New Yorkers Sarah and Daniel got married in the Ladies’ Pavilion in March. Sarah, 27, is from Long Island and Daniel, 28, is from Brooklyn. When Sarah and Daniel first started dating, she was living in Queens and he was living in Brooklyn so New York City was a central hub for their relationship. They would meet up during lunch at times and take strolls through Central Park. “To us, it was the most romantic to honor our commitment in the place where it all began,” said Sarah.
The couple met at a bar in Long Island shortly after graduating college. Daniel noticed Sarah dancing with her friends and so confidently decided to approach her to ask her out. “Living in such a digital world, I was so impressed by his old fashioned manner and ultimately decided to exchange numbers,” Sarah told me. It wasn’t too successful, though. “We went on one date and then lost touch,” Said Sarah. Years later, they reconnected online and this time, the sparks really flew. They got married on their third anniversary of being together.
Sarah and Daniel got engaged on Thanksgiving in 2021 at Daniel’s family home. Daniel had prepared for Sarah’s family to be there to surprise her so that she could share the special moment with all of her nearest and dearest. “He wrote a beautiful speech and randomly took my hand, stood me up in front of everyone, and started to recite it. It was the perfect moment!” Sarah told me.
Sarah first contacted me by email on Christmas Eve and we talked on the phone just after Christmas. They had initially started planning a more traditional wedding at a large venue, “but we quickly started to experience the stress that accompanied planning a wedding of that size,” said Sarah. “We ultimately decided that was not how we wanted our marriage to start so we moved forward with a more intimate, unconventional ceremony,” she added. So many couples tell me this; they start to go down the route of tradition, and then wonder why they are causing themselves so much stress!
They paid me their deposit on New Year’s Day and we got going with planning their low-stress wedding with a little over two months to go until their date! They choose the Ladies’ Pavilion for their ceremony location, but given that early March does see quite a few rainy days in New York, we made a bad weather backup plan for Bethesda Terrace. “Our only concern was that New York weather in March is hard to predict, but we decided that whether it’s rain or shine, we would make the most of the day!” said Sarah. The Ladies’ Pavilion would provide cover in case of rain for maybe six people, ten at a push, but they wanted their guests to be comfortable and dry if they did see wet weather on their wedding day.
I asked Sarah if she thinks smaller weddings are becoming more popular, and she said “especially during Covid, I do believe smaller ceremonies and elopements are becoming more popular. The way we live our lives has changed dramatically and I believe unconventional ceremonies will soon become the mainstream,” I certainly hope she’s right! And I do agree, many couples are interested in finding a way to make their wedding stand out from the same old stuff. Also, Sarah made a great point about why couples choose to have a smaller wedding. “After years of isolation due to Covid, I quickly learned who had the greatest impact on my life and it was those people I wanted to celebrate my special day with,” she said.
Sarah and Daniel had only their immediate family and one friend on each side attend the wedding. “When we communicated our plans for the wedding, our families were hesitant but ultimately saw the beauty that the day brought and everyone was extremely happy with how it turned out,” Sarah told me. The whole party arrived together, and we had the videographer and photographer meet them all at the entrance to Central Park. The photographer hung back with Sarah and her dad while the videographer walked the rest of the group over to the Ladies’ Pavilion, where our violinist played for them while they waited for the bride to arrive. Sarah walked into the area to the violinist playing “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele.
We kept the ceremony fairly short, with an introduction that summarised their relationship to date, and thanked their loved ones, and then they exchanged traditional vows. “We had the officiant tell the story of how we met, in which everyone was braking out into laughter,” said Sarah. After they were pronounced married, they had their first dance in the Ladies’ Pavilion to “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. “Some of my favorite pictures were taken at the Ladies’ Pavilion where we had the ceremony, because it was so private and romantic with its beautiful backdrop in front of the water,” said Sarah. “I also enjoyed the pictures in front of Bethesda Fountain,” she added. “We were lucky enough to get a horse and buggy in some of the pictures which so perfectly represents New York City.”
Sarah wore a simple sheath dress with a train, purchased from David’s Bridal, “it truly made the pictures SO beautiful” she said. We order her a standard red rose bouquet, “which brought a very vintage feel to the day!” she told me. Sarah did her own hair and makeup. I asked Sarah if she had any regrets about not having that big, traditional wedding that hey had first panned on having. “I have no regrets!” she said. “It was the most relaxing and carefree day filled with laughs and love, which is all I could have asked for on my wedding day.”
After the ceremony, the guests made their own way back to the limo while their photographer Jakub Redziniak took Sarah and Daniel around the park to take portrait photos. “It was so fun walking around Central Park to take pictures,” said Sarah. “Not to mention, all the park goers were treating us like celebrities which was so fun!” she added. After that, they met up with their guests at the limo and went home for a catered dinner. “We would have preferred a restaurant but due to Covid, we decided to stay home,” she said. It sounds like a lovely way to end the day in keeping with their relaxed, family event. They used Deborah Miller Catering for their dinner, which they highly recommend. “The presentation was beautiful and the food, delicious!” Sarah said.
I asked how we did. “The service was phenomenal,” said Sarah. “When I decided to elope in Central Park it was because I was looking for a stress free planning experience, and Claire provided just that!” she said. This is the best feedback I can hope for, because my aim is to deliver the wedding day the couple want at absolute minimal effort from them. “The day turned out better than I could have ever hoped for and I owe it all to Wed in Central Park.” Said Sarah.
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Sarah and Daniel, it was a pleasure to plan your wedding with you, and I wish you both lots of luck for your future together! If you would like me to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding or elopement, whether you’re from near or far, visit our website. Keep updated with our news and see lots of beautiful photos, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest.
