Anita and Grant came from Melbourne, Australia to get married in Central Park this November. They have been together for just over three years. They met at work, dated for six months and then moved in together. They got engaged Summer 2014 in Singapore while on their way back to Australia after attending a friend’s wedding in Penang, Malaysia.
They had spoken about getting engaged for some time before they got engaged. “It was the right time and we were both ready for the next step,” said Anita. “Family is very important to us and marriage reinforces our commitment to each other. It is a symbol of our love and promise to forever be partners in life.”
They discussed a local wedding before settling for New York. They have a large family and a big group of friends and they felt that organizing such a grand event would take away the magic and intimacy that they both wanted from their wedding day. “While we both love our family and friends, a big wedding just wasn’t us,” said Anita. “We wanted a small intimate wedding that complemented our relationship – private and personal,” she said. They told me that their friends and family respected their decision to marry overseas.
Anita and Grant arrived in New York six days ahead of their wedding. Before the wedding, they stayed at a cute apartment in the East Village supplied by East Village Suites. For the wedding, they stayed at Hotel on Rivington, a boutique hotel in the Lower East Side. “They generously upgraded our room to a beautiful suite and gave us access to their 360 degree city skyline rooftop with our photographers,” said Anita.
They were in New York City because Grant was running the New York Marathon. So, they decided to tie the knot in the city’s iconic Central Park while they were here. They both consider themselves outdoorsy people and they knew that Central Park in the Autumn would make for some great photographs.
The ladies’ hair was done by Fiona from B Dry Blow Bar in Tribeca and they did their own makeup. Anita wore a couture ivory wedding dress that was covered in intricate lace with a small train, purchased in Melbourne. She carried a bouquet of pink and white roses. Grant wore a three piece navy blue suit from Hugo Boss with a baby pink tie to compliment Anita’s bouquet. They had seven guests, all close friends, and one cousin.
Their ceremony was held next to the Gapstow Bridge. They had originally planned to have the ceremony on the Bridge, but once they saw it they decided not to, because there were too many people around. They walked down to the side of the Pond next to the Bridge to hold the ceremony. “It was perfect,” said Anita. “Gapstow Bridge was right behind us, and behind that were the high-rise buildings, and we were surrounded by beautiful autumn leaves,” she said.
After the ceremony they walked North through the Park to the Boathouse. As they walked they took photographs along the way. They had lunch there at the Boathouse, then after lunch, Anita and Grant went to Grand Central and Brooklyn Bridge for more photos before heading back to the hotel to take photos on their rooftop.
For dinner, the wedding party went to Per Se for a nine course chef tasting menu and Anita said “it was the best meal we’ve ever had. The service was impeccable and the chefs at the restaurant are genius!” After dinner, they went to the Gansevoort Hotel for a few more drinks before heading back.
I asked Anita if she had any comments about me and she said “Claire was extremely professional and courteous. She responded to emails quickly. It could have been difficult for us to organize the wedding from afar as we did not know the process and paperwork, etc, but Claire provided all the relevant information we needed.” You were a pleasure to work with, Anita. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Anita and Grant, and good luck for your future together! Thanks for sharing your own personal photos with us, too. For more information on planning your own Central Park wedding, visit our website, or “like” us on Facebook for photos and more inspiring stories.