Claire Ady has been running a business planning weddings for couples who want to get married in New York’s iconic Central Park since 2012. She’s British herself and got the idea to start the business after getting married in Central Park in 2011 while she and her partner were living in the city. She’s planned hundreds of weddings in Central Park since then, mostly for visiting couples, most of whom come from the UK or Ireland.
Increasingly in recent years, we have seen couples choose not to have the traditional wedding close to home, maybe to avoid the expense or the stress, but often they want to make their special day unique. We’ve all been to the traditional big wedding close to the couple’s hometown – they’re great fun (for the guests – often quite stressful for whoever has had to organise everything!), but it can be hard to make them truly unique. The traditional hometown, big wedding can be very expensive, whereas couples often find they can get married in Central Park on a lower budget, even factoring in flights, hotels, and other travel costs.
New York City is an incredible destination, offering countless attractions for all types of visitors, it’s truly a city with something for everyone, of all generations. So, it’s a great choice for a destination wedding with family, or for an elopement with added honeymoon thrown in! Central Park is a peaceful and beautiful place for couples to begin their marriage. Claire’s couples often say how delighted their guests are to have the chance to visit New York, combining the wedding with a fun vacation and quality time with loved ones.
Whatever your reasons for considering getting married in Central Park, here are Claire’s twelve tips (with an optional thirteenth idea!) on getting married in Central Park, even if you’re planning everything from the UK.
1 Get to know Central Park a little before you go.
Some of my clients have visited New York City a few times before. Some even got engaged in Central Park, which might be one reasons why they want to have their wedding there. However, others have never been to the city. Even if you’re familiar with Central Park, I recommend giving some thought to where exactly in the park you’d like to hold the ceremony and also which areas you’d like to use for photos. Here’s some information on the more popular wedding ceremony locations in Central Park. If you know which locations you like, you can let your photographer or wedding planner know ahead of time. This will make the photography part of your wedding day run much more smoothly, ensuring you don’t miss out on capturing any important moments.
2 Apply for an event permit.
Once you’ve decided on the time and place for your ceremony, go ahead and reserve the spot you want. You can do this yourself, but this is something that I can handle for you. The Central Park Conservancy doesn’t require you to have an event permit for weddings with fewer than 20 guests. However, I’d still recommend applying for one just to be safe, no matter the guest count. Without a permit, there’s always a chance you could show up to find another couple already getting married in your chosen location.
3 Discuss the plan with your family and friends.
Whether you’re planning to invite your nearest and dearest to come with you to New York, or if you plan to go just the two of you, then I recommend discussing things with your loved ones in advance. The key is to involve your guests in the planning if you want them to come along too – share all the fantastic things you have lined up for your time in New York, both leading up to and on the big day. When they know what’s in store, any initial concerns will quickly fade away. If you plan to elope (and here are some reasons why you might want to elope), then you may need to manage their feelings if they are unhappy about your decision. When it comes to legalities, there’s nothing you need to do in the UK first before a wedding in New York.
4 Consider how long you want to be in New York for.
The one thing that a couple absolutely must do themselves is to visit the City Clerk’s Office together in person to obtain their marriage license. This is a legal requirement – you’ll need to show photo ID to prove your identity. So, you will need to take your passports, and proof of divorce or death of previous spouse if you have been married before. You can get the license as soon as you get to New York, and then you must wait 24 hours after getting the license before you get married. Some couples just go back to City Hall and have a quick wedding ceremony there. And you can actually get married pretty much anywhere in NYC, we’ve planned weddings in other locations besides Central Park, but Central Park is our favourite! So, factor getting the license one day (it should take around an hour for this!), and getting married on another day into your travel plans.
5 Bring your marriage license with you to the ceremony.
When it’s time for your wedding ceremony in Central Park, remember to bring the marriage license with you. After the ceremony, you and your officiant will sign the license, which the officiant will then submit to the City Clerk’s Office. Without this signed license, your marriage will not be legally recognized. City Hall will then send your marriage certificate in the mail to your home address within 6-8 weeks. And that’s it! Much easier than getting married in the UK, or so I’m told.
6 Try not to worry about the weather.
Hosting an outdoor wedding means accepting the whims of the weather. Central Park offers some sheltered ceremony location options. You may want to plan to get married in one of the locations with a roof if you’re worried about rain, but a roof will keep the sun off too in sunnier months. Depending on the time of year you come to NYC, you may get rained on. If marrying in winter, the cold will be a factor – wear warm attire or bring a coat to wear between photos.
7 Think about what you will wear.
We see couples mostly choosing fairly traditional wedding attire to get married in Central Park, even some very spectacular gowns. I’d guess that it is probably harder to move around in a bigger, long gown than a shorter dress or trousers, especially given that there’s more walking involved with a wedding in Central Park than a church wedding, for example. So, consider that when choosing a dress if you plan to wear one. Also, give some thought to which shoes you want to wear. Having some shoes for photos and some for walking is fine. To get to the ceremony location in Central Park, you might be able to take a pedicab from the park entrance, but you’ll still need to do some walking, especially if you want photos in the park’s iconic spots. A long gown with a train is bound to get a bit dirty if you get married outdoors in NYC – it’s just unavoidable. Keep in mind that you’ll be outside for a while, so you’ll want to plan accordingly, and that applies to hair and makeup too.
8 Leave your speakers and confetti at home.
I can provide couples with flowers delivered to their hotel room on their wedding day. That can include any number of bouquets or uttonholes, according to your party and your needs. However, the Central Park Conservancy does not allow couples to decorate their ceremony location with flowers, throw rice or confetti, or use amplified sound. Instead, I can arrange for an acoustic musician to perform at your wedding if you want music to provide an atmosphere.
9 Keep the ceremony brief.
I work closely with each couple to craft a personalized ceremony just for them. I ask them a series of questions that allows me to write ceremony wording tailored specifically to the couple. Most of the ceremonies I write tend to be 15-20 minutes long, which many couples find to be a nice, comfortable length. The Central Park Conservancy does not allow couples to set up chairs for weddings. However, some of the ceremony locations do offer some seating, which can be helpful for elderly guests or those who have trouble standing for long periods. If you think your guests may get tired from standing during the ceremony, I’d suggest keeping things short and sweet. That way, everyone can fully enjoy the special moment without feeling fatigued. Speeches (if you want to do them) can be done once you get to the restaurant.
10 Take lots of different photographs.
I highly recommend hiring a professional photographer to capture the ceremony and your time in Central Park. A skilled photographer will frame and edit the photos to ensure everyone looks their best, and one who is local to New York will know all of the best spots for photos in Central Park and anywhere else in the city. If you decide against using a professional, encourage your guests to take plenty of photos throughout the day. Be sure to explore Central Park and take pictures in various scenic spots, this is something I’d help with during the planning process. Additionally, I can provide a videographer to film the ceremony and scenes from your time in the park. This way, you can share the wedding video with any friends or family who couldn’t attend in person.
11 Think about what else you want to do on the day
Everyone is different when it comes to decided what else to do on your wedding day in New York. A lot will depend on whether it’s just the two of you, or if you have a group with you. Some might want to spend the whole morning getting ready, then marry in the early afternoon. Some might want to get married quite early, when Central Park is at its quietest, and then they will have the rest of the day to do touristy, sightseeing things, or maybe taking photos around the city in their wedding gear. Many eloping couples choose to wed early, then celebrate with a lunch, activities like a helicopter ride or river cruise, and photos at landmarks such the Top of the Rock, the Brooklyn waterfront with Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan as backdrop, Grand Central, the Empire State Building, and so on. It’s best to consider your day’s events first, then work backwards from everything else you want to do, to set the ideal ceremony time. Depending on the season, the temperature may affect when would be best to get married. A morning wedding is better to avoid summer heat, while a midday or early afternoon one captures the best winter light.
12 Book a great restaurant to celebrate in.
New York City offers an incredible variety of exceptional dining and celebration options to suit any taste or budget. Whether couples book a table at a nice restaurant or opt for a private room, the city provides ample opportunities to make wedding festivities truly memorable. Some may order a cake to be delivered to the restaurant, or you could have some cake in your ceremony location in Central Park. And after the wedding party has dined, the city’s vibrant bar scene provides endless possibilities to continue the celebration late into the night.
13 Celebrate in New York style when you get back home.
This one is optional! Some of my couples have hosted larger welcome-home parties for their extended family and friends after returning from New York. They’ve maintained the New York theme with the party invitations and decorations. While this style may not appeal to everyone, it’s a nice way to include a bigger group if that’s what the couple wants.
For more information on planning your own elopement or destination wedding in Central Park, drop Claire an email at [email protected] with any questions. You can also visit the Wed in Central Park website, where there’s lots of information, including prices and packages, and also links to Claire’s social media, which you can follow for inspiration.
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