New York Weddings

Whether you have your wedding in New York City or in the 'burbs, here are 32 ways to keep your wedding unique, imaginative, and close to home.

1. Keep The Party Rolling The wedding reception may be over, but everyone is still in the mood to mingle. Head over to The Bubble Lounge in Tribeca. Tuxedos and bridesmaid dresses will not be out of place among the crowds sampling the 280 different bottles of champagne (over 25 available by the glass), or enjoying a good cigar in the downstairs Krug Room. 228 West Broadway, (212) 431-3433.

2. Give Away Your Gown Not the type to keep a box with your boxed wedding gown stored for posterity? Need to travel through life without too much baggage? Donate your wedding gown to a good cause: Sheltering Arms Children's Service seeks donations of gowns for resale. The money is used for NYC's neediest children at shelters and services throughout the city. Sheltering Arms Children's Service (212) 252-0661.

3. Marvelous Masquerade Theme weddings are more fun with everyone in costume. From Victorian ballgowns to Santas to kooky characters, you can rent just about any ensemble at Abracadabra (212) 627-5194; 19 West 21st Street, Manhattan.

4. Learn to Dance Okay, it may take a while to dance like the Gap kids, but everyone has to start somewhere. There are a number of great places to learn social dance in New York: Pierre Dulaine offers both group and private lessons, and Dulaine is a founder and co-artistic director of the American Ballroom Theater Company. The Pierre Dulaine Dance Club (212) 244-8400; 25 West 31st Street.
Engaged couples may enjoy a special wedding package which includes four private lessons, one social dance party, and one bottle of champagne at Dance New York (212) 246-5797; 237 West 54th Street.

5. Get Your Fifteen Minutes After the party's over, tell The Knot all about it. Send us the details of your romance and your wedding, and your story may be chosen for one of our "Real Weddings" in New York.

6. Kid Stuff You're longing for an adults-only reception but lots of little ones populate the RSVP list. While you're partying with the grown-ups, keep the kiddies' fingers out of the cake by hiring a clown to entertain them. Binky The Clown performs a magical puppet show with juggling and music, then gets all the little ones onto the dance floor (he's in cahoots with the band or D.J.) for a medley of kids' favorites like "The Chicken Dance" before he paints faces and makes balloon animals. Binky The Clown (914) 534-2168.

7. Kill Some Time Everyone tries to avoid it, but too often it happens anyway: the ceremony ends, and there is time to kill before the wedding reception begins. Don't leave guests to wander idly-make it fun by celebrating your newlywed status with a trip on the Staten Island Ferry (212) 225-5368; Whitehall and South Streets in Lower Manhattan. Outside the city, departing from Tarrytown's waterfront, hop on a NY Waterways two-hour cruise on the Hudson, with lovely views of the Palisades: (800) 533-3779.

8. Bowling with Bridesmaids Bring the girls to Bowlmor Lanes for an evening of pure campy fun. With a hip, sophisticated décor, "far finer fare" than the average bowling joint, and a celebrity-studded clientele, you can't ask for a better place to party in style. Bowlmor Lanes (212) 255-8188; 110 University Place, Manhattan. In the 'burbs, try Jefferson Valley Lanes (914) 245-7770, Yorktown Heights.

9. Share Your Good Fortune Don't toss the delectable leftovers from your wedding reception. City Harvest is a non-profit organization specializing in food rescue--that is, the collection of prepared, un-served foods. The food is picked up by City Harvest trucks at some of the most well known restaurants and kitchens throughout the city (including all boroughs) and redistributed at local soup kitchens and shelters. City Harvest (917) 351-8700.

10. Groom the Groom To make sure your marrying man looks his best, treat him to some pre-wedding preening with a traditional hot-towel shave, dubbed "The Royal Shave" at The Art of Shaving (212) 986-2905; 373 Madison Avenue, Manhattan. Outside the city, the "Grooming the Groom" package gives him a facial, massage, haircut and manicure at Marlene Weber Day Spa (914) 454-5852; Route 44 at Adams, Poughkeepsie.

11. Take the Moms to Tea Feeling ladylike? Bring your mom and your future mom-in-law together over a cup of tea, some fine pastries, finger sandwiches, and soups. At The Wild Lily Tea Room, a pool in the floor sets a slightly exotic tone; and a list of 40 different teas complements the pastries and light dishes. Wild Lily Tea Room (212) 691-2258; 511 West 22nd Street.

12. A Fond Farewell Planning a late-night celebration? When the last dance is over, send guests on their way with a bag of H&H Bagels and a copy of the morning's New York Times.

13. Live a Night of Luxury The Inn New York City is one of Manhattan's best-kept secrets. This restored townhouse holds four of the most unique and luxurious suites in the city, each occupying its own floor. Amenities like 12-foot ceilings, baby grand pianos, and wood burning fireplaces make this feel just like your idea of a the perfect New York home. Rates from $350-$575 per night, two-night minimum. The Inn New York City (212) 580-1900.

14. Steal A Kiss Skip work and rent a rowboat at the Loeb Boathouse. Boats are $10 per hour, with a $30 deposit. (212) 517-3623; Central Park, eastside, between 72nd and 75th Streets. During warm months only.

15. Take the Plunge A primal scream may be just the thing for that nasty pre-wedding angst. Admire the lovely views of the of Shawanagunk Mountains and Wallkill River from 13,500 feet in a 60-second freefall, but do it attached to a USPA-certified guide at Ranch Parachute Club in Gardiner, New York (914) 255-9538.

16. Drive Off in Style Leave your reception in wedding-worthy wheels, like a
snazzy Mercedes CLK convertible (about $295 per day), or an SL500 convertible (approximately $459 per day) from Vogel's Eurocars, Inc., (914) 968-8200; 453 McLean Avenue, Yonkers. If a Mercedes is not your thing, consider, among others, a Ferrari Spider ($1,300 per day) from Village Exotic Rent A Car (888) 310-9211. They have 16 locations with the main one in Manhattan.

17. Go Beyond the Blade Leave for your honeymoon smooth and confident in your itty-bittiest bikini. Bliss Soho, offers a bikini wax called "Escape From the Ape" for $15. The very bare Brazilian wax costs $28. Most other spas offer bikini waxes in approximately the same price ranges. Bliss (212) 219-8970.

18. Fake a Natural Glow Yes, we all know that tanning is bad, bad, bad. But who wants to look like death in a bare-shouldered wedding gown? The answer, of course, is a self-tanning product-but woe to the stressed bride-to-be who tries to perform this messy task herself. For the most even, polished look, treat yourself to a professionally applied tan at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon & Spa (212) 546-0200; 691 Fifth Avenue at 54th.

19. Light up The Night What better way to say just how you feel than with an evening sky full of fireworks? For about $2000, Legion Fireworks (845) 831-8328, will paint the heavens with ten minutes of "fast-paced, no darkness" pyrotechnics. Obviously, your reception site must be in a suitable location.

20. Save Those Shards Celebrations, a gift shop at The Jewish Museum, offers a wonderful keepsake for Jewish newlyweds: a "smash glass" wrapped in muslin and in a satin bag. But wait, there's more: after the wedding, you ship the glass back to them and artists create a mezuzah case containing the shards of your glass and a scroll. The store also has engraved Kiddush cups for weddings. The Jewish Museum (212) 423-3200; 1109 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan

21. Mommy of Honor When you asked her to be in your wedding party, your best buddy didn't know she'd be seven months pregnant when the big day dawned. For gorgeous, custom-designed eveningwear, send your glamour girl to Mom's Night Out, where the staff specializes in outfitting expectant women. Mom's Night Out (212) 744-6667; 147 East 72nd Street, Manhattan.

22. Get Away on Foot ...but not on your feet. Rent a few pedicabs anywhere in Manhattan to take the wedding party from the ceremony to the reception. The photo opportunities are great, and the company will decorate the pedicabs with "Just Married" regalia, for a fee. Rates from about $30-$60 per hour, depending on the job. Call at least one month in advance. Pedicabs of New York (212) 766-9222.

23. Swim With the Fishes Pan Aqua scuba center has been training New Yorkers to dive for over 25 years. They offer a beginning divers certification program that will get you all set for that Caribbean honeymoon. Pool and classroom instruction is followed by a series of four open-water dives (you can finish these with an instructor on your honeymoon), after which you are granted in international dive certificate. Classes take place at Ys and schools throughout the city. Pan Aqua Diving Center (212) 736-3483.

24. Cool Character A caricature artist adds a certain silliness to your wedding reception, and provides the perfect keepsake for guests to take home. Illustrator and artist Philip Herman, with Party Art Productions, creates custom-designed pages ahead of time (with things like your names and wedding date, perhaps a small caricature of the two of you), leaving space for guests to be drawn in. Party Art Productions (845) 357-3318.

25. Invite Your Best Celeb Surprise your guests by welcoming "my old friend, Madonna" to your nuptials. Celebrity look-alikes include Cher, Woody Allen, Kramer, Bill Clinton, Elvis, Prince, and just about everyone else are available from Naomi's World. (The company also offers fire-eaters and mentalists, should the need arise.) Naomi's World (845) 354-4911.

26. Bawdy Bachelorette Bash If the whole "Chippendales" thing is just not your style, there is one show in town that may be just the thing for your bachelorette bash. "Naked Boys Singing" is about, well, naked boys singing. The musical is, according to the reviews, surprisingly sophisticated, with a cast that is reportedly quite talented: Not that you'll notice. Naked Boys Singing at the Actors' Playhouse Theater, Group Sales (212) 580-9272; 100 7th Avenue, Manhattan.

27. Bring the Beach Home Nothing brings everyone together like a clambake, which makes it a perfect rehearsal dinner choice. Get all the New England trimmings, including clams, lobsters, corn on the cob, potatoes, and smoked sausage, at your location from Jim Sanford Clambakes (914) 668-8060.

28. Make it Yourself Tempted to be like Martha? Don't attempt to make your own wedding cake without taking a class first. Dedicated city can don an apron at the French Culinary Institute (212) 219-8890; 462 Broadway, Manhattan. The Special Occasion Cakes class runs for 10 Saturdays. In Hyde Park, the Culinary Institute of America (845) 452-9600, offers the ominous-sounding Baking & Pastry Boot Camp.

29. Stretch It Out Stun the neighbors by traveling in an 18-passenger Lincoln Navigator, or "the world's largest" Mercedes Benz S500, from Top Class Limousine (914) 423-5466. Starlight Limousine (800) 800-7440 offers an 18-passenger Hummer that boasts not only disco lights, but a smoke machine.

30. "Tie" One On Seigo is home to the city's largest selection of bowties (over 100 designs), at prices that start at $45 and go up, with most at about $50. The ties are handmade and imported from Japan in designs not available anywhere else. Seigo (212) 987-0191; 1249 Madison Avenue.

31. Strike a Pose Take it on location to a spot that showcases the region at its best. New Yorkers love the Promenade in Brooklyn, with awesome views of the city and the Brooklyn Bridge. Outside the city, the Storm King Art Center in Mountainville is a vast outdoor sculpture garden set in a beautiful, mountains nature preserve. Storm King Art Center (914) 534-3115.

32. Thank the 'Rents First thing to do when you get back from your honeymoon: take your parents and in-laws out for a luxe dinner, on you. In Westchester, head for Westchester Broadway Theater, where you can have a few cocktails, a great dinner, and then sit back and enjoy a first-rate show. Westchester Broadway Theatre (914) 592-2222; One Broadway Place, Elmsford. In New York City, your options are limitless, but classy favorite include Balthazar (212) 965-1414 and March (212) 754-6272.

Article by --Lisa Carse from www.theknot.com