Wed in Central Park

This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

Destination weddings and elopements are becoming increasingly popular. Many couples are rejecting the big, traditional wedding at home, sometimes to avoid large mainstream suppliers and industry stalwarts charging high prices. More couples each year are choosing to elope or to have a destination wedding with their nearest and dearest. Many couples are cutting their guest lists to spend more on 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 gets married, they are more likely to show their true personalities and include more unique and personal touches.

Planning your central Park wedding

Planning To Get Married In Central Park

Claire from Wed in Central Park has been planning weddings for six years and has planned around 250 weddings in that time. Many couples contact her not long after they have the idea to get married in Central Park and they are just starting down the road of figuring out what to do and how to make their dream wedding happen in this beautiful location. Claire suggests that the first thing to do is to decide on what time of year you are coming to New York and who, if anyone, you are bringing with you. A lot of the choices you make will depend on these things.

Of course, Claire believes that couples should hire someone who has done this before to help you plan your wedding in Central Park. An experienced planner can answer couples’ questions much more quickly and more thoroughly than online searches or word of mouth, and they can tailor their advice and suggestions for each couple since everyone is different. 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.

Preparing to make it legal in Central Park

Preparing To Make It Legal

All couples who marry 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 must bring your license with you to the ceremony, and then you sign it afterwards, along with a witness. Then you can leave it with your officiant who will get back to City Hall for you and register your marriage and then mail your certificate to you, no matter where in the world you live.

If you decide to go it alone and plan your own wedding in Central Park, or anywhere else in New York, then you will have to sort out your own paperwork and apply for an event permit for your event yourself. 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 lovely spots in Central Park, 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.

A very important part of a wedding is the officiant. If you want your wedding to be legally binding, you cannot have just anyone perform your ceremony; they must be a New York State registered officiant. Claire can provide an officiant if you need one. She writes the ceremonies for each couple individually, so each one is unique.

Cruise on the Hudson

Selecting Your Wedding Venue And Service Providers

Before that comes all the other stuff – the photographer, video, flowers, musician, hair and makeup, transport and so on. New York offers a vast choice of wedding service providers, Claire’s advice is to read the 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 to somewhere wonderful to eat, drink and celebrate the wedding. It might be a restaurant, a show, or a tour of the city by road, or many couples choose a dinner cruise on the Hudson. New York has a vast 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. Don’t try to fit too much in to the day; try to leave some time for some rest!

Enjoy your Central Park wedding

Choosing A Central Park Wedding Planner

It’s all as simple as that! There’s no need to do anything to register your marriage back home. A wedding in New York is legally binding worldwide. 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. Some people will enjoy doing all the searching and organizing 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 just about anywhere in New York, visit Wed in Central Park’s website, or “like” them on Facebook, follow them on Instagram and follow them on Pinterest where you will find lots of lovely photos and many more inspiring stories of real weddings.

A Honeyfund honeymoon registry can help you finance your perfect Central Park wedding.

BIO: Wed in Central Park is a wedding planning service run by Claire, a British-born New Yorker who got married in Central Park herself. She has managed the details for over 250 couples since starting her business in 2012.

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