NEW YORK, NEW YORK, PART 1

I love NYC, the "City" (not the new MTV show...well ok yeah, that too). I grew up in small town NJ, about 25 min outside Manhattan. Although I didn't venture in that much growing up, that all changed when I started attending grad school in the city. I quickly fell in love with the different neighborhoods, the hustle and bustle of the people and OH MAN, the food!!! Food holds a special place in my heart.

And so does Mr. Latte, of course. I love NYC even more because it brings back so many wonderful memories of Mr. Latte and my relationship. We had our first "dates" in the city...watching broadway shows, walking for hours in Central Park and eating at awesome resturants (see? FOOD! yum).

So when we started thinking of potential venues for our wedding, we toyed with the idea of having it in Boston (where I live) or in the Bay Area (where Mr. Latte lives). And OH the possibilities those two locations would bring! Picture this: a New England wedding on the banks of the Atlantic, with a striped lighthouse and white Adirondack chairs. OR how about this: saying our vows in a small vineyard tucked away in Napa Valley, where the wine runs like water. Sigh. But in my mind, it was NYC all the way.

Reality quickly hit. Reality being the sky high costs of an NYC wedding, and the availability of venues and vendors. And since this bride-to-be loves a challenge, I immediately went to work researching potential venues.

Fortunately, Mr. Latte and I had similar tastes...but unfortunately felt strongly about different things. We both wanted a space with an open layout, minimal decor, an outdoor area and a view (GOOD). I desperately wanted chiavari chairs and Mr. Latte couldn't even pronounce them (BAD). We both wanted a venue that could provide all our tables, linens and catering (GOOD). Mr. Latte absolutely refused to see places with fireplaces and chandeliers...I thought fireplaces brought character (BAD).

I did a lot of searching online to find some potential venues that fit all our needs, as well as made for good compromises. I made a huge spreadsheet with formulas and color-coded fields (I LOVE Excel!) to organize myself, then picked up the phone and went dial-crazy.

I soon noticed a trend. In NYC, the month of July is considered an "off-season" month. Not as "off-season" as say, January, but not as "in-season" as June or September. Score! This was great news as Mr. Latte and I planned on getting married in the sumer, and had July 4th weekend in mind. Although it was a holiday weekend, getting married on or around America's birthdate meant 4 things:

1. Long weekend. As most of Mr. Latte's family and friends would be coming from the West Coast, this would give them more time to spend out on the better, er...East Coast. Our wedding wouldn't eat up their vacation days at work, and they could make it a mini-vacation.

2. Fireworks galore! I love fireworks and we all know that July 4th is the Big Mama of fireworks!. The annual Macy's fireworks display in NYC is SO cool...they have fireworks going on simultaneously from 3 separate locations!

3. Availability of venues. Most people try to steer clear of getting married on holidays, so that means more open venues for US!!!

4. Lower costs. The main advantage of wedding season's "off-season" is the lower costs. Yeah-yuh, that's what we like!

So Mr. Latte flew out for a short weekend and I dragged him out to visit venues with me. He was a trooper and deserves a gold star for putting up with me that day...I had scheduled 4 meetings in 1 day!

Liberty House, Jersey City NJ

Located right in Liberty State Park on the NJ side of the Hudson, this venue has an AMAZING view of the NYC skyline. We had the option of having the ceremony outdoors in the park, or in a "perma-tent" right next to the building. Liberty House has a restaurant on the 1st floor, and a reception room on the 2nd. The room is really pretty, with nice wood accents, a wraparound balcony and (YES!) chiavari chairs. And on July 4th weekend, Liberty House is the PERFECT place to watch the fireworks!!!

Mr. Latte and I really liked the venue but Mom and Dad Latte were concerned with the location. Most of our "in-town" guests would be coming from NY, and getting to Jersey City would be a small hassle for them.

(HOLY MOLY check out the view)

(this would make for some awesome photos)

(from inside the room...ignore the paper mache palm trees please)

Manhattan Penthouse, New York NY

This space is on the (surprise) penthouse floor of a building on 14th and 5th...an awesome location! The view from their huge arched windows is gorgeous, and has a perfect view of the Empire State Buiding. They have a separate reception room for the cocktail hour, and a ballroom for the ceremony and dinner. Their prices were lower then the other quotes we'd received...a huge plus!

Although they say that they can comfortably fit over 200 guests for dinner and dancing, the space seemed a little too confined for us. Yes, I know...it IS NYC. But Mr. Latte and I were envisioning a more "open" feel for our wedding.

(room being set up for a ceremony...I LOVE chiavari chairs!)

(i spy the empire state building)

(that's me checking out the view)

Water's Edge, Long Island City NY

Water's Edge is a popular restaurant in Long Island City, a city right outside of Manhattan. A short ferry ride across the East River, it is situated right across from midtown and the view shows it. It is Gorgeous...yeah that's right, with a capital G. The floor to ceiling windows showcase the view and I can just imagine how beautiful it would be for an evening wedding. AND they have a PARTY YACHT!!! We had the option of renting their small yacht for an after-party...VERY enticing!

Mr. Latte and I couldn't tear ourselves away from the balcony. The view was just...breathtaking. The decor inside the room, however, was just not our style. And although the HUGE windows made for gorgeous views, they didn't open so the whole room felt...enclosed. I wanted to bust through those windows to get even closer to the view!

(main ballroom)

(the huge windows and yup, that's the partay yacht!)

(the view from the balcony. um, can i live here please?)

Battery Gardens, New York NY

Battery Gardens is a restaurant located right in Battery Park. The space just screams Latte-style...open white space, a modern feel and floor to ceiling windows. There's a great balcony that allows guests to go outside and OH! Is that the Statue of Liberty??? Yeah, she's literally right outside. The ceremony could either be held outdoors in the park or inside the actual reception room. The cocktail hour would take up the entire downstairs area, including the outdoor patio. The food is supposed to be awesome so our guests would eat well. While seated on pretty silver chiavari chairs that perfectly match the space. With fireworks in the background. I was in love with it all.

Well...except for the layout of the reception room. The staircase leading upstairs to the room juts right into the middle of the space...and breaks up the flow of the room. The coordinator assured me that they have a couple of configurations they use to ensure that the room feels cohesive, but I just didn't want anyone to have an obstructed view, or have the dance floor so separate from the tables. Oh, that DARN staircase!!!

(right next to battery park...great for photos)

(oh that staircase!!! WHY?!? woe is me. but check out those chairs. i love you gorgeous silver chiavari chairs.)

(miss liberty...she's much bigger in real life.)

It was the end of a long Day 1. Every space had its pros and cons, but we had some great options to think about. And by now, you know that Miss Latte doesn't like to settle for "great"...so I quickly made plans to embark on Day 2 of the big, bad venue search.