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Meredith Giuliani always fantasized about saying “I do” on a grand scale.
So, 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.
Giuliani, a strategy and operations manager for a tech startup — and no relation to former Big Apple mayor Rudy Giuliani — exchanged vows with groom David Garrett, 32, a corporate real estate expert, 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 complete by 12-foot floral installations, golden mirrored flooring, a harpist and violinist duet, and a faux, old-timey ticketing booth.
At the ticket stand, designed by Giuliani, the couple’s 340 guests were given customized train tickets inked with their seating assignments for the reception celebration at A-list hotspot Cipriani.
The luxe lovebirds were the first to officially transform Grand Central Terminal into a wow-worthy wedding venue in more than a decade — and they did it big, committed 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 chose not to disclose the cost 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.
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 limit commuter foot traffic during their sacred shindig.
Giuliani’s mother and father, a software procurement specialist, as well as her in-laws, who work in healthcare administration, footed the bill 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 custom ballgown, speckled in sparkles and feathers, by haute couturier Ysa Makino.
She and Garrett shared their first kiss as husband and wife directly beneath the vintage clock overlooking Vanderbilt Hall — the historic hub’s main waiting room-turned-public event space. Built in 1913 and restored in 1998, the approximately 6,000-square-foot spot features 55-foot ceilings and two gold chandeliers.
Swanky soirées like theirs can be difficult 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 considering a Grand Central Terminal wedding should begin making arrangements at least 11 months in advance.
Giuliani began planning her chic soirée at the Midtown marvel in September 2024, just a few short months after Garrett popped the question in May of last year, on Little Island along the West Side Highway.
The millennial said she insisted her guy propose in a popular area, where passersby would ooh and ahh at the touching scene. She recreated the look-at-me moment on her special day last week, snapping photos in front of Grand Central’s 42nd Street and Park Avenue entrance, as well 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 name to Garrett. “It was so overwhelmingly positive — people were congratulating us, complimenting my dress and wishing us well for the future.”
She cherishes the memory as her and Garrett’s way 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.”
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