A Gold Drenched Wedding at The Metropolitan Club
Molly & Will’s wedding was our first time shooting at the iconic Metropolitan Club in NYC, and we thrived. With her Gilded Age opulence, it was an overwhelming delight to run around with free rein taking photos. Shes moody, lush, and warm, with an abundance of texture to take in. I had to calm down many times. Dying to go back to explore more… because I know there is so much more.
And this is a totally random appreciation, but hot damn, as a girl who's seen over 200 chuppahs, it was refreshing to see a one just gracefully draped. It was simple but soooo elegant, allowing the eyes to gaze upward to take in the jaw-dropping, Renaissance-style ceiling murals of angels floating above Molly & Will’s ceremony. (come on!)
As photographers, we have a severe soft spot for sexy multi-room venues that have so much goodness gonig on inside for photos that you don't even want to go outside (insert rain-plan trauma here), Our bride, Molly, also liked that everything was indoors because she didn’t want her golden locks to get frizzy, so… we all won. Praise be!
Given its member-only status, The Metropolitan Club definitely has a mysterious and exclusive appeal, so I had a little Q&A with Molly about how they “got in” and her post-wedding insight.
Photos are served first, of course…. the scoop is at the end.
xo - Chellise
Photos by Chellise & Mike
What other venues were in the running, and why did you ultimately go with the Metropolitan Club?
When Will and I started looking at venues, we knew pretty quickly that we wanted to get married in New York City. He grew up here, and the city that has become our home, so we really wanted the wedding to lean into a very specific New York feeling.
The Metropolitan Club was always at the top of our list because our planner, Claudia Hanlin (@weddinglibrary), had done a stunning wedding there that I saw on Instagram (of course, before we were even engaged). That’s how I first discovered Claudia and ultimately how I found my way to the venue. I remember seeing those photos and immediately thinking, where is this? I’m going to get married there. I had never seen anything like it.
We did look at a few other places - the University Club, the New-York Historical Society, and the Cooper Hewitt. (I also knew I wanted an indoor wedding because my hair can be temperamental and frizzy.) But the Metropolitan Club just had so much character and richness, not to mention they pour a perfect martini, know how to throw a party, and are incredibly accommodating hosts. It felt glamorous in that very old-New-York way that reminds us of our favorite restaurants and bars in the city - Monkey Bar, Bemelmans Bar, Minetta Tavern, Keen’s Steakhouse, Delmonico’s, Cecchi’s, and Gage & Tollner to name a few. (Naturally, we served steak at the wedding.)
We also knew that we wanted to do a sit-down dinner after cocktails before dancing - so the goal was to create the best, coziest, fabulous dinner party ever. It was really important that we found a space where that moment could shine, where it would feel like everyone was going out for an amazing night in New York, not just a wedding. The venue sits right in the middle of the city, and the main dining room faces 5th Avenue looking into Central Park. Walking in to the first visit, it just stood out to us immediately.
It also meant a lot that Claudia had worked there before and had such a great relationship with their team. She understood the space so well - the lighting, the atmosphere, the vibes, and how to work with rooms that are already so ornate and special while still bringing fresh life into them. It really felt like we had the perfect group of people to bring the wedding to life, and they truly became like family during the planning process.
Do you have to be a member to get married there?
Hosting a wedding there typically requires a letter of recommendation from an existing member, and the club has a large membership base in New York City. They are experts at hosting large events and weddings, which is such a gift because it’s one of the most iconic spaces in the city. I feel incredibly grateful that they allowed us to have our wedding at such a historic and beautiful space. It’s such a unique destination, and honestly, I don’t think it gets nearly the attention it deserves. It’s just one of the most special venues in New York.
Looking back, was there anything you obsessed over that wasn't worth the stress?
This is such a good question because Claudia and I definitely obsessed over every little detail - and honestly, most of it ended up being completely worth it because everything came together so beautifully. So I don’t really have a very satisfying answer.
But the one thing I probably stressed about more than necessary was the silverware, which sounds so ridiculous. Claudia had found this really fun tortoiseshell cutlery that felt very bespoke and would have matched the whole dining aesthetic we were creating. I spent a lot of time thinking about whether we should bring it in. In the end, we used the Metropolitan Club’s beautiful silverware instead, and of course, it looked perfect. Looking back, everyone was having such an amazing time that no one would have noticed the difference, even my most astute guests. It was a good reminder that while the details are fun to think about, once the night starts, those little things really fade away.
That said, there were two areas we absolutely obsessed over that were completely worth it: the florals and the paper goods.
One of the things we spent the most time on was the floral design in the dining room. We were very intentional about keeping everything low because we wanted the evening to feel like you were simply at dinner with friends. We didn’t want large arrangements that would block conversation or keep people from cheers-ing each other across the table.
We worked closely with Nicole and her team at Ephemera (@e_p_h_e_m_e_r_a) to create a very specific “mono-botanical” look, where each vase held only one type of flower. We also divided the tables into different color stories - one section with only white varieties, another with deep purples and plums, and another with brighter orange varieties. It ended up looking incredible in the photographs because everything still felt cohesive, but guests sitting in different parts of the room had a slightly different floral experience. Each section felt unique in its own way. We definitely obsessed over the florals, but it was completely worth it. The arrangements in that dining room were some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
The other thing we spent a lot of time on - and that was absolutely worth it - was the artwork and paper goods. We worked with Christin Chang (@thechrisu), and everything she created - the invitations, menus, bar menus, napkins, and matchbooks - felt so special and personal. (We had four different types of matchbooks, all with custom designs). It added this whimsical, playful layer to the wedding that felt very “us.” We spent a lot of time going back and forth on those drafts, but I don’t regret a single minute of it. Those details ended up being some of my favorites.
Would you have done anything differently?
Honestly, when I look back on the wedding - and this makes me a little emotional - there’s nothing I would have done differently. I really feel like I gave the planning process everything I had, and I had the most amazing partner in Claudia, and of course, our incredibly supportive families. She brought every little idea to life, even some of our more whimsical details like jell-o shots on the dance floor. We wanted the wedding to feel unique, joyful, and very “iconic New York,” and somehow it all came together perfectly. I feel so lucky that I got to have the wedding that we did. When I think back on it, I wouldn’t change a single thing.
What was the best wedding advice you got?
The best advice I got - and the advice I now give everyone - is to surround yourself with people who genuinely enjoy the process with you. Whether that’s your planner, your partner (I’m so lucky that Will is such a gifted host - he works in hospitality and instinctively knows how to make guests feel loved), your parents, or your vendors, working with people who approach the experience with joy, abundance, and excitement makes all the difference. Weddings inevitably come with stress, no matter how big or small you’re going, but having people around you who are coming from a place of positivity helps you navigate all of it. That’s definitely the advice I took seriously, and it paid off in the best way.
For couples getting married at The Metropolitan Club, what is one piece of advice you'd give them?
My biggest advice would be: don’t be intimidated by the existing aesthetic of the space. The Metropolitan Club is incredibly ornate - there are deep reds, golds, incredible ceiling paintings, and this amazing Gilded Age feeling that almost feels like stepping into a movie. It’s so special and unlike anything you see in most venues today. Instead of trying to fight that, we leaned into it while bringing in fresh elements. We added custom lamps, lots of fun votives, and used a really playful, almost tie-dyed brown tablecloth that lightened the room. For our ceremony, we kept things very elegant with a beautifully draped chuppah that felt so purposeful and let the room shine. Our custom bars were wrapped in brown marble wallpaper, which added a totally unexpected and modern touch while still playing off the space’s natural tones. The key for us was not taking the space too seriously. Even though the venue feels historic, your wedding can still feel completely fresh and personal.
And honestly, the biggest thing is that the team there is incredible. The service is truly next level. I’m biased, of course, but so many of our guests told us afterward it was the best wedding they had ever been to. If you choose to get married at the Met Club, you’re going to be in amazing hands.
