Blackout Wedding at The Plaza in New York
While planning for a wedding a good go-to phrase is to be prepared and expect the unexpected, but sometimes things happen that you would think are impossible. So what do you do when the impossible happens? Does the show go on or do you postpone? If you ask this New York couple and their family, nothing will stop them, including a major power outage.
Exactly 42 years after New York lost power for 25 hours, the Upper Westside and Midtown Manhattan were cast into darkness due to a Con Edison malfunction, including The Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue, which has hosted some of the most luxurious weddings in New York for over 100 years. This includes the wedding of Amy Rosenthal and Craig Silverstein.
Amy and Craig had been planning their wedding for over a year, and when it was time for their special day, 200 family members and friends flew to New York to witness this special moment. Everything was going according to plan, so Amy made her way day the aisle, and right as she took Craig’s hand the power went out.According to the bride’s brother Justin “A lot of people thought it was on purpose, like some kind of mood lighting situation.” Craig added to this by saying he had hoped that it was just a fuse that had blown, but found that the power was completely out except for the emergency lights that were powered by backup generators at the hotel. So the couple and their guests made the best of the situation and continued the ceremony with the power of cellphones and cameras.
Friends and family continued to rally and help as much as they could during the now candle-lit reception. The 12 piece band that was present played songs on instruments that did not require electricity while guests sang and danced to lift everyone’s spirits and give The Plaza staff time to regroup. Guests took to social media to express that although it was unexpected, it was one of the best times. One guest was even able to turn the situation into a great life lesson.
I love this. Life is unpredictable and doesn’t always go as planned. Surround yourself with people who dance through it rather then dwell on it. https://t.co/xJLcRillXu
— Tara DiJulio (@TaraDiJulio) July 14, 2019
After a short while, hotel staff were able to find a nearby location that did have power and safely escorted the celebration to their along with decor and the wedding cake.
While the couple wishes the night had gone differently, they are happy they are now married and they will definitely have a story to tell for years to come.