The Desmond Tutu Center made all my wedding dreams come true! From the ceremony, cocktail hour to the reception, everything went so smoothly and beautifully. My husband and I met just a few blocks from the venue, so we really wanted to have our wedding in Chelsea. Before, I never realized the The Desmond Tutu Center was an actual wedding venue, but I have always loved walking down its block. I loved the chapel and thought it would be the perfect place to have a ceremony in, so I did a little research to see if the chapel was available. That's when I learned that there was a reception space as well! It was the ideal venue for my husband's and my needs. Both our families were coming from out of town, so it was perfect that the Desmond Tutu Center was a hotel as well. The rooms are gorgeous and affordable for NYC standards. Our ceremony was held at the chapel. We arranged to have the cocktail hour immediately after the ceremony outside on the seminary grounds. All of our guests loved the grounds. It truly is a hidden gem in the city. The reception followed in the Refectory which is a gorgeous gothic dining room with soaring vaulted ceilings and beautiful stained glass windows. The service was amazing, and the food was great. We've been receiving glowing reviews from all our guests. Last but certainly not least, the service provided by the venue's event manager Kelly Smith was more than stellar. She was the ideal person a bride would want to work with while planning her wedding. Kelly was incredibly patient and informative. She was always quick to respond to all of my emails and calls as well as my mom's, dad's and fiancé's. She also help facilitate the arrangement to use the Chapel on the grounds. Kelly was incredibly organized and diligent. Throughout the entire planning process, I was confident that everything would go smoothly in her hands. I highly recommend The Desmond Tutu Center if you want to have a unique but very convenient wedding venue in NYC. Another plus, it's right across the street from The High Line and the Chelsea Gallery District, and there are some really great restaurants in the area as well. We had our rehearsal dinner at Bottino and our brunch at Moran's which are both walking distances away.

From my husband! We had our wedding at the Desmond Tutu center on June 2nd, 2012. While searching for a reception hall in NYC we had many disappointing encounters, the Venus we saw were under-whelming and overpriced. When we arrived at DTC, we were welcomed by Kelly Smith, one of the facility coordinators, she had a binder in hand and was waiting for us, on time in the lobby area. She showed us around their beautiful courtyard, classy and comfortable hotel rooms, and of course, the refectory… where we held our reception. My wife and I agreed to have the reception there before the appointment was over. We can't say enough good things about this place, it's located in a fun area of the city (across the street from the highline), the people are extremely attentive and accommodating, we basically had a wedding coordinator included in what we considered a very competitive overall price and we had an beautiful old refectory to dine and dance in. Furthermore this place just has a very good energy – all of the staff members seem to be happy, organized, and eager to please. We do not regret having our wedding reception here at all… we loved it and we’ll always remember our special day and the Desmond Tutu center so fondly. Ben and Claudia L.

We had an absolutely incredible and flawless wedding because of Kelly Smith at the Desmond Tutu Center. She was always there answering our questions, making sure every detail was covered, and calming our nerves. It couldn't have been better and we have her to thank for that!

Our experience with the Desmond Tutu Center has been fantastic from our first visit until after our wedding day. Our main contact, Kelly Smith, was always responsive, professional, and helped ensure our requests were addressed. We chose this venue because of (1) its convenient and terrific location in Chelsea in Manhattan, (2) the beauty of this historical landmark which includes a gorgeous garden and a cathedral-ceiling ballroom, and (3) the breadth of services provided as part of the package, including catering, hotel rooms, event coordination, all in one location. Our guests have raved about the beauty of the site, the food, and flawless wedding execution. We would not have dreamed to have our big day anywhere else.

We could not possibly have been happier with The Desmond Tutu Center as our ceremony and reception venue for our October 2011 wedding. From the very first meeting the staff was professional, responsive, flexible, and above all, clearly focused on making our wedding day incredibly special. The Desmond Tutu Center is TRULY a special venue. Aesthetically speaking it is a gem in a city filled with ballrooms and loft spaces; a virtual oasis that transports you to another place and time. More castle than hotel the Desmond Tutu Center gave us all the ease of a ballroom wedding (1 price per head including venue, catering, staff, etc.) paired with a unique look and feel. Our wedding was genuinely BEAUTIFUL which was easy to accomplish in such an ornate venue. Working with Kelly, Jillian and the entire staff was an absolute pleasure. They are incredibly accommodating and offer up the kind of personal service you crave when planning such a special day.

Our wedding gifts were stolen. After the end of the reception, which up to that point everything was very good- we were told that we could leave anything behind in the main room and it would be locked. Some of our wedding gifts were left behind and we thought it would be safe. We were wrong- some of the gift envelopes were stolen by the crew. The next day the staff was not very helpful until we went to the police and filed a report. After the police got involved we finally got phone calls returned from the Tutu Center. Of course the gifts were gone, and the Tutu offered to refund the cost of the few rooms we had rented the night of the wedding. Every time I think about it, and on our anniversary, I am sure I will think of my wedding......and when our gifts were stolen.

I can't say enough how amazing the staff at the Desmond Tutu Center are. The venue is New York's best kept secret. My guests were blown away by the Tutu Center's beauty and their staff's kindness throughout the very long day. Kelly was on site the entire day making sure everything went smoothly. Needless to say, I was incredibly nervous and wanted everything to go well. I've been in several weddings where the bride was busy doing a lot of the last minute things right before the wedding, but I was so lucky not to have to worry about anything. I loved every minute of my wedding and owe so much of that to everyone at the Tutu Center. I enthusiastically recommend having your wedding at the Desmond Tutu Center

The Desmond Tutu Center is a wonderful place to have a wedding. Their outdoor venue is so beautiful, as is their indoor spaces. The staff is so helpful and professional. Both Kelly Smith and Jillian Bittel are so helpful. They both made me feel at ease, and helped me with every step of the planning. Thanks to Jillian we had the the perfect wedding. We are still receiving compliments from our guests!

Just wonderful!!!! We had our wedding there this past May and couldn't be happier. Everything was so perfect and exactly how promised. It feels like you are not even in NYC but in a secret magic garden somewhere in fairyland. Jillian and Kelly were absolutely amazing. They were incredibly helpful and calming at times when needed. Hotel rooms are very affordable and so beautiful. Anyone will feel like at home and comfortable. I would strongly recommend The Desmond Tutu center for weddings or any other event. Thank you again for all of the staff members for being so helpful and making our weekend there magical.

I had a wedding budget and was told by 3 vendors that it would be impossible to have a New York wedding within my parameters. Even if I had an unlimited budget, I would've chosen the Desmond over every other place. I found the Desmond Tutu Center to be the most elegant, convenient (my guests from SC LOVED it), and comprehensive. I did not need a wedding coordinator because the staff at the Desmond were so professional, responsive, and understanding. The food and service was fabulous. I am biased, but everyone in attendance said that it was the best wedding that they've ever attended. In particular, Kelly Smith and Jillian Bittel were the best team and always made me feel like I was first priority. I could never think of anything negative to say about the experience. It was smooth, easy, and truly perfect.

We loved having our wedding reception at the Desmond Tutu Center. The outdoor and indoor space was gorgeous and the staff there went out of their way to make our event come to life the way that we wanted it to. They also always made us feel like we were the only event that they were working on (meanwhile, they had lots of others that they were coordinating).

The services we received from Tutu Center/Aramark were simply fantastic. They worked with us on our budget, answered our questions in a very timely manner and were just so professional and friendly. We couldn't have been happier with how our wedding day and reception went!