ElopeNewYork.com

Christmas Honeymoon Apartment

2009-10-30T23:05:00.003-04:00

My friend Dixie is letting her apartment again for the Christmas Holidays (or other times, as it's available). She can provide a comfortable downtown apartment in an excellent location (with a balcony view of the statue of liberty), AND a wedding ceremony at your location of choice, or in the apartment itself. Drop me a line at info@weddingsofnewyork.com and I'll pass on the contact information if you wish more information.

Staten Island Ferry weddings - no permit needed.

2009-10-19T21:20:00.002-04:00

Wedding Granny Eileen sends this email from the Staten Island Ferry crew: "We do not provide permits to get married on The Staten Island Ferry, however, people are allowed to get married, if they bring their own officiant & if they can board the vessel and perform the ceremony within the 25 min trip, without being disruptive and obey any directives from the crew". Of course you still have to SIGN THE LICENSE ON LAND.

Free Stuff to do in New York

2009-10-18T20:12:00.001-04:00

ArtsyNewYork. This is a very quick Blogette on free museums and lectures and concerts and artsy touristy stuff to do in New York City. I wrote it for a friend of my daughter's who is visiting NYC. It's quick, it's incomplete, and I'll try to make it better. But enjoy!

Central Park Gondola Weddings

2009-10-07T15:00:00.002-04:00

Yes, we do them - in fact, just as we were the first do to a HighLine wedding, evidently we performed the first Gondola wedding. Our senior wedding granny, Beth, performed a lovely wedding (with children!) in the Central Park Gondola at 9am last Saturday, getting a nice early start before the tourists.

Washington Square Park East closed for reno

2009-10-03T11:26:00.004-04:00

Just a heads-up for Phase 2. See the Washington Square Park Blog for details. Note: the arch is restored and open.

Marriage Bureau closed Nov 3, Nov 11, Nov 26

2009-09-29T00:19:00.002-04:00

Election day AND Veterans Day AND Thanksgiving. Plan accordingly!

Low-cost indoor wedding locations - Condo Party Rooms

2009-09-26T11:24:00.004-04:00

We have done several nice weddings, from 30-100 people, in party rooms at condos. We had a particularly nice event on Roosevelt Island on the top floor of a building which is primarily Columbia Student housing - a great view. Catering by - Fresh Direct, supplemented with pot luck and a home-made wedding cake. Simple and fun.
Start asking your friends for party room privileges at their apartment buildings.

the Ritz Battery Park has an outdoor balcony

2009-09-19T21:05:00.004-04:00

On the 14th Floor. It can be yours for a private wedding - with a little negotiation with the concierge, of course. Here's a lovely (astonishingly tall) couple, with a great view of the harbor. Photos by Kim Coccagnia.
Prosit!

Wedding lunch for a Central Park wedding

2009-09-18T13:58:00.000-04:00

...Is sometimes cheaper than wedding dinner, of course! We married a lovely couple last month who scheduled their Central Park wedding to fit their reservations at JeanGeorges, at the Trump Tower at 1pm. As experienced diners, they knew that the tasting menu was reasonable, and the prices were great for lunch. I've never eaten there, alas, but they were kind enough to share the menu - here's the bride's email:

"...as promised this is what we ate at Jean Georges...

* Yellow fin Tuna Ribbons, Avocado, Spicy radish & ginger marmalade
* Sea Scallops, caramelized cauliflower with a caper raisin emulsion
* Peekytoe Crab, asparagus, mustard and melon juice
* Foie Gras Brulee with slowly roasted strawberries
* Maine lobster and potato gnocchi smoked butter and pickled chillies
* Gently smoked squab, summer peas and mint
* Jean Georges Chocolate Cake with Vanilla bean Ice Cream
* Cocoa noodles, peppermint broth and white chocolate sorbet

"I think the menu pretty much speaks for itself... it was simply magnificent! They also gave us each a free glass on champagne and all of the deserts beautifully presented with congratulations free of charge!"

Lovely Wedding at the Top of the Rock

2009-09-12T12:35:00.006-04:00

Here's Eileen, one of the "wedding grannies" with a lovely couple at the Top of the Rock. They're outside behind the safety glass. If it's windy or damp, you can stay inside in the covered observation room and run out for pictures afterwards. PLEASE NOTE: TOTR is best for SMALL weddings and elopements - not large groups. It's often crowded, and everyone has to pay the admission fee ($20 - discount coupons on the plaza outside).

Brooklyn Bridge Weddings: 4 years of renovations coming

2009-09-10T22:10:00.003-04:00

If you want to be married ON the Brooklyn Bridge (or under it, in Fulton Ferry Landing or DUMBO, be aware that up to 4 years of renovations may be starting THIS DECEMBER. Though they say "the pedestrian walkway will remain open during construction" - if it's like the Manhattan bridge reno, it's likely to be wrapped, endlessly...

Elderly guests and Central Park

2009-09-10T09:05:00.004-04:00

We have had a few requests for accommodating elderly or disabled guests in the Park. If you pick your spot where it is accessible to a paved access road/path, you can transport your guests via Pedicab (they can go places the horse carriages cannot, obviously). Make sure to work out a pickup time after the ceremony. Cop Cot is close to the street, but up a giant hill - hard to walk, and too high to ride up. Choose a fairly level place, close to one of the park roads and paved access paths. Cherry Hill is a good example, from which you can walk to Bow Bridge or Wagner Cove or of course Bethesda. The rustic shelter in the Dene is walkable from 5th, The Mall is good, lots of nice statues and planters. Bring along a lawn chair if there are no benches nearby.

Central Park - rainy day locations

2009-08-31T21:57:00.006-04:00

Here is a couple on a SUNNY day under the archway at the Minton Terrace, which leads to the Bethesda Fountain. The terrace has been restored, and it provides welcome shelter from sun and rain, and a dramatic frame. It's rather crowded on a summer weekend, of course - but worth remembering. The lovely photograph is by Michael Skoglund

Wagner Park - lovely views for small weddings, and Gigino's Restaurarnt

2009-08-30T18:52:00.006-04:00

Here's a picture I took from Wagner Park, at the foot of Manhattan, to the West of Battery Park, looking out to the Statue of Liberty. It's a great spot for weddings, and often overlooked. Relatively quiet during the week, great restaurant under the bridge for celebrating (Giginos) and a bit of shelter in case of a sprinkle under the walkway.

UK residents and Marriage License registration

2009-08-30T16:57:00.002-04:00

I got an email back from the British Embassy regarding UK residents and US marriage licenses. It confirms my understanding that UK residents do NOT need an apostille stamp. They ask UK residents to "Please visit the official web site of UK DirectGov at "Registering Life Events". See: Registering an Oversea Marriage.

Note, you can also send your original NY license (once you get it in the mail from the NY City Clerk) to the GRO (General Registry Office) and they will register your marriage in perpetuity in the UK.

Marriage License: You have to get your marriage license IN NEW YORK to get married IN NEW YORK

2009-08-20T13:42:00.006-04:00

There have been a rash of emails about this topic - not sure if it's the heat wave, but we'll try to explain again:

You must apply for a marriage license IN THE STATE IN WHICH YOU ARE BEING MARRIED. You cannot bring a Texas or New Jersey license to New York. In other words, if you get married in Barbados, you apply for a Barbados license, and get married by a Barbados officiant. If you're being married in NYC, you can apply for a marriage license ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK, but you must be married by an officiant who is certified by the CITY OF NEW YORK (the 5 boroughs).

Waiting period: The waiting period for a marriage in New York City is 24 hours. That means if you get through the line and get your license stamped at 2:13pm, you can be married after 2:13pm the next day. Of course City Hall is CLOSED on the weekends, so if you apply on Fridays, you'll have to come back on MONDAY to be married at City Hall, or find a certified officiant to marry you on the weekends.

After the wedding, if you need your official marriage license right away (instead of waiting for it come in the mail), you must go BACK to the Manhattan City Hall the next weekday morning with the license, properly signed by yourself, the witnesses and the officiant, and you can get the official certificate for a small fee. This is only possible if you applied for your license at the MANHATTAN office at 141 Worth Street.

More details here:

Plough wind: Central Park trees get hit

2009-08-19T18:48:00.005-04:00

Gothamist has pix
100s of trees toppled NY Times.

“It seems like Central Park was essentially the ground zero,” said David Wally, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s office in Upton, N.Y., on Long Island. “Manhattan, the Bronx and the northern part of Queens were the primary recipients of the severe weather.” At the height of the storm, shortly after 10 p.m., the city’s Office of Emergency Management reported that more than 100 trees had been felled, with the damage concentrated on the west side of the park near streets in the 90s.

I think it's mostly elms on the Great Hill -- sigh.

Surprise wedding: Engagement party and Wedding in One

2009-07-28T21:09:00.004-04:00

We're having a nice surprise party wedding next week. The couple have asked their friends and family to dinner to celebrate their engagement, and then I'm going to make an appearance after the cocktails, and ask the couple to come forward -- and we'll have a wedding, instead of just a party. Only two people are in on the plan, and it should be a wonderful family event. The ceremony will be simple, they have bought a simple pair of rings, and we'll be sure to have a camera ready.

We've done this before, and it's always wonderful. Get your license a few days ahead, have a plan for pictures, a special dessert, glasses for toasting, and lots of hugs. They are going to ask their mothers to hold their rings, after they announce the plan, and their sibling/dad will sign the license. I think it will be memorable.

Weddings on Red Hook Pier in Brooklyn

2009-07-15T17:05:00.004-04:00

When you're filling out the Parks permit, the NAME of the park on the pier in Red Hook is: Valentino Pier, named in honor of firefighter and Parks lifeguard Louis J. Valentino, Jr. (1958 – 1996). Valentino lost his life while searching for wounded firefighters in a three-alarm blaze in an illegal Flatlands garage.

New York Honeymoon Apartment - plus wedding!

2009-07-13T21:54:00.007-04:00

Want to avoid hotels? My friend Dixie now has an apartment available for honeymoons - and she'll throw in a wedding & marriage officiant. Here's her suggestion: Obtain Marriage License on Friday; Wedding Ceremony on Saturday or Sunday; enjoy your New York stay in a beautiful balcony apartment overlooking the Statue of Liberty! She's got lots of lovely parks close by with great views for a wedding. If you want to know more, drop me an email at info@weddingsofnewyork.com and I'll pass it on to her. Our friend KC also has a photography package to offer and a limo and hair and makeup available.

Sunrise Wedding on the Brooklyn Bridge

2009-07-08T10:47:00.008-04:00

PHOTO: Becky Holladay.
We had a lovely wedding at 6am on the Brooklyn Bridge - and then a marvellous wedding breakfast. There are a surprising number of joggers and bicyclists at 6 in the morning (stay on the pedestrian side of the walkway!) and it's quite noisy with traffic underneath, but you can't beat the view :-) See Becky's Wedding Photograaphy

Wedding Locations Hipster Alert - Brooklyn's East River Park concerts

2009-07-03T13:13:00.004-04:00

After a week of fun Hipster weddings in Williamsburg, I noticed today that Brooklyn's East River State Park, which we had just adopted as a 'post-industrial urban setting with grass and City Views', has now become the new concert venue for the displaced McCarren Pool concerts. This article from the NYTimes lists the OTHER concert venues this summer, including Governor's Island, the South Street Seaport, Central Park, etc.

So if you're planning a quiet wedding - check the concert schedules first!

(and yes, I broke down, and we DID have a lovely quick HighLine wedding yesterday. Ah, it was fun, despite the crowds. Pix soon)

Non-Profit Wedding Venue: HousingWorks Bookstore, SOHO

2009-06-30T10:00:00.005-04:00

We're adding the HousingWorks Bookstore to our list of non-profit wedding venues we love. This great bookstore and cafe is a 'secret' peaceful hideaway in SOHO, where I donate all my used books and CDs. You can join their mailing list for special events, and you can get married here:
"With its twenty-foot ceilings, spiral staircases, mahogany balconies, and rows upon rows of books, this downtown bookshop resembles an Ivy League library. It can hold up to 120 guests for a sit-down dinner, with in-house catering available but not mandatory. Hourly rental rates start at $500, and every cent goes to benefit the homeless living with AIDS".

Pix from Brooklyn's Martha Stewart PopUp Wedding Chapel

2009-06-26T22:31:00.008-04:00

Picture by Sarah Sloboda

We're marrying 5 couples at the Martha Stewart PopUP Wedding Chapel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in June. Here are some pix from the photoshoot for the first wedding. And here's the little ABC News clip. Best wishes to all the lovely couples - a pink time was had by all.

New York's Highline Opens - Map of entrances.

2009-06-10T11:06:00.013-04:00

pix by Jason Kuffer. Yes, you can get married at the Highline. But for now, why not just enjoy a quiet walk? It's not very big (only the southern end is open), and a brief small wedding of 5 people might be nice - but there are so many BIGGER parks to choose, of course. We'd hate to see this oasis of calm get swamped with events (though we have already seen wedding photographers clump up the stairs with high-heeled bridies). Here's a MAP of where you can enter.

See Katie Sokoler's night-time pix! (Katie shot the Improv Wedding Reception photos, below!)

UPDATE: OK, we DID marry a nice couple on a Monday Morning - very quick, 20 people, we had to run from the rain, but it was fun. But it's generally impossible later in the day or on the weekend - the guards will tell you stories about the crowding and the lines and the hissy fits over the lounge chairs, etc.