A Fairmont Wedding at The Plaza Hotel

“I couldn’t imagine a more perfect venue to begin the next chapter of my life...”

Congratulations on your wedding! What made you decide on having your wedding with us at Fairmont?

I chose The Plaza Hotel for my wedding venue for two reasons: the hotel captures the history and essence of classic NYC and The Plaza Hotel is where my family has resided for the past seven years and where I call “home.” I couldn’t imagine a more perfect venue to begin the next chapter of my life.

Where did you have your ceremony?

Our ceremony was held at Church of St. Ignatius Loyola located on the Upper East Side. We had a traditional Catholic ceremony. My father escorted me down the aisle.

Tell us about the flowers you chose. Did you go traditional or contemporary?

My flowers were traditional for both the ceremony and reception decor.

CEREMONY FLOWERS St. Ignatius Church Altar: A matching pair of striking, oversized floral displays of luscious, fully-bloomed, creamy Vandela Roses en masse, designed in stately gold painted urns. These two gorgeous pieces flank the altar area creating a magnificent backdrop to the ceremony. They were elevated & set on simple iron pedestals so that all guests in the church could view their beauty. Back of the Aisle: Coordinating cream Rose displays were placed at the back of the aisle to echo the beauty of the altar. Pews: Attached to every other pew were gorgeous bouquets of creamy Vandela Roses, accented with delicate Sweetpea. They were tied around each pew with sheer silk organza ribbon.

FLOWERS: Peonies, Polo and White Sarah Cabbage Roses, Vandela Roses, White Sweetpea, Button Ranunculus, and White Phalaenopsis Orchids.
Reception Decor Flowers; Dinner Tables: (60” rounds seating 8 guests) A unique approach to tabletop design whereby two different but complementary schemes are developed for the round tables. Approximately half of the tables are set with formal cut crystal pedestals, whereby a stunning and luscious floral display is set atop. The floral concept remains consistent throughout the entire ceremony & dinner reception, focusing on the creamy white, ivory and a pale blush neutral color palette including fluffy Peonies, fully bloomed Polo and White Sarah Cabbage Roses, Vandela Roses, White Sweetpea, Button Ranunculus, Formal White Phalaenopsis Orchids and other exquisite blooms. Hidden Hydrangea is tucked behind the flowers for added depth and texture. At the base of this round shaped luscious arrangement are four petite crystal bud vases with a loose cluster of white flowers such as Ranunculus and Sweetpea.The other tables are oversized, lush and low, designed in a stylish crystal vessel with deep cut grooves which reflect the light and adds a sparkling effect to the floral arrangement. The same variety of flowers are designed in this piece creating an intimate and romantic look.Surrounding both the high and low gorgeous centerpieces are four clean and clear, Calvin Klein-esque pedestal candlesticks with floating cream candles, adding a warm, romantic glow to the table display and entire room. Additional votive candles, supplied by the venue, are scattered around the centerpiece and candlesticks.

Long Table Seating Bridal Party: Five low centerpieces described above evenly set down the long table. In between each centerpiece is a trio of the glass pedestal candlesticks with floating candles at varying heights. Additional votive candles, supplied by the venue, are scattered around.

Tell us about the meal you served your guests. What type and flavor cake did you have at your reception?

My fiance and I did a tasting menu five months before the wedding date. The chef prepared us all the options for the three-course dinner. We decided on a crab salad or beet salad for appetizer, steak or sea bass option for main course, and dessert was the wedding cake, which was served along with chocolates and other desserts.

Our cake was created by Ron Ben-Israel. Color Ivory with cream roses on the top and bottom of the cake coordinated with Belle Fleur. The cake was decorated with our KK monogram design. It had five tiers with a mixture of carrot and red velvet cake on each tier. The entire cake was covered in cream cheese frosting.

What element(s) did you add to make the wedding uniquely ‘yours’?

Colors: Winter White, Ivory, Gold, Pale Blush, and Creams. Theme: Romantic, Traditional, Classical, and Timeless NYC.

I wanted an intimate, romantic, winter white wedding. I did not want a lot of color because my ceremony and reception venues are very ornate, and I did not want my flowers or decorations to take away from the beauty of the church and ballroom. With this being said, I kept to all white/ivory flowers and added a lot of candles for a romantic touch. Furthermore, I chose to have the 12-person band in the center of the dance floor instead of on the ballroom stage. By doing this, all the tables surrounded the band giving the entire room a more intimate feel.

I designed an Eloise candy bar for my guests because my nickname growing up in the Hotel was Eloise. Also, I created used the emblem KK back-to-back, similar to the signature Plaza emblem of PP. The KK was featured throughout the wedding on napkins, sunglass favors, lighting on the dance floor, as an ice sculpture, and on our wedding cake.

Another integral part of the day is the wedding dress! Tell us about what you chose to wear. Did you follow the old English saying “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”?

The Dress: This Vera Wang designed dress was inspired by Grace Kelly’s classic wedding dress from the 1950’s. The gown features a classic A-line silhouette with three layers of ivory hand-appliqued lace. It comes with a detachable bow and a sophisticated high-neck overlay of tulle that extends into short sleeves covering my arms and back. In addition, for the ceremony I wore my great grandmother’s Venetian ivory lace gloves. I chose this dress because it embodies everything I want my wedding to be; regal yet modern, romantic, and timeless.

Shoes: My shoes are Rene Coavilla closed toe 3-inch pump. They are covered in pearls and Swarovski crystals, and had Rene Coavilla signature shimmery heel and out-sole.

Gloves: Venetian ivory lace gloves that were once my great great grandmother's. My mother wore them on her wedding day too.

Vendors & Service Providers:

• Belle Fleur, NYC
• A Day of Bliss Photography, NYC
• Lisa's Candy Bar

For more information or to start planning your wedding at The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel:
www.fairmont.com/the-plaza-new-york/meetings-weddings/weddings/