…my weary head and tired feet, after the wedding!
While researching blocks of hotel rooms for our guests, I had a “Hey, wait a minute, where are we going stay?” moment. I was struggling with this because the morning of the wedding will be spent at my parents’ house in Queens for the tea ceremony, but in between that and the reception, I need to get into “Big White” and take pictures. I know most brides get ready at a bridal suite at their hotel, but I couldn’t think of a place that would either be convenient to the venue or the house.
Then Mr. C’s mom suggested Gramercy Park which is cross town from our venue. It’s an area I’ve always loved with its old New York brownstones, cute bars and restaurants. And who isn’t intrigued by the only private park in the city? So I googled “Gramercy Park” and “hotel” and the first thing that came up was the Gramercy Park Hotel.
From the pictures it was perfect… I loved the details in every room. The colors and furniture are all amazing. And I just couldn’t help thinking of the way our photographer, Angelica Glass, uses color and how these rooms would really pop in her photographs.
I happened to be in the Gramercy area earlier this week and stopped by the hotel to check out the rooms. From the minute I stepped into the lobby, I loved the atmosphere. The whole place exudes elegance and old time glamour. There are two fabulous bars in the hotel, one with a billiards table– which will be a great place for all the boys to hang while I’m upstairs getting pretty with the girls.
The staff is very personable and friendly despite the upscale atmosphere of the hotel. They were not at all bothered when I asked to see a few rooms for comparison. I wanted to check out lighting, layouts, furniture (I’m detailed… what can I say? 
) to make sure I picked the best room. One of the lovely front desk girls showed me three rooms and the private rooftop terrace which is AMAZING! You can see the Empire State building, and there is a private bar/lounge. This will be the perfect place for Mr. C and I to have a few cocktails after the wedding… I think we’ll need it.
Another thing that I love about the hotel is that they have original paintings and work from some of the biggest contemporary artists like Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst. The hotel has its own events department if you want to rent out their spaces and use their catering. It’s very pricey, but if it’s within your budget… it’d be magnificent place to have a rehearsal dinner or wedding.
So enough yakking… here are photos of the phenomenal space as well as some of the Gramercy neighborhood. Enjoy!
All interior hotel images from www.gramercyparkhotel.com
The lobby and entrance to the hotel. Very glamorous!
The billiards table in the Rose Bar (that’s an Andy Warhol in the background!)
The sitting area of one of the larger suites. All the rooms are either pink, blue, or green.
A pink room! Our room will probably be pink as well.
The rooftop terrace at night. Smokin!
Gramercy Park (from behind bars). The park is locked but if you stay at the hotel, you get access to it. It’s pristine!
The hotel from the outside. You can see the terrace on the topmost floor.
Local Gramercy architecture. So beautiful! This is actually The Players, another great wedding reception space.
Other great NYC options:
Are you staying anywhere special on your wedding night? If so, how did you decide on where?
I have stayed at the Hudson and LOVED it. Just be weary of the standard rooms that are TINY!! I would recommend a suite! However, the Library is amazing you would get some great picts in there. The rooftop area outside of the library is beautiful as well and the hotel is within walking distance of Columbus Circle and Central Park….love it! But def. upgrade to a very large room!
We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park and it was the perfect place to rest after an exhausting day/night. Crisp, quiet, and luxurious.
We stayed at the Silver Cloud Inn. It was a wonderful gift from my bosses. We were trying to save up as much money as we could for the honeymoon that we were just going to go back home for the first night. Well, my bosses caught wind of this and staged a limousine and honeymoon suite complete with fireplace, jetted tub, champagne and chocolates! It was so relazing waking up to the morning fog on the water knowing that this was where were we were going to begin our honeymoon. I’m so thankful. Although we did miss out on the complimentary breakfast. I guess those sheets were just too luxurious.
We will be going to stay at the Gramercy Mansion in Baltimore. We will be traveling up to NYC with my parents (I am originally from there) the next day as our flight to our Hawaii leaves from La Guardia. My parents wanted to treat us to a nice hotel that night and I was looking specifically at Gramercy Park (what can I say …Gramercy did it right). Unfortunately, all their standard rooms are sold out and only the high tier one are available, which is way out of my parents’ budget. However, I am telling my future hubby that I definately want to celebrate our one-year anniversary here!
Hey, I’m thinking of staying at the Gramercy Park Hotel for our wedding in June. I’m so excited!
Mrs. Canary, New York
Age and Occupation: 24, Marketing
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Journalist/Editor
Engagement Date: February 16, 2007
Wedding Date: July, 2008
Blogging Since: October 19, 2007
Venue: Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers
About Me: I'm a born and raised New Yorker who loves all things crafty and artsy, food (cheese and dessert!), magazines, and shoes. I'm a power shopper always on the lookout for good deals or great quality-- sometimes I'm lucky and I find both! I love to dance and "shake what my momma gave me" but can also really enjoy a quiet night in with Mr. Canary and a good episode of Seinfeld or curl up with a good book.
We stayed at the third-most-expensive hotel in town, which we justified because it was within walking distance of all events. Of course we drove to and from, but that’s not the point!