How a Subreddit Helped Me Plan My Perfect Manhattan Wedding

PHOTOGRAPHY: Emma Melin Studios

DRESS: vintage Bill Blass

The only vision I ever had of my wedding was that it might happen one day. Once I got engaged earlier this year, my vision took shape: a civil (or as private as possible) ceremony in Manhattan, with a separate reception/party for family and friends in Brooklyn (where we met) some time later. When we decided we would be married by the end of the year, I quickly learned that even the most chill wedding requires the organization skill and creative talent of Jennifer Lopez’s character in The Wedding Planner.

Rather than wasting my evenings scrolling mindlessly on my phone while pretending to watch prestige television in my living room, I made good use of my phone, for once. I started searching for New York wedding advice and ideas, which led me to my, essentially, free wedding planner: Reddit, specifically the subreddit WedditNYC, which centers on New York City/Greater New York City area weddings. I already had my glam team down: my longtime hair stylist, Meg Costello at Coz salon would do my hair, and Ivey Rey—referred to by a friend—would do my makeup. I have strictly followed the same skincare routine for years, and went to Glowbar for a monthly facial in addition to  regular follow ups with my dermatologist, Dr. Leger at Entière Dermatology, throughout the year. One visit included the Derma-V laser, which reduced some redness and made my skin glow. I introduced only one new product in my routine: the Eighth Day regenerative serum, which helped maintain the glow from the facials and the laser, and helped keep my skin healthy following any unexpected breakouts.

Days (hours) after I got engaged, I realized how expensive wedding gowns are. This sent me into a tailspin, as I had already decided I would be wearing several looks (the most important part of the wedding to me, if I’m being honest). For the civil ceremony, which we did on Black Friday, I decided to wear black (I am always wearing black) and I wanted to wear something vintage. I spent a long time searching the internet for vintage bridal stores that might carry black in my price range and discovered Cha Cha Linda, a by appointment only shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on (once again) WedditNYC. There, I bought my black vintage Bill Blass gown—most likely from 1989/1990—after the most delightful, appointment ever. 

WedditNYC is also where I discovered that we could take photos at The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel in the Financial District, which is about a ten-minute walk from the city clerk’s office in downtown Manhattan. The stunning hotel exudes old, classic New York and a little bit of Succession, which is exactly the aesthetic I wanted for the civil ceremony. After our ceremony, which included just our parents, we took photos on the streets of downtown Manhattan and had dinner at Le Gratin, the French restaurant attached to the hotel.

My husband and I stayed in The Beekman's Turret Penthouse: a private suite (it’s actually the size of a whole house), with stunning views of the downtown Manhattan architecture. The art deco pieces, vintage dark wood furniture, and moody lighting is wondrously contrasted with modern features, making the stay unique and a continuation of the vision for my wedding. The intoxicating, comforting smell of the D.S. & Durga products is as comforting and as sensual as the luxurious linens and the heated bathroom floors. The staff left us a bottle of champagne along with some decadent chocolates upon check-in, which we used as playful props for our photoshoot (this helped ease our nerves quite a bit).

The terrace room has its own (titular) private terrace, a large dining table, a cozy living room, two bathrooms, and a dark wood staircase leading up to the lofted bedroom, which has a claw-footed bathtub. At the center of the high ceiling of the room is a crystal chandelier that pulls the entire suite together and adds a romantic element perfect for newlyweds. The Beekman’s towering atrium, lobby, and gilded elevators  also serve as a stunning backdrop for wedding photography—and we lucked out because the hotel had already decorated the space for Christmas. After dinner at Le Gratin, we returned to the terrace room to a turned down room—Saratoga water on each nightstand, blackout curtains down—and enjoyed an extremely necessary, restful sleep after a very long day.