Yours for a Day

The New York Public LibraryPhoto: Christian Oth

SPLURGE
The New York Public Library
At the main branch of the New York Public Library, the look is soaring and majestic—with a price to match. Renting the space starts at $20,000 and can rise far over $50,000, and it’s been in even higher demand since the Sex and the City movie. Still, there are few places more dramatic than the venue’s vast Celeste Bartos Forum, with its elegant columns and jaw-dropping glass-domed ceiling. Fifth Ave. at 42nd St.; 212-930-0730

SAVE
The Montauk Club
This increasingly popular Brooklyn spot echoes the Old New York feeling of the NYPL—at a fraction of the cost. The ornate building was designed to evoke a Venetian palace; the interior has dark wood, stained glass, and carved Victorian moldings. A ceremony followed by cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing is $1,800 for five hours (maximum capacity 140 guests), and the rental includes tables, chairs, and linens; in-house catering starts at around $95 a head. 25 Eighth Ave., at Lincoln Pl., Park Slope; 718-638-0800

SPLURGE
Per Se
Food obsessives who choose to wed at Thomas Keller’s shrine to French cuisine can have their affair in the West Room, which accommodates 60 guests, or in the main dining room, which overlooks Central Park and seats 75. Or you can book the entire restaurant for up to 145 people—which is where the foodie fantasy kicks in: You and your guests can mingle in the kitchen as the chefs prepare the canapés. (And that’s before you sit down to Keller’s celebrated Oysters and Pearls.) Pricing for the West Room starts at $7,500; renting the entire restaurant is priced upon request. 10 Columbus Circle, at 60th St., fourth fl.; 212-823-9335

SAVE
DBGB Kitchen and Bar
If you’re bent on having your wedding meal at an A-list restaurant, think small—as in sixteen guests small. The Kitchen Table at Daniel Boulud’s downtown boîte seats a scant sixteen, but you can always have the rest of your friends meet up at the bar later. The private space is tucked away near the kitchen, so you’ll rub elbows with the chefs as they cook, and although the venue is somewhat casual, the food lives up to the chef’s haute expectations. (Your dinner will likely include an artisanal sausage tasting and a nouveau baked Alaska for dessert.) Pricing starts at $65 per person. 299 Bowery, nr. Houston St.; 212-933-5300

Angel Orensanz Foundation Photo: Courtesy of Jenny Ebert Photography / Angel Orensanz Foundation

SPLURGE
Smack Mellon
Thanks to this in-demand gallery’s expansive layout, just-gritty-enough façade, and bridge views, many couples are happy to embrace the challenge of holding their nuptials there. But Smack Mellon’s costs can quickly ratchet up, since you’ll have to bring in everything from cocktail tables to salt shakers. And although it’s only $4,000 to rent the venue, the capacity is just 75, so the per-head price is relatively high. Space rental is limited to months when there are no exhibitions planned, which further reduces the site’s availability. 92 Plymouth St., at Washington St., Dumbo; 718-834-8761

SAVE
Rebar
This bi-level venue may not have the views of its neighbor, but it has a lot going for it nonetheless—not least of all its prices, which usually run between $85 and $125 per person. The former factory space is lofty and industrial, but thanks to exposed brick and wood floors, it feels warm and inviting. The restaurant holds up to 250 and comes with everything you need for a cocktail-style reception. 147 Front St., nr. Jay St., Dumbo; 718-797-2322

SPLURGE
Angel Orensanz Foundation
It may look like just another Lower East Side synagogue from the outside, but this grandiose venue’s gorgeous stained-glass windows and dramatic rib-vaulted ceiling have made it one of the most popular event spots in the city. Its bi-level layout makes it perfect for an all-in-one wedding—guests can mingle over cocktails on the mezzanine while the staff converts the main floor—but it comes at a price: about $18,000 for up to 250 guests, and that figure doesn’t include catering. 172 Norfolk St., nr. Houston St.; 212-529-7194

SAVE
Landmark on the Park
A sleeper gem on the Upper West Side, this cathedral-style church has the same Gothic look as its downtown doppelgänger, but events clock in at a fraction of the price ($5,000 for a Saturday-night affair). Couples willing to work with the venue’s slightly awkward layout—there’s no separate area for the switch from ceremony to reception—can bring in any caterer they’d like, and there are no hidden fees. 160 Central Park W., at 76th St.; 212-595-1658

The New York Botanical GardenPhoto: Courtesy of Abigail Kirsch/New York Botanical Garden

SPLURGE
The New York Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden has long been a favorite site of Manhattan society brides, and no wonder: Its beautifully landscaped grounds, rolling hills, and rustic setting feel far removed from midtown. Larger weddings take place in the Garden Terrace Room, which seats up to 350; catering is by the vaunted Abigail Kirsch. During peak season, it costs $2,200 to rent the space, plus around $200 per person for catering. The venue also requires couples to use a preferred florist ($4,000 to $15,000). Bronx River Pkwy. at Fordham Rd., Bronx; 718-220-0300

SAVE
The Picnic House in Prospect Park
Forget the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is nearly as expensive as its Bronx peer. Instead, check out the quaint, red-brick Picnic House on the western edge of Prospect Park. Couples can have their ceremony inside or, weather permitting, outdoors. While the rental is a bit steep—from $3,750 for an eight-hour block—several caterers on the venue’s approved list will run you less than $100 a head. In addition, there are no restrictions on florists, and you’ll have the park’s tree-lined Long Meadow as your backdrop free of charge. 95 Prospect Park W., nr. 5th St., Park Slope; 718-287-6215

SPLURGE
American Museum of Natural History
Getting married in the 29,000-square-foot Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, underneath the museum’s iconic 94-foot-long blue whale, is particularly momentous—and the privilege is priced accordingly. Those who wish to marry at the museum must become a patron member (from $3,500 for the year), and while the museum declines to provide exact figures, receptions have mandatory catering and rental fees that are known to require very deep pockets. Central Park W. at 79th St.; 212-769-5100

SAVE
The Barn Complex at the Queens County Farm Museum
There’s no blue whale, but at this bucolic 47-acre farm you’ll be surrounded by the goats, ducks, and pigs that live on the grounds. And the 313-year-old site has a formidable history of its own: It’s the longest continually farmed piece of land in the state. Plus, the rates are unbeatable: The $1,400 charge for a four-hour event (up to 120 people) includes tables, chairs, and on-site parking; the starting price of the venue’s recommended caterer is around $70 per person. 73–50 Little Neck Pkwy., nr. 74th Ave., Floral Park; 718-347-3276

The Plaza HotelPhoto: Courtesy of the Plaza Hotel

SPLURGE
Plaza Hotel
Getting married at the city’s most iconic hotel is predictably pricey: from $350 per person for a minimum of 200 guests on a Saturday night. The rental includes an hour of passed hors d’oeuvre and three food stations, a three-course dinner, a cake by Sylvia Weinstock or Ron Ben-Israel, an open bar, and a Champagne toast. Weddings can be held in the hotel’s glittering Grand Ballroom or in the equally ornate Terrace Room, both of which are sprawling, at more than 4,600 square feet. Fifth Ave. at Central Park S., 212-549-0550

SAVE
Hotel Giraffe
A relatively inexpensive hotel venue in Manhattan? It may seem unlikely, but at the adorable boutique Hotel Giraffe, receptions are a relative bargain. Rental starts at $4,000 ($2,500 for ceremony only), plus $150 to $220 per person for catering. Receptions are held in the hotel’s penthouse space, which has a working fireplace and a baby grand piano and looks out on a ceremony-ready rooftop garden. 365 Park Ave. S., at 26th St.; 212-685-7700

SPLURGE
Tribeca Rooftop
As one of the city’s most favored venues—the site’s roof is beautifully designed in neutral tones and dotted with plants, and it has great river views—this loft books up for peak season more than a year in advance. You do get what you pay (a lot) for: The $255 per-person charge (plus tax and service; Saturday 200-person minimum) includes open bar, hors d’oeuvre, sit-down dinner, cake, tables, linens, chairs, votive candles, coat check, lighting, and staff. 2 Desbrosses St., nr. Hudson St.; 212-625-2600

SAVE
New York City Fire Museum
This decommissioned firehouse is a mecca for local-history buffs, but it also has a somewhat hidden appeal for brides: On the museum’s third floor there’s an airy, unadorned event space with exposed brick, hardwood floors, and a minimum of space-hogging columns. By Manhattan standards, the venue’s a bargain: The space rental is $3,500 for eight hours, or $450 per hour, and couples are free to bring in their own caterer. 278 Spring St., nr. Hudson St.; 212-691-1303

Yours for a Day