A Guide to NYC Hotels for Wedding Photography

I am often asked, “What hotel should I get ready at on our wedding day?” or “Where should we stay for the best getting-ready pictures?” I have been asked so many times that I figured it was time to write it all down.

New York is a remarkable place. New York hotel rooms, though, are not always the best. They are tiny. They often lack charm. And the light gets blocked by the brick wall of the building jammed up against the window next door. Finding a room that actually photographs well takes a little more thought here than it does almost anywhere else.

So here is what I look for, and then the hotels I actually know from working in them.

What I look for in a getting-ready hotel

Enough space for everyone. If people are getting ready with you, there needs to be room. Not just for the people, but for their things. Purses, bags, makeup, garment bags, shoe boxes, coats. Imagine how much space everyone will take up, and then double it.

Enough room to move things out of the way. People bring stuff. When it is time to get dressed, you need to be able to push the boxes and suitcases aside so they do not end up in the photographs.

Location, but do not let it consume you. Everyone wants to be as close to the venue as possible. Traffic in New York is unpredictable at the best of times and a parking lot at the worst. Be conscious of where the hotel is, but do not let proximity talk you out of a room you love. Plan the travel time, and a great room twenty minutes away beats a bad room next door.

Avoid on-site prep suites and conference rooms whenever possible. Some venues have genuinely beautiful getting-ready spaces. But if the prep suite is a closet with no window, reconsider. The same goes for hotel conference rooms. They seem big until you are getting ready around a corporate table that takes up most of the floor.

Good light, or a room I can build light in. A room full of natural light is the dream. But if you find the room you love and it happens to be dark, do not panic. I bring light when I need to. Natural light is the easy version. It is not the only version.

Some character. Many New York hotel rooms have the warmth of a doctor’s office. Stark white walls, generic furniture, nothing that feels like anyone. You are a specific person, and the room where your day starts can feel like one, too. The hidden gems are worth the search.

NYC hotels I have actually shot at

These are the ones I can speak to from real experience. I have photographed getting-ready mornings in these rooms and I know what the light does, how the space works, and what it is actually like to shoot there. If a hotel you are considering is not on this list, it is probably just one I have not worked in yet.

The Bowery Hotel

This is one of my favorite hotels for getting ready in the city, full stop. The light is warm, and the rooms have real character, which is rarer in New York than you would think. There is an old-world, slightly dim, slightly moody quality to the spaces that photographs beautifully and does not feel like every other hotel room in Manhattan. Lower East Side. If you want the day to start somewhere with atmosphere instead of a white box, this is it.

The Beekman

The Beekman is dramatic. The nine-story atrium at the center of the building is one of the most striking interior spaces in any New York hotel, and the rooms carry the same sense of restored old-bones grandeur. It is a Financial District hotel, so it works well for downtown weddings. The interiors do a lot of the work for you here. You walk in, and the space already has a mood.

The Ludlow

Gorgeous suites and brilliant light. The Ludlow has that downtown mix of industrial and warm, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the right rooms that flood the space. The Penthouse is an exceptional room for getting ready. Lower East Side, easy to love, and one I recommend often.

The Plaza

The Plaza is the Plaza. There is nothing else quite like it for a classic New York wedding, and the ballroom is iconic for a reason. The getting-ready suites are enormous and full of light, and the building itself carries the weight of every old movie you have ever seen set in New York. If your wedding is the gilded, grand, big-Manhattan version, this is where it starts.

There is something magical about a classic ballroom reception, and in Manhattan, nothing is more iconic for it than the Plaza. The ceilings are high, the walls are gilded, and the lighting is always extraordinary. At one reception there, the couple did a beautifully choreographed first dance that was a joy to photograph. The Plaza had lit the ballroom so well that I could use the two lights in the back corner of the room to help build my scene, and along with an off-camera flash held by my assistant, I used the existing room light to add drama. I paid close attention to the choreography so I knew exactly where to be when one partner picked the other up to twirl them across the floor. I finished the image in black and white so it would carry the theme of a classic New York wedding all the way through.

The Pierre

The Pierre sits right on Central Park and has the kind of quiet, old-money elegance that the Upper East Side does best. The suites are large, and the Central Park views give you something gorgeous out the window before you have even left the room. It is refined and calm, which is exactly what some mornings need. A strong choice for an uptown wedding.

1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge

Beautifully designed rooms and great natural light, with the Manhattan skyline right across the water. This is one of my favorite hotels for getting ready in Brooklyn. The 1 Hotel design language, all reclaimed wood and plants and natural texture, photographs, as well as it looks in person, and the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the river give you light all morning. It is also right by Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO, so your portrait locations are a short walk away.

The Standard High Line

Perched right above the High Line in the Meatpacking District, the Standard is built around its windows. The floor-to-ceiling glass and the river-and-skyline views are the whole point, and the light pours in. The corner rooms are the ones to ask for. Modern, sleek, and very much its own look. If your aesthetic is contemporary rather than old-world, this is the one.

The Lowell

The Lowell is discreet, luxurious, and quiet, tucked into the Upper East Side, a few blocks from Central Park and the Met. It feels more like a private apartment than a hotel, which gives the morning getting-ready a calm, intimate quality. The larger suites have wood-burning fireplaces and terraces. If you want the day to start somewhere serene and a little hidden, the Lowell does that.

The St. Regis

Old-world Fifth Avenue elegance, steps from Central Park. The St. Regis suites have the floor-to-ceiling windows and the refined, classic interiors that make for clean, light-filled getting-ready images. The King Cole Bar downstairs is also a wonderful spot for a post-rehearsal dinner or post-wedding cocktail if your timeline allows. A polished, timeless choice for a Midtown wedding.

1 Hotel Central Park

The green oasis version of the 1 Hotel, right by Central Park. I would live here if I could. The reclaimed wood, the live plants, the natural light, all of it creates a calm and beautiful space to get ready in, and the suites give you real room to spread out. Close to Central Park for portraits, making logistics easy. One of my favorite design hotels in the city.

The High Line Hotel

This one has architecture you will not find anywhere else in New York. The building is a former seminary in Chelsea, with all its Gothic details, old wood, and stained glass, and it photographs like nothing else on this list. The light in the right rooms is soft and beautiful, and the whole place has a character that does half the work for you. There is a private garden too. If you want a getting-ready space with genuine architectural personality, this is the one I point people toward.

The William Vale

A modern Brooklyn hotel in Williamsburg with big windows and skyline views back toward Manhattan. The rooms are clean and contemporary and full of light, and the location puts you right in the middle of Williamsburg for portraits. I have stayed here as a guest, and it is genuinely comfortable. A strong choice for a modern Brooklyn wedding.

The Lotte New York Palace

Midtown grandeur with a courtyard entrance and views straight at St. Patrick’s Cathedral from the higher suites. The Lotte mixes historic bones with modern rooms, and the larger suites are enormous. The courtyard makes for a dramatic arrival and departure, and the central Midtown location is hard to beat for a Manhattan wedding. I shot here recently, and it delivers.

The Conrad New York Downtown

An all-suite hotel in Battery Park City, which is the key detail: every room is a suite, so you get real space without hunting for the one big room. Modern design, Hudson River views, and a quiet downtown location. The space and the light make it an easy recommendation for a Lower Manhattan wedding.

The Hoxton, Williamsburg

Ultra-trendy industrial-chic in a great Williamsburg location. The Hoxton has a strong, specific look, lots of texture and warm materials, and good light in the larger rooms. It feels current and a little cool without being cold. Good for a Brooklyn wedding where the aesthetic of the getting-ready space matters as much as the size.

The Wythe Hotel

The Wythe is one of my favorites in Brooklyn. Good light, genuinely unique architecture, a really nice staff, and a great Williamsburg location all in one place. The building is a converted factory, and it keeps that industrial character without feeling cold, and the rooms with the big windows and the skyline views are the ones to ask for. The weekend brunch is wonderful too. Easy to recommend.

The Ravel

A Long Island City hotel with good light and skyline views back toward Manhattan from across the river. LIC is an underrated getting-ready location, close enough to Manhattan to be convenient and far enough to give you a different backdrop, and the Ravel makes the most of it. Worth a look if your wedding is in Queens or you want something a little off the usual Manhattan track.

A few more NYC hotels worth a look

I have not done full getting-ready mornings for all of these, so I will not pretend to know each room as well as the ones above. But they come up often, they have the space and the light to work, and they are worth considering. Do your own research on the specific suite, since the right room matters more than the right hotel.

• The Jane Hotel — West Village is historic and characterful, but the standard cabin rooms are tiny. Book the larger Captain’s Cabins if you go here.
• The Marlton — a small Greenwich Village boutique hotel with a warm, Parisian-leaning look. Intimate rather than spacious.
• The Crosby Street Hotel — SoHo, colorful and design-forward, with a large Crosby Suite and a private terrace.
• The Mark — Upper East Side, chic and modern, with a stunning penthouse and Central Park views. Excellent weekend brunch.
• The Gansevoort — Meatpacking District, with a large duplex penthouse and a terrace for skyline portraits.
• The Chatwal — Midtown, a restored 1905 building, with a large terrace suite near the theater district.
• The Knickerbocker — Times Square, historic bones with big-window suites overlooking the square.
• The Box House Hotel — Greenpoint, loft-style suites with high ceilings, big windows, and skyline views.
• Paper Factory Hotel — Long Island City, industrial-chic, with a spacious penthouse if the standard rooms feel small.
• The Carlyle — Upper East Side, old-school timeless elegance with Central Park views.
• The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park — refined and classic, steps from the park.
• The Baccarat Hotel — Midtown, French elegance and a polished, modern look.
• The Whitby Hotel — Midtown boutique with art-forward design and a terrace suite.
• The Langham, Fifth Avenue — Fifth Avenue, spacious suites and timeless design.
• The Surrey — Upper East Side is a quiet, refined oasis.
• The Sherry-Netherland — Upper East Side, old-world luxury with a beautiful tower suite.
• The Refinery Hotel — Fashion District, industrial design with an Empire State view from the rooftop suite.
• The Roxy Hotel — Tribeca, art-deco and cinematic, with a penthouse and terrace.
• The Williamsburg Hotel — Brooklyn, industrial-chic with skyline views from the Water Tower Suite.
• SIXTY LES — Lower East Side, contemporary, with a large loft and a terrace.
• Evelyn Hotel — NoMad, Art Nouveau character and an Empire State view from the terrace suite.
• The Sohotel — Little Italy, the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city, has a penthouse terrace.
• 11 Howard — SoHo, clean Scandinavian design with a large terrace suite.
• Walker Hotel Greenwich Village — art-deco boutique with several spacious, characterful rooms.
• The Inn at Irving Place — Gramercy, Victorian and intimate, with a garden-terrace suite.

If you do not see a hotel here and you are wondering whether it will work, ask me. I have opinions about most of them, and I would rather help you choose well than have you find out on the morning of the wedding that the room faces a brick wall.

Frequently Asked Questions: NYC Hotels for Wedding Day Photography

What makes a good NYC hotel room for wedding getting ready photos?

Light and space — in that order. Natural light from large windows is the single most important factor. A room flooded with good window light will always photograph better than a dark room with expensive furniture. Space matters too: you need room for people, their bags, their garment racks, and enough clearance to actually move around when it’s time to get dressed.

Which NYC hotels are best for wedding day getting ready photos?

The Bowery Hotel for warm, moody light and old-world charm. The 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge for beautifully designed rooms with great natural light. The Ludlow Hotel for gorgeous suites. The Beekman Hotel for dramatic interiors. The Greenwich Hotel for TriBeCa elegance. Each has a distinct character — the right one depends on your aesthetic and your venue location. My NYC hotels for wedding day prep post covers window light specifically.

Should you get ready at the wedding venue or at a hotel?

It depends on the venue’s getting-ready space. Some venues have genuinely beautiful suites. Others have a windowless conference room that photographs terribly. If your venue’s getting-ready space is dark, cramped, or generic, a nearby hotel is almost always worth the extra step. The photos from that part of the day are some of the most meaningful — you want the space to be worth it.

How much space do you actually need for getting ready photos?

More than you think. Count the number of people getting ready, then imagine each of them has a large bag, a garment bag, and a pair of shoes. Now imagine needing to clear a path to the window for the dress shot. A standard NYC hotel room is usually too small for more than three people. Book a suite if you have more than two people getting ready together.

Does the hotel need to be close to the wedding venue?

Ideally yes, but don’t let proximity override light and space quality. A beautiful room 20 minutes from the venue is better than a terrible room next door. Build travel time into your timeline and you’ll be fine. The getting-ready photos are worth prioritizing.

What should you avoid in an NYC hotel room for wedding photos?

Stark white generic decor with no personality. Rooms that face a brick wall with no real natural light. Conference rooms or on-site prep suites that are essentially just corporate meeting rooms. And rooms that are too small for your group — nothing creates stress faster than eight people crammed into a standard NYC hotel room.

Can you add light to a dark hotel room?

Yes — I bring additional lighting when needed and can work in darker spaces. But there’s a ceiling to what supplemental light can do. A room with genuinely bad natural light will always look different from one with great window light, even with additional equipment. If you have a choice, choose the light.

Do you help clients choose their getting ready hotel?

Yes — it’s one of the most useful conversations we can have before the wedding day. If you’re still choosing between hotels or want input on whether your existing booking will work for photos, reach out here. I’ve shot in most of the major NYC hotels and have strong opinions about which ones work best.

The getting ready photos tell the beginning of your story. The hotel room is where that story starts. Choose wisely.