Photo: Greer G. Photography
New York City is a shopping mecca for all things bridal—wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, wedding cakes, you name it! From designer ribbons to wholesale vases, you can shop high and low to achieve the ultimate personalized wedding. Our advice? Spend the day with your bridesmaids (and any other favorite girls) and check off your wedding must-haves while enjoying some of the city's best food and views. Here is a one-day tour for essentials, inspiration, refreshment, and (well-earned) relaxation.
Photos: Courtesy of Blue Bottle
1. Start the day with brewed-to-order coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee. Their two-story café in the Milk Building serves not only the most delicious coffee but is also a fascinating peek into the fine art of caffeination. If you have time, dash across the street to Chelsea Market and pick up a pain au raisin or fresh croissant from Sarabeth's and take in the views with a short walk up the High Line before braving the crowds down below.
Photos: Courtesy of Paper Presentation
2. Head east a few blocks to Paper Presentation to peruse their thousands of papers, favor boxes, bags, tags, and embellishments. This store is the best for one-stop paper shopping—it's easy to navigate, full of resources, and pretty to walk through. They also do in-house printing and have plenty of ready-made party products.
Photos: Courtesy of ABC Home
Photo: Courtesy of ABC Kitchen
3. Next stop: ABC Carpet & Home, where you can fulfill your registry dreams browsing their beautiful home furnishings, decorative objets, and global finds. This is a favorite spot for NYC editors when they need one-stop shopping. Stay and treat your bridesmaids to lunch at ABC Kitchen, where the menu is always a rotating selection of mouth-watering, globally-inspired and locally sourced dishes. We love the housemade ricotta pizza and roasted carrot salad.
Photo: Courtesy of Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies
4. After lunch, head uptown toward the flower district to pop into Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies. Despite its lackluster storefront, this shop is a DIY bride's dream for inexpensive vases, candles, and tabletop accessories. I love the inexpensive julep cups and bulk white candles. Insider tip: if it's still before 2:00 pm, you may be able to snag some gorgeous blooms, or at least get visual inspiration from one of the many wholesale florists on the block. G. Page and Dutch Flower Line have incredibly impressive selections.
Photo: Courtesy of Mokuba New York
5. For the most amazing ribbons and trims, make sure to visit Mokuba New York. This Japanese-based shop has thousands of the world's most impressive (read: expensive) ribbon and trim options. The shopkeepers here are as flawless as the ribbons they showcase and are experts at helping to coordinate the perfect bouquet tie. Just make sure to make an appointment, as they won't always take walk-ins.
Photo: Courtesy of A White Cake
6. Just down the street, Lauren Bohl White of A White Cake is creating some of NYC's most charming wedding cakes. The perfect blend of feminine and modern, her cakes feel wildly special while still universal.
Photos: Courtesy of Culture Espresso
7. For the perfect afternoon pick-me up, pop by Culture Espresso for an espresso and one of the house chocolate chip cookies, which are thick and gooey and big enough to share, although delicious enough to take down alone. It's also fun to check out the art, as the space doubles as a gallery for local rising artists.
Photo: Courtesy of Lulu Cake Boutique
8. Moving east, sample more cake at Lulu Cake Boutique's Manhattan salon. Baker Jay Muse is the ultimate chameleon—there's nothing this man won't do for a bride. Insider tip: he makes the most delicious custom Twinkies, which make a perfect late-night wedding favor.
Photo: Courtesy of Tinsel Trading Company
9. Catch a cab uptown to Tinsel Trading Company, a jewelbox of unique vintage trimmings. Since recently relocating, only a small portion of the enormous number of ribbons, tassels, buttons, and boullions are on display, but the store's owner is always happy to help you find what you need.
Photo: Courtesy of The Mark Hotel
10. Finally, retire to The Mark Hotel. This boutique hotel is a francophile's dream. Impeccably designed by renowned Parisian designer Jacques Grange, everything from the lobby to the bathrooms is gorgeous. The bar and restaurant downstairs are favorites of locals on the Upper East Side, with menus—including room service!—overseen by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. I recommend grabbing a seat in the lounge with the house cucumber martini while you look over the menu for dinner.