The Bon Vivant Wedding

In consultation with Jung Lee of Fête.

• By Sara Cardace
• Published Summer 2006

BLOWOUT BUDGET

THE HOTEL ON RIVINGTON
107 Rivington St., nr. Essex St.; 212-475-2600; hotelonrivington.com

ELLIS ISLAND IMMIGRATION MUSEUM
Ellis Island; 212-363-3200

Location

You're already treating your guests to a fabulous affair, why not go the extra mile and make the location a surprise? Start off at the The Hotel on Rivington for cocktails and live jazz. Once everyone has arrived, lead them to a fleet of old-fashioned buses to take them to a ferry ($6,500 for one round trip; 201-915-9529), which will in turn take them to a surprise reception destination, in this case, Ellis Island, where the 360-degree views are phenomenal. Hold the whole affair outside ($18,000-$20,000 for permit) under a tent, or move the party inside to the brick-walled, high-ceilinged Registry Room post-cocktails, for dinner and dancing.

Catering

You're required to use the venue's caterer, Great Performances (212-337-6076; from $225 per person), but that doesn't prevent you from bringing someone in to oversee the menu. Lee likes former Jean Georges head chef Robb Garceau of Sonnier & Castle (212-957-6481) to mastermind a Parisian feast of seared foie gras, beef tournedos, and veal tenderloin. In fine suits and slicked-back hair, wait staff can add to the retro feel. Spare no expense on wine, champagne, and specialty cocktails like a champagne punch, which was ubiquitous in the flapper era (you can update it with pomegranate juice); have it ladled out of a giant ice bowl into crystal cut glasses.

Music

The soundtrack for your cocktail hour should be the acclaimed seven-piece Mingus Dynasty (starts at $10,000), which features many alumni of the legendary bassist's own band, then let the Doc Scantlin and his Imperial Palms Orchestra takeover once people begin eyeing the dance floor. After that, bring in the talented (and eye-catching) Marianne Bennett to perform Sinatra classics and soul standards with her band Starlight Orchestras & Productions to switch things up. Round out the night with a D.J. of your choice and be sure he's well-armed with your dance-floor favorites.

Flowers & Décor

Get a round tent with a checkerboard tile floor and clear top. Make a second tier serve as your dinner space. Set up several dark zebra wood bars, one of which should have an étagère filled with old-fashioned liquor bottles. Cover long dinner tables in charcoal silk. Mix elements of silver, mercury glass, and crystal with tall aubergine candles and bowls of Japanese eggplants. For flowers use textural blooms-red roses, ranunculus, calla lilies, chocolate cosmos. You can also set out roses en masse in champagne buckets. Speckle the space with elephant palms. Hire costumed cigarette girls to walk around with a variety of brands.