Story #54:
Wedding Night at the Plaza

Our wedding was a grand affair in Westchester County with over 200 family and friends. The best part? Our guests gave us over $4,000 in cash (which was a lot of money in 1964).

It was off to island of Jamaica for our honeymoon the next day. So, the 22-year old groom (me) decided to surprise the love of my life with a night at New York’s famed Plaza Hotel. “I can’t believe you remembered,” said Mary Ann sweetly. “ I’ve always wanted to stay there.”

After an endless stream of hellos and congratulations by the staff, we were whisked off to our room. As the double doors to the suite on the top floor opened a cavernous three-bedroom two-bath suite replete with living room, kitchen and dining room, I wondered quietly, “What the hell have I done?”

Mary Ann was speechless. “My God, how much did this cost?” Since I had never asked the reservation clerk how much a suite and three was, I replied, “Nothing is too good for the love of my life.”

Moments later, the doorbell rang. The cheery waiter had a magnum of Dom Perignon and a plate of caviar said, “Compliments of the Plaza, Sir. We want your wedding night to be something you’ll always remember.”

As it turned out, he was right. To learn more about our wedding night, you might want to check out my latest book, a memorable collection of short stories, ONLY IN NEW YORK. 36 True Big Apple Stories Spanning 55 Years and Five Boroughs.