the lawn enclosed by a 19th-century Gothic seminary. Lead your guests to the funky refectory for dinner.

More of a minimalist? After entertaining Czech dignitaries and UN VIPs exclusively, the overhauled Bohemian National Hall opens to the public. Sleek and squeaky-clean Czech modernism mixes with lacquer and high-gloss wood. The Machinist Age-style bar and ballroom impress. A slick little cinema (with red leather seats) does double duty as a chapel. Dine by Design will whip up a menu of social realism (and goulash, if you want it).

Mary Giuliani likes catering to the antibride bride who eschews sit-down dinners for fancy apps passed all night long. High points are the mac and cheese bar (DIY toppings), food and drink pairings (corn-manchego beignet with baby mojito, li’l lobster roll with Guinness shot), and midnight munchies on the dance floor (greasy spoon specials!). It’s a one-woman show over at Nine Cakes in Red Hook, where sweetheart icing piper Betsy Thorleifson makes every delectable component (from caramel to strawberry cream to passion fruit curd to chocolate branches) by hand.

Have pals videotape. Then send the recordings to Well Spun Wedding Films. The producers will create a dreamy Super 8-style music video (that you can upload to Facebook and actually watch). Ready to make an exit? Hail a gleaming vintage checker taxicab for a fare to remember.

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