NYC bride basks in dream wedding at Grand Central…
Meredith Giuliani always fantasized about saying “I do” on a grand scale.
So, internet hosting her over-the-top nuptials in Grand Central Terminal was nothing short of a splashy dream come true.
“We just thought, ‘How cool would it be to turn one of New York’s most stunningly beautiful landmarks into a main character at our wedding?’” Giuliani, 32, an Upper West Side transplant from New Jersey, told The Post, joking that the transit hub acted as the architectural “best man” for the fête.
Meredith Giuliani and David Garrett took over Grand Central Terminal for their wedding on Oct. 11. @claudiaoliverphoto
The bride called the shindig “the best party ever.” @claudiaoliverphoto
The wedding occasion gathers at forty second Street and Park Avenue. @claudiaoliverphoto
Giuliani, a strategy and operations supervisor for a tech startup — and no relation to former Big Apple mayor Rudy Giuliani — exchanged vows with groom David Garrett, 32, a company real estate professional, in the legendary terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall on Oct. 11.
It was a supersized spectacle — officiated by NFL Hall of Famer and New York Giants veteran Harry Carson — made full by 12-foot floral installations, golden mirrored flooring, a harpist and violinist duet, and a fake, old-timey ticketing sales space.
At the ticket stand, designed by Giuliani, the couple’s 340 visitors got personalized prepare tickets inked with their seating assignments for the reception celebration at A-list hotspot Cipriani.
The fortunate couple created a sales space — christened Garrett Central Station — where visitors would choose up their dinner tickets. @claudiaoliverphoto
A visitor reveals off two “first class” tickets to the celebration at Cipriani. @claudiaoliverphoto
The luxe lovebirds have been the first to formally rework Grand Central Terminal into a wow-worthy wedding venue in more than a decade — and they did it big, dedicated to having “the best party ever,” Giuliani told The Post.
“We have such an amazing group of friends and family,” she said. “We wanted to make this an amazing experience for them.”
While the newlywed selected not to disclose the fee of her NYC extravaganza, Aaron Donovan, a spokesperson for the MTA, which oversees all Grand Central Terminal operations, told The Post that renting Vanderbilt Hall can come with a price tag ranging between $25,000 and $40,000.
Giuliani and Garrett share a kiss in the revered venue. @claudiaoliverphoto
“We have such an amazing group of friends and family,” Giuliani told The Post. “We wanted to make this an amazing experience for them.” @claudiaoliverphoto
The price tag varies “depending on the amount of space and time requested, [as well as the] logistics and staffing needed to redirect the public to trains,” he explained. “Additional fees to secure space controlled by Grand Central retailers, such as Vanderbilt Hall’s Grand Brasserie, could more than double that cost.”
The couple did, in fact, rent it out to restrict commuter foot site visitors during their sacred shindig.
Giuliani’s mom and father, a software program procurement specialist, as properly as her in-laws, who work in healthcare administration, footed the invoice for their behemoth of a big day, she said.
But before attendees feasted on filet mignon and Chilean sea bass at the ritzy Cipriani, the rarefied bride walked down the aisle in a customized ballgown, speckled in sparkles and feathers, by haute couturier Ysa Makino.
She and Garrett shared their first kiss as husband and spouse instantly beneath the classic clock overlooking Vanderbilt Hall — the historic hub’s main ready room-turned-public event space. Built in 1913 and restored in 1998, the roughly 6,000-square-foot spot options 55-foot ceilings and two gold chandeliers.
Swanky soirées like theirs may be tough to orchestrate, according to Donovan.
“The MTA is delighted to be able to host weddings at Grand Central’s iconic Vanderbilt Hall, but they are challenging to support due to requirements to allow continuing public access,” he said.
David Florio, the MTA’s chief real estate transactions and operations officer, told The Post that pairs contemplating a Grand Central Terminal wedding ought to start making preparations at least 11 months in advance.
Giuliani started planning her stylish soirée at the Midtown marvel in September 2024, just a few short months after Garrett popped the query in May of last yr, on Little Island along the West Side Highway.
The wedding served up magnificence appropriate for the ornate transit outpost. @meredith_giuliani//Instagram
The millennial said she insisted her man suggest in a common space, where passersby would ooh and ahh at the touching scene. She recreated the look-at-me second on her big day last week, snapping images in entrance of Grand Central’s forty second Street and Park Avenue entrance, as properly as inside the station’s main concourse.
“Strangers were taking pictures and videos of us, and we loved it,” gushed Giuliani, who’ll soon change her last title to Garrett. “It was so overwhelmingly positive — people were congratulating us, complimenting my dress and wishing us well for the future.”
She cherishes the reminiscence as her and Garrett’s manner of sharing their love with the boroughs in which they fell in love. The honeys plan to honeymoon in the Maldives next month.
“We have so much to thank this city for,” said Giuliani. “We feel really grateful and honored to be able to do this really crazy and unique thing in a city that means so much to us.”
Stay in the loop with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest lifestyle news and content, thoughtfully curated to inspire and inform you.
