I have been planning weddings in Central Park for some time now, and I have recently been receiving requests to help plan marriage proposals in Central Park. I have now added a Central Park marriage proposal package to my list of services.
Below are some tips and ideas to get you thinking about how you might like to propose in Central Park. There are lots of beautiful spots in the Park, I discuss the various event locations in Central Park on my website.
Take a sunrise or sunset walk in Central Park with your loved one. Central Park is lovely and peaceful first thing in a morning, the tourists have yet to arrive and the majority of people you will pass will be joggers and dog walkers. If you wanted to take some photos early morning is the ideal time to get pictures of places such as The Mall or Sheep Meadow, which are usually full of people during the day. Summertime is a nice time to take a sunrise walk. In the Winter many people would probably prefer a walk through Central Park in the middle of the day. New York sees some glorious bright and sunny day in the Winter, and when it has recently snowed, Central Park looks beautiful. There are some spots in Central Park that look especially pretty at sunset. Anywhere near the Lake or other body of water looks pretty at this time. Check our website for more information on New York sunrise and sunset times.
During the Winter there is an Ice Rick at Wollman Rink at the South end of Central Park. This would be a lovely place to get down on one knee and pop the question – but only if you are fairly confident on ice skates! If you want to take pictures while you are there, the best time would be the middle of the day, to get the tress and the iconic New York skyline in the background.
Spring, Summer and early Fall would be great time to have a romantic picnic in Central Park. I can help organize this for you, either to have something delivered to you, or suggest the best places to pick up your own picnic food. There are some lovely, private spots where you could have a picnic that I can suggest. The North end of the Park is better for secluded areas.
If you really want to wow your partner then you could consider hiring an acoustic musician. Central Park does not allow amplified music, but if you and your partner love music, or have a special song or songs that you love then I can help you to arrange for an acoustic musician to be waiting for you in a particular spot. I can also apply for an event permit from the Central Park Conservancy to ensure that the location your choose will be yours for as long as you like. The musician can play for you either before, during or after you propose.
It is lovely to take a rowing a boat on the Lake. You could take your partner out a little way then pop the question out on the water. Then, you would return to land an engaged couple. This is an especially nice thing to do at sunset in the Summer. You could have a table reserved at the Boathouse for when you have finished your row.
If you wanted to capture your proposal with some photographs then there are a couple of ways that we can do it. We could either have the photographer meet you at a particular time and place, perhaps with some flowers, and then you would have to propose there and then. This is a good option for those who feel they need the push to get the nerve to ask.
Another option is to tell your partner that you are taking them on a special walking tour of Central Park and that you have hired a photographer to take pictures of your special day out. That way you can take your time to get to a special location and the photographer can get up close to take pictures of the big moment.
One more way we can do it is for us to plan for the photographer to be hiding nearby. We would agree a rough time and an exact place and have the photographer wait inconspicuously nearby. At the signal from you (probably getting down on one knee) the photographer will start to take photos “paparazzi style.” This allows you to have a private moment for the big question, but then photographer could come along and take some more close-up posed shots around Central Park for you to remember the special day.
When planning your proposal, keep in mind the weather, a walk in Central Park in the Winter may have to be kept fairly short because of the cold temperatures. Also, be aware that the snow may look beautiful on photographs, but it is no fun to be outdoors in a heavy snowstorm. In high Summer, New York can be hot and humid, but Central Park is usually the freshest place to be in Manhattan in the Summer.
Check out our website or email me for more information on how I can help you to plan your marriage proposal in Central Park. If you have any other great ideas of how or where you could propose in Central Park, or a story of you own, then please share your comments below.
