Anna and Peter eloped to New York, just the two of them, from their home in Manchester in England in September. They got married at Wagner Cove. Anna was 38 and Peter 39 when they got married.
They met online through the dating app Bumble four years before they got married. Their fourth anniversary since they met was the week before they got married. They got engaged on Anna’s birthday in February 2022. Peter popped the question in Paris at the top of the Arc D’Triomphe. “Although we’d talked about it, I’d convinced myself it wasn’t going to happen whilst we were away, so it was still a surprise,” Anna told me.
Once they were engaged, they started to think about destination wedding locations. “Initially we considered getting married in Italy, but the idea of trying to organize a wedding and then potentially having to entertain guests who came just didn’t appeal,” Anna told me. They also considered some options in the UK, but in the end they concluded that they didn’t want a big formal wedding. They had considered eloping to New York as a possibility but they realised that meant excluding loved ones from the celebration. Then, one day they were at a family party and they realised that they could have the best of both worlds. They decided to elope for the intimate ceremony and then come home and celebrate with a party afterwards with their friends and family.
Anna and Peter had planned to visit New York as their first vacation together as a couple, but Covid spoilt their plans. New York had always been somewhere that they really wanted to visit together anyway. Anna had been to New York before and had always loved Central Park. She had seen couples taking wedding photos there, and she said that it wasn’t too difficult to convince Peter of the idea. “Central Park also has so many options of locations where you can get married, and that means lots of different photo opportunities too,” she said.
I asked Anna why they wanted to get married. “Getting married for us was about having that extra commitment and an extension of that,” she said. Anna said that she does think that destination weddings and elopements might be becoming more popular. “I think couples are realising that they don’t need to have a big traditional wedding unless that’s what they want,” she said. “There are so many ways to celebrate your marriage, but the most important thing is doing what’s right for you as the couple, at the end of the day it’s your wedding and you have to do what’s right for you,” she added. I agree 100% with this, one size doesn’t have to fit all anymore, and couples can take the time to think about what suits them and there will be something out there that will work for their needs.
I always ask couples if they had any concerns in the run-up to the wedding. “I was worried there might be too many people around but we really didn’t notice it in the moment,” said Anna. That’s what lots of couples tell me. And Anna and Peter got married in Wagner Cove, which is very out-of-the-way. Even couples marrying somewhere as busy as Bow Bridge tell me that they just don’t notice the passers-by once the ceremony gets going. Anna said “afterwards people were so lovely and congratulating us which was really nice,” when they were getting their photos taken and out and about in their wedding gear. “We even got a Krispy Kreme doughnut from someone!” Anna said. If that’s not reason enough to get married in Central Park then I don’t know what is!
Anna and Peter stayed in New York for seven nights. They stayed at the Kixby Hotel. “It was well located for everything and the room was lovely” said Anna. It was just the two of them on this trip. They told me that they had originally invited a small number of family and friends but for various reasons they changed their minds and decided to make it just the two of them instead. “Luckily our families were supportive of our choice and we spoke to them all afterwards which was nice,” Anna said.
The wedding took place mid-afternoon, so they got breakfast together and then had a relaxed morning before getting ready. Anna’s advice for anyone considering doing what they did and getting married in New York is that there is so much choice in the city, couples should just find something that suits them. “Don’t feel you have to extravagant just because it’s your wedding day if you don’t want to,” she advises. She said that they had done all the touristy bits in the days before so the day of the wedding was actually one of their quieter days, which she said was needed after a hectic time getting the most out of their trip!
Anna and Peter wanted to hold the ceremony at Wagner Cove for its privacy. Also, the wooden structure would offer a little bit of cover in case of some rain for the couple and the officiant. Anna said that it was difficult to choose her favorite photos. “There’s something special about all the pictures we have because there’s little memories from each area,” she said. For example, when they got to Bow Bridge a musician started playing “Here Comes the Bride”. “And Bethesda Terrace is a really nice area to have photos as there’s such a choice of lovely backdrops so you really get a variety of pictures there,” she added.
We wrote a short introduction to the ceremony, talking about their relationship to date a little before Anna and Peter exchanged traditional vows and then rings. Anna said that they wanted to keep the vows traditional so that they could focus on the moment and enjoy it rather than worrying about doing their own vows. “The ceremony was lovely and relaxed,” said Anna. “Our officiant put us at ease straight away which definitely helped,” she added.
Anna’s dress was by a New York designer, Jenny Yoo. She purchased it from Flamingo Boulevard, “which is an amazing independent bridal boutique in Liverpool,” Anna said. So she points out that her dress went from New York to Liverpool to Manchester and back to New York. Peter had his three piece suit custom made by King and Allen tailors based in Knutsford. “We chose everything ourselves which just added to how special it is,” said Anna.
Anna and Peter went to a florist close to their hotel, Scotts Flowers on 37th Street, and they created Anna’s beautiful arrangement for her based on the colors they wanted. “They were stunning and better than I expected and I loved how well they went with everything,” Anna said. They don’t usually do wedding florals, but they trimmed the stems short for them so Anna could carry them as a bouquet. Anna used Glam Squad for her hair, “they came to the hotel and were brilliant, understood exactly what I wanted and executed it perfectly,” Anna told me. “It was so easy to arrange as well using their app,” she added. She did her own makeup after a private class back at home in the UK by Bridal by Frankie.
After the wedding ceremony and then taking photos in Central Park, Anna and Peter went for dinner at the Park Avenue Tavern which Anna said she would highly recommend. “The food was delicious and the service was exceptional. The atmosphere was really good and the music was great,” she said. After dinner they went to the Summit at One Vanderbilt which they said was fun, it is full of different rooms to interact with. “Cocktails and views after a good meal was a perfect way to end the day,” said Anna.
I always ask our couples if they have any regrets about not having a “traditional” wedding closer to home. “No, not at all,” said Anna. “Our wedding was about us, and what we wanted and we were lucky that our families and friends supported and understood our choice. Plus we’re having a big celebration when we get home with everyone so we’re getting the best of both worlds.” They absolutely are. I really like this way of doing things, I expect it takes a lot of the stress away that some people feel about having a big wedding, because it’s just a party!
I asked Anna how we did. “I very much doubt it would have gone as seamlessly and as stress free if it weren’t for Claire. She was always available to help answer any questions I had and to offer advice which was greatly appreciated” Anna said. “It was also reassuring to know if there had been a problem with the anything there was someone with a wealth of knowledge and resources to help,” she added. She said that their officiant and their photographer Jakub Redziniak both really put them at ease straight away which definitely helped to relax them. “We were able to trust in them completely and it made the day more enjoyable,” she said. That’s so lovely to hear!
Anna answered my questions for this blog a week or so after the wedding took place, and she said that she can honestly say the only thing she would have changed about their wedding would be her shoes! Other than that, she said it was perfect. If only I had a dollar for every time a bride tells me that she regrets her shoes! If you’re a future bride, please keep this in mind.
“Just want to say again a massive thank you for all your help in making the wedding so amazing, it was the most perfect day and I know majority of that was because of you. Thank you so much,” she added. It was an absolute please to guide you through this process of planning your elopement. I wish you the best of luck for your future together, Anna and Peter. If you would like me to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding, either a large affair or a small and intimate one like this one, 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.
