The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel
The icon.
World leaders. Dignitaries. Hollywood royalty. Eloise.
Ode to The Plaza Hotel
“What are your favorite venues to shoot in?”, I’m often asked. Since I first shot a wedding there 15 years ago, one of my consistent favorites as been the one and only Plaza Hotel.
There are dozens of reasons it’s a fabulous place to have a wedding, but from a photographer’s perspective there are a few special things that make this grand hotel one of the absolute best wedding photography locations.
First off, there’s those front steps. What an epic location for group photos. Even if it’s raining, the light there is pure joy - makes everyone look like a movie star. Sure, the photographers might have to stand out in the rain to get the shot, but you’ll be dry and beautiful.
More reasons after the break….
a wedding at The Plaza hotel can’t help but feel legendary.
Secondly there’s just a stunning array of epic stairs, doorways and hallways that make for shots that are rich, glamorous and utterly timeless.
Third, there’s that ballroom. One of the few grand hotel ballrooms left in NYC. I love how we’ve learned how to work the lighting in the room to make it glow in photographs with an unreal level of majesty.
Of course there’s the proximity to Central Park and streets like Fifth Avenue and Central Park South - people, pigeons, pretzel carts, street vendors, traffic, buskers and human statues of liberty - lots of iconic New York goings on to use as backdrops just steps away.
Then there’s The Plaza’s Rose Bar, Champagne Bar, Terrace Room and Palm Court…. each is epic in it’s own way. To me, the Plaza feels like the backlot of a Universal Studios of weddings. No matter where you turn, there’s something wonderful to work with.
And the side note … there’s Emily - as in, “The Plaza’s Emily”. If ever there was a fixture on the NYC Wedding scene that wasn’t busy trying to be a fixture on the NYC Wedding scene it’s Emily. Never has there been a cooler head pulling invisible strings making impossible things happen effortlessly and with a smile.
It’s exciting every single time. In addition to all that, I was the photographer there for their grand reopening when the Plaza was lit by fireworks and had a 6 foot tall replica of the entire hotel make out of cake by Ron Ben-Israel but that’s a whole ‘nother entry…. (but you can get a sneak peak below…)
A larger selection of images follows