Destination weddings and elopements have seen a fast increase in popularity in recent years. So many couples are rejecting the big, traditional wedding close to home, and are choosing to elope just the two of them, or to bring just a small number of their closest friends and family with them to an incredible place that they love and want to share.
There are various reasons why a couple might choose to get marred in New York instead of close to home. Lots of couples are cutting their guest lists to spend more time, effort and money on who and what is important to them, such as an incredible trip to a fabulous city like New York – either alone, or with a group of friends and family. With fewer people present when a couple get married, they are more likely to show their true personalities, and include more unique and personal touches.
Claire from Wed in Central Park has been planning weddings since 2012, and has planned hundreds of weddings since then. She is British and most of her couples come from the UK and Ireland to get married in New York’s beautiful Central Park.
Here are some of her tips to get you started if you’re considering planning a wedding in Central Park from the UK. She says that the first decisions to make might be to decide on what time of year you want to get married and who, if anyone, you will be bringing with you to New York. A lot of the choices you make will depend on these factors, due to the weather and the options you have either with or without guests.
All couples who get married in New York must go to City Hall at least 24 hours in advance of their ceremony to get a marriage license. Claire’s blog tells you what you need to do to get your license, but this is where the couple proves to an official that they are who they say they are. You will need make an appointment to get your license, show up at the right time, bringing your passports and a $35 fee, and then you walk out with your license. Then, you must bring your license along to the ceremony, and then sign it afterwards, along with your officiant and at least one witness. Then you can leave it with your officiant who will send it back to City Hall for you. City Hall will register your marriage and then mail your marriage certificate to you, no matter where in the world you live.
Claire believes that couples should hire a someone who has done this before to help you plan your wedding in Central Park , but of course she is biased! When you’re knee-deep in wedding planning, an experienced planner truly becomes your best friend for getting answers. Instead of endless scrolling through forums or piecing together advice from information available on the internet, your planner can instantly provide comprehensive answers to anything and everything. What’s more, they don’t just give generic info; they tailor every suggestion and piece of advice specifically for you and your partner, getting to know your unique style, budget, and vision. This personalized, expert guidance saves you precious time and a whole lot of head-scratching, making your planning journey so much smoother and more enjoyable. And, more specifically, Claire says that there are lots of reasons why she is the person to help you to plan your wedding in Central Park.
To hold your wedding ceremony in Central Park, you will have to apply for an event permit, or Claire will do it for you. You will need to decide which of the many lovely ceremony locations in Central Park you choose to say your vows in. There is a wide choice of beautiful spots in Central Park that suit a wedding ceremony, depending on what the couple values the most – a rustic feel, a stunning view, privacy, seating, a roof, or just being fairly close to everything else and not having to walk too far!
Claire writes the ceremonies for each couple individually, so each one is unique. She asks couples a series of questions about their relationship and what they want from the ceremony, then writes the wording with their needs in mind. Then a New York State registered officiant must perform the ceremony for it to be legally binding. Besides ceremony is all of the other stuff that you might need – the photographer, video, flowers, musician, hair and makeup, transport and so on. Some couples go big and have all of this, some couples keep it simple and avoid all these extra people being involved – it’s all about personal choice. New York offers a vast choice of wedding service providers, Claire’s advice is to read customer reviews. It’s the only way to know if someone is reliable if you are a visitor to the area.
Many couples take their guests off somewhere to eat, drink and celebrate after the wedding. It might be a restaurant, a show, a tour of the city in a minibus or similar, or many couples choose a dinner cruise on the Hudson. New York has a truly huge choice of restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets. Be sure that you have a good plan of timings for your day before booking any evening celebrations, Claire can help you with that. She advises not to try to fit too much into the day, and to try to think of the whole trip as a celebration.
Some people will choose to have a Central Park wedding planner like Claire guide them through the process to save time and effort and to feel sure that all will go to plan on the day. Having someone answer all of your questions can take away any stress. Some people will enjoy doing all the searching and organising themselves. Either way, a wedding in Central Park is sure to be a unique and memorable experience for the couple and their guests!
For more information to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding with photos from just about anywhere in New York, visit Wed in Central Park’s website, find them on facebook, instagram, and Pinterest
Wed in Central Park – Tie The Knot Wedding Directory