You Can Get Married at NYC's Most Iconic Venues

Weddings

Created in partnership with our friends at 620 Loft & Garden and Rainbow Room. The iconic Manhattan wedding: elusive to most but dreamt about by many. Skyscraper backdrops, historic settings and an air of exclusivity make...

by The Venue Report

Created in partnership with our friends at 620 Loft & Garden and Rainbow Room.

The iconic Manhattan wedding: elusive to most but dreamt about by many. Skyscraper backdrops, historic settings and an air of exclusivity make weddings in NYC all the more desirable. Two of the city’s most recognizable and talked about venues, Rainbow Room and 620 Loft & Garden, hold all of the glamour and big city feel that you want in a Manhattan wedding. Rainbow Room, on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, has been overlooking Manhattan since 1934 complete with its domed ceiling, revolving dance floor and sparkling chandelier that reflects the city lights. In contrast, 620 Loft & Garden is both an outdoor and indoor space with the rooftop garden overlooking St. Patrick’s Cathedral surrounded by a historic manicured garden. The indoor loft is bright, filled with wall-to-wall windows for maximum views and natural light. Whether your guilty TV pleasure is more I Love Lucy, Sex and the City or Gossip Girl, these storied venues provide the dramatic setting worthy of the silver screen.

We spoke with Jove Meyer, trusted correspondent and NYC wedding planning veteran, about both of these venues. He shares their similarities, differences and his insider tips for hosting a wedding at each. His top tip for both venues? “When planning at both venues keep the sunset time in mind, with such iconic and amazing views couples and guests will sure want to watch the sun set, so ideally have that planned for cocktail hour.” Read on for the full story on each venue from Jove captured by Jainé of Brklyn View Photography.

620 Loft & Garden may be the most amazing outdoor garden space in NYC. The buzz of 5th ave below you, the energy and beauty of the iconic St. Patrick's cathedral on one side and the shops and fountain of Rockefeller center on the other. It is a surreal experience being in a private garden in the middle of Manhattan!

620 Loft & Garden is a space rental only, you get to select a caterer from their list, pick your own rentals and bring in your own lighting and sound as you like. 620 Loft & Garden is also a smaller space so it is perfect for intimate weddings. Weddings at 620 Loft & Garden allow more of a blank canvas for couples to create the space they dream of with the team they want. While the outdoor space is EPIC it is a bit of a risk to book your event there, as the large part of the garden cannot be tented, so you must love the inside as much as the outside as it is not guaranteed.

For our wedding at 620 Loft & Garden the couple came to us with one request, the best outdoor space in NYC and so of course we brought them to 620 Loft & Garden, the bride fell in love at first sight and booked the space, even with such a risky fall date. Our wedding at 620 Loft & Garden was in early November and we really got super lucky to have a dry, warmish fall day and were able to have our ceremony and cocktail hour outside on the iconic, land marked garden! The bride wanted to have a classic, iconic, elegant wedding with touches of fall so we brought in touches of fall hues with an organic vibe.

Working in the Rainbow Room, with its land marked rotating dance floor and amazing sweeping views of New York City is pure magic! You can feel the history that came before you while enjoying wonderful service and delicious food. Entering the Rockefeller Center and heading up to the 65th floor feels like such a special New York City experience.

The Rainbow Room is a full service luxury space that includes catering, bar, staff and rentals. From start to finish working with the team there was flawless, no detail forgotten. The Rainbow Room is built to accommodate larger weddings and includes both indoor and outdoor spaces. Weddings at the Rainbow Room flow so perfectly with a ceremony in Bar SixtyFive, cocktail hour with one of the best views in Manhattan and then dinner in the iconic ballroom with hundreds of crystals hung from every window, literally breathtaking!

For our wedding at the Rainbow Room the couple wanted to embrace greenery and nature at every turn, of course with elegance and class! We brought in both high and low lush green centerpieces with white flowers as the pop. For the escort card display the bride wanted to have an herb garden and the florist designs by Ahn did an amazing job bringing it to life! The smells and plant varieties really was so fun for guests to experience during cocktail hour. The couple found their start on a golf course so we incorporated that via the table names, rather than numbers. The video can be seen here.

When planning a wedding at the Rainbow Room use the beautiful rentals they have in house, from the chairs to the flatware, glassware and china, it was all selected to compliment the venue, so take advantage of it! If you want to keep the party going at the Rainbow Room Bar SixtyFive, which is also used for on-site ceremonies, it makes for the perfect after party! Floor to ceiling windows with views of the city lit up bright while you dance the night away! You also get access to their outside space, which is perfect for photos, professional or selfies ;)

When planning a wedding at 620 Loft & Garden you must remember that outside spaces, as amazing as they are, are never guaranteed and always a risk, so love the inside guaranteed options just as much or have a solid plan for rain or cold weather. You have a blank white canvas to create whatever design your heart imagines! You get to select all of the rentals and can really make it as personal as you like. You could go modern, rustic, classic, there is no wrong way to go there!