- Meredith Giuliani and David Garrett got married on Oct. 11 at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, marking the first ceremony at the legendary landmark in more than a decade
- The newlyweds "marched" their 340 guests across the street to their reception at Cipriani 42nd Street, the experience of which the bride describes as "so surreal" and "like being in a movie"
- The "extravagant" celebration featured two magicians, a 14-piece band, a caviar bar and a surprise performance from Giuliani
The first wedding at Grand Central Terminal in more than a decade didn't disappoint.
When Meredith Giuliani and David Garrett, both 32, chose one of New York City's most legendary landmarks as their ceremony venue, they knew they had to make their black-tie celebration just as iconic. Their over-the-top wedding in the terminal's Vanderbilt Hall on Saturday, Oct. 11, exceeded everyone's expectations.
"It was truly the definition of a New York City wedding — elegant, timeless and full of energy," guest Natalie Romano tells PEOPLE. "It felt like something out of a movie that you would only experience once in your lifetime."
In a TikTok post with nearly a quarter million views, Romano recalled all the details that left her "speechless" — from being greeted with champagne to being served caviar. "Everything was extravagant," she wrote in an onscreen text caption, adding in another, "It was detailed to perfection!"
Giuliani, a strategy and operations manager for a tech startup, and Garrett, a corporate real estate expert, invited 340 guests to their "dream come true" nuptials. The "magical" ceremony included a harpist and violinist duet, and was officiated by NFL Hall of Famer and New York Giants veteran Harry Carson.
Guests enjoyed cocktails in the closed-off ceremony space — which features 55-foot ceilings and two gold chandeliers — before watching Giuliani walk down a golden mirrored aisle lined with white floral arrangements. She wore a custom Ysa Makino-designed ballgown, covered in sparkles and feathers.
"I'm getting married one time. I really wanted to have a dress that I would never wear in any other situation, and was just bold and big and felt like me," Giuliani explains. "I loved all of the intricacies with all of the flower petals with the silver thread through to the feathers on the bottom. It was so unique and one-of-a-kind."
After the ceremony, the reception was held at the nearby Cipriani 42nd Street. In lieu of a seating chart, guests checked in to get their dinner table assignment from a custom Grand Central-style ticket booth named "Garrett Central Station." Each "passenger" went up to the window for their "first class" "Garrett Express" train ticket. After getting their tickets stamped from people dressed up as conductors, everyone gathered at 42nd Street and Park Avenue before crossing the street to together.
"One of my favorite parts of the night was when we marched everybody from Grand Central to Cipriani. It was 300 people crossing the street at one time," Giuliani says. "It felt so surreal. It literally felt like being in a movie. Being able to walk across the street with 340 of my closest friends and family all behind me, it was so magical."
During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed an abundance of food, and close-up magic tricks by two magicians as content creator So Bridal Social and photographer Claudia Oliver captured all of the action.
The reception featured a custom ice luge vodka bar next to a caviar bar, as well as "the most incredible 14-piece band (Erik Marshall Band at Hank Lane Music) that kept the dance floor absolutely packed the entire night." Giuliani even surprised Garrett by performing "You Make My Dreams (Come True)" by Daryl Hall & John Oates — a secret she had planned for three months.
"It was really fun," the bride says. "I changed into my second dress right before the performance and then just beelined right for the stage, went up, sang my song as my reveal of my second outfit."
Later in the night, the reception turned into a lively afterparty. Keeping with the New York theme, guests were surprised with Shake Shack and Joe's Pizza food.
Reflecting on the wedding, Giuliani says, "We've never had more fun. I don't know that I ever will have more fun. That was absolutely far and away the best day of my life, and I cannot imagine anything that would top it."
While wedding planning, Giuliani and Garrett instantly knew they wanted to tie the knot in New York because they have lived in the city for more than a decade and had all of their "relationship milestones" there. After the New Jersey transplants noticed that Grand Central Terminal was right across the street from their reception venue, they had the "crazy idea" of exchanging vows there.
"We wanted to do something really special and different," Giuliani tells PEOPLE. "And, of course, we loved the idea of having somewhere that was walkable and easy for our guests to get from one venue to the other."
/filters:no_upscale()/filters:strip_icc()/images/9332ef84e9f1674c80700df70991b498.original.jpg "Tent Wedding Reception at Country Club")
/filters:no_upscale()/filters:strip_icc()/images/e6c480e345534115bfb6909e689e65ba.original.jpg "White Wedding Ceremony at Oheka Castle Gardens")
