The Maverick Wedding

In consultation with Marcy Blum.

• By Stacia Thiel
• Published Summer 2006

MEDIUM BUDGET

632 ON HUDSON
Hudson St., nr. Horatio St.; 212-620-7631; 632onhudson.com

Location

Located on the edge of Greenwich Village, 632 on Hudson, a 5,000-square-foot nineteenth-century Tuscan-style townhouse with three floors of fabulous antiques, is the individualist couple's dream come true. Two working fireplaces, an open kitchen with a twelve-foot trestle table, 40-foot atrium, palatial bedrooms and magnificent baths make it ideal for imaginative party configurations and offbeat elements. The rooftop garden with a gazebo, pavilion, and recently installed Japanese temple serves as the ultimate Zen locale to exchange vows. The entire house rents for $7,000 to $9,000 for one evening.

Catering

A party needs to flow, so consider the vertical nature of the space and begin everything simultaneously. Pass hors d'oeuvre and run a buffet at the same time to avoid lines. Call on Olivier Cheng for morsels of bresaola with goat cheese and white-truffle honey and porchetta tonnato. Skip mixed drinks and stock the bar with various white and red wines and the couple's favorite champagne. Offer guests a cup of sake when they enter the roof garden. Later, unveil a dessert buffet of New York's "greatest hits" in the master bedroom: Try Billy's Bakery cupcakes, Beard Papa's cream puffs, and William Greenberg's brownies.

Music

Eager to get the party started, this couple might want to mingle before the ceremony. Position four gospel singers, dressed in black denim and dress shirts, on the top floor to fill the house with celebratory spirituals as everyone arrives. Secure local talent through MTA's Music Under New York program (mta.nyc.ny.us)-whose musicians play about town, so you can see them beforehand. To kick off the reception, look to high-energy dance music by Synergy from On the Move Events (212-229-1009). As a band-D.J. combination, this ensemble features live musicians backed by great CDs, which means a big sound for a not-so-big budget.

Flowers & Décor

This space is already exquisitely decorated, so continue with the Tuscan theme. Blum recommends florist Stonekelly, and choosing earthy botanicals: crates of clementines, enormous pots of herbs, terra-cotta planters with cascading ivy, and an artful cornucopia of pomegranates, kumquats, champagne grapes, love apples, and walnuts in their shell for the centerpieces. Bring it together with brown velvet Fruitwood Ballroom chairs and rosewood-handle flatware. For the rooftop garden, let the temple inspire you, and incorporate Asian accents: Welcome guests with the smell of incense and hand out silk kimonos if it's chilly.