Retro Downtown Soiree

• By Sara Cardace
• Published Winter 2009

Emily Goldsmith & Benjamin Burley
Gramercy Park Hotel
February 21, 2009

The initial details of Emily and Ben’s February wedding pretty much planned themselves. “I work as a wedding planner part-time,” explains Emily. “So we couldn’t get married in spring or fall because they’re my busiest periods. As far as the location, we knew we were going to do it in New York City, and I didn’t want to have to control all the vendors at my own wedding, so we had to find a place where the food and setting were fantastic and everything was taken care of for us.” They settled on the enclosed roof of the Gramercy Park Hotel, where they could have a traditional Jewish ceremony surrounded by lush greenery, followed by a 1920s-inspired affair packed with personalized touches like tiny teacups of hot chocolate with doughnuts and an eclectic set list (the first dance was to “Our Way to Fall,” by Yo La Tengo). Ben and Emily were only the second couple to be married in the space. The first? “The wedding before ours was squirrel-themed,” Ben says. “I think they had a squirrel fetish. Now that’d be a great article.”