The Beekman is a nine-story Victorian atrium with a hotel built around it. It has ironwork balconies on every floor, a pyramidal skylight overhead, and dark, ornate rooms from the lobby down to the Cellar. The building went up in Lower Manhattan in 1881 and reopened as a hotel in 2016.
I have photographed two weddings here, plus dozens of engagement sessions and getting-readys, and I have been in and out of the building for years. Here is what I would tell you if you were considering it – which you should. You really, really should. It’s one of my favorite places in the city, and I’d move into it if I could.
Getting ready
The getting ready spaces here are some of the best I work in anywhere in New York City, and they are a real reason to book the hotel.
The Thompson Suite is huge. Excellent light, beautiful architecture, a big living room for hair and makeup, and a separate bedroom to get dressed in. Two rooms instead of one keeps the morning from getting crowded. It is a ten out of ten getting-ready space.
The East Turret Suite is my favorite room in the hotel. Private in a way a standard guest room is not, spacious, gorgeous dark walls, beautiful window light.
With both, each side of the wedding party gets a beautiful room of its own for the morning.
The ceremony on the West Terrace
The two duplex penthouses are on the 10th floor, with three private rooftop terraces between them. From the door to the penthouses, you go left for the West Terrace or right for the East Turret’s terrace, which is roughly circular. The patio sits between the two.
The West Terrace belongs to Turret Penthouse West, and it is the wisteria space. It is the most unusual ceremony spot in the building, and I have not seen anything like it elsewhere in New York.
Four things worth knowing as you plan it.
Guest count sets the width of the aisle. I have shot a ceremony up there with about 80 and one with about 50. Fifty gives you a generous aisle with room on either side. Eighty fits and makes for a closer, more packed-in ceremony. Both are good. Pick the one you want before the layout is set.
Give yourself a few feet from the penthouse doors. Standing a little further out opens up the angles your photographer can work from, and it gives you a bit of breathing room.
The terraces have patio furniture. Leave a few minutes in the schedule to move things aside if you want to do portraits on them afterward.
The wisteria terrace is the one with something overhead. The patio and the East Turret’s terrace are open to the sky, so factor in the weather if you want either.
The Cellar
Three rooms in a row on the Cellar level, in this order.
| Room | What happens there |
|---|---|
| Farnsworth | Dinner |
| Emerson Lounge | Cocktail hour |
| Kelly Room | Dancing |
The Emerson is in the middle, so moving between the three is easy.
The Emerson Lounge is gorgeous. Dark, basement speakeasy feel; intimate; glass and brick walls; and a convenient bar.
The Farnsworth is an intimate room and a great spot for dinner. I have photographed dinners in it for 50 to 80, depending on the layout, so have your planner run your number through the layout.
The Kelly Room is essentially the Emerson, a bit bigger, which means lounge furniture and a band and still enough room to dance.
Dinner and dancing being in separate rooms is the part I like most about working here. Your dance floor is set and waiting the whole time you are eating, so the night walks straight from one room into the next.
Portraits
Inside, I want the atrium. Nine stories of Victorian ironwork up to the skylight, and the light coming down through it is dark and unusual and the kind of thing I like to work in. I also like the elevators and the steps and use both.
If we go outside, three options are nearby.
The Brooklyn Bridge, a few minutes on foot.
The arcade at the Manhattan Municipal Building. The vaulted arched passage through the base of the building at the Chambers Street subway entrance, with granite piers, Guastavino tile overhead and the old lettered ironwork around the stairs. It is covered, it costs nothing, and the whole stretch through there and toward City Hall is good.
DUMBO, if the timeline has room for the crossing. Allow for the travel time, and it is well worth the trip. My DUMBO guide covers where to go once you are there.
Getting ready here when your wedding is somewhere else
Plenty of downtown venues have nowhere good to spend the morning. The Beekman does, so couples book a suite, get ready here, do portraits, and leave for the venue. I photographed that exact day this year, with the morning at the Beekman and the wedding at Cipriani 25 Broadway.
Book a suite rather than the smallest room, since the suites are the reason to do it. If you want portraits in the hotel’s public spaces, arrange that separately from your room. See below.
Planning notes
Photography in public spaces requires a permit. A permit fee applies, and you get a one-hour window for the atrium and other public areas. Booking a room does not include it. Fees and terms change, so ask the hotel what the current fee is, what the hour covers, and what applies to your wedding, then put the hour on your timeline.
Your photographer will need to clear insurance. The Beekman’s requirements are higher than most venues, and they usually require an additional waiver in addition to a standard certificate. Share the hotel’s contact with your photographer early, and we’ll handle it in the background.
The 10th floor takes two elevators. Guests ride to the 9th floor and change to a second elevator for the 10th. Put a sign or a person at the changeover. Allow extra minutes for the move back down after the ceremony, since a full guest list takes a while.
Vendor meals are usually served in the Chapel Room on the second floor. That is two floors from the Cellar, so your photographer and your band cannot hear the reception while they eat. Set a time for vendor meals, serve them while you eat, and hold toasts until everyone is back.
The guest ceiling is 90. That number keeps the rooms the right size for the wedding.
Frequently Asked Questions: Beekman Hotel Weddings
Where is The Beekman Hotel?
123 Nassau Street in Lower Manhattan, near the Brooklyn Bridge and One World Trade Center. An 1881 building that reopened as a hotel in 2016, part of the Thompson Collection.
How many guests can you have at a Beekman wedding?
Up to 90 for a ceremony and reception.
Can you have an outdoor ceremony at The Beekman?
Yes. The two duplex penthouses on the 10th floor share three private rooftop terraces. I have photographed ceremonies on the West Terrace, which is the wisteria space.
How many people fit on the West Terrace for a ceremony?
I have shot one with about 80 and one with about 50. Fifty gives you a wider aisle. Eighty is tight but it works. Walk the space with your planner and pick.
Is there somewhere to get ready at The Beekman?
Yes, and it is one of the best things about the venue. The Thompson Suite has a large living room for hair and makeup plus a separate bedroom. The East Turret Suite is private and spacious, with dark walls and beautiful window light, and it’s my favorite space in the hotel.
What are the reception rooms at The Beekman?
On the Cellar level, the Farnsworth Room is for dinner, the Emerson Lounge for cocktail hour, and the Kelly Room for dancing. The Emerson sits between the other two. All three are dark, with brick and glass.
How many guests fit in the Farnsworth Room for dinner?
I have photographed dinners there from 50 to 80, depending on the table layout.
Do you have to flip a room between the ceremony and dinner at The Beekman?
No. Each part of the night has its own room, so nothing gets reset while your guests wait.
Can photographers shoot in the Beekman atrium?
Yes, within a one-hour window arranged in advance, with a permit fee. The hotel handles it separately from your room booking. Ask the hotel for current fees and terms.
Is there a photography fee at The Beekman?
Yes, there is a permit fee for the photography hour in public spaces. I would not quote an amount since it changes. Ask the hotel while you are planning.
Can you get ready at The Beekman if your wedding is somewhere else?
Yes, and couples do, because many downtown venues have nowhere good to spend the morning. Book a suite rather than the smallest room. Portraits in the public spaces are the permit hour, arranged separately.
Where can you take wedding portraits near The Beekman?
The Brooklyn Bridge is a short walk. So is the arcade at the base of the Manhattan Municipal Building, the arched vaulted passage over the Chambers Street subway entrance, which is covered and free. DUMBO works if your timeline has room for the crossing.
How do guests get to the 10th floor terraces?
One elevator to the 9th floor, then a second elevator from 9 to 10. Put someone or a sign at the changeover, and allow extra minutes for the move back down after the ceremony.
Who caters weddings at The Beekman?
Tom Colicchio’s team, exclusively. The hotel also runs Temple Court in the building.
Does The Beekman have room blocks for wedding guests?
Courtesy blocks of up to 20 rooms a night, and 38 suites in the hotel. Book early, since the suites are the ones you want for getting ready.
Can you do engagement photos at The Beekman?
Yes, and I have shot dozens of them here. The atrium carries a session on its own. I wrote about it in my Beekman engagement session guide.
What is the lighting like at The Beekman?
Dark almost everywhere, which I like. If that is the look you want, ask any photographer you are considering to show you full reception galleries from dark venues. My guide to venues for dark and dramatic weddings covers the others in that category.
The short version
Get ready upstairs in the Thompson Suite or the East Turret. Marry on the West Terrace if you want the wisteria, and settle your guest count early so you know what the aisle looks like. Dinner in the Farnsworth, dancing in the Kelly, no room flip in between. Sort the photography permit and your photographer’s insurance during planning, and write a timeline that says when vendors eat.
If you are planning a wedding at The Beekman, get in touch.
