Charlotte is from the glorious town of Stoke on Trent (my hometown) and Nelson is from Coventry. They met in 2001 when they were in their teens via a poetry forum, but had only begun to get to know each other over the phone. Then Charlotte was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and they lost touch while she had treatment. A few months after it was over, she contacted him and they arranged to meet face to face. They clicked straight away and began the long-distance romance, but Nelson soon moved up to Stoke on Trent and they got a house together.
The couple had gone to London for a weekend break in the Summer of 2003 when Nelson proposed. Straight away they started to think about a wedding location, with the plan being a five star hotel in London. They had originally wanted to get married the following year, but put it off to save more money. Then they got the urge to travel a little and in the end decided to combine the two, and spend their savings on a holiday to New York and to get married while they were there. “I loved the idea of us having our wedding and a honeymoon all in one place and for it to be in our favorite spot in our favorite city was just brilliant,” said Charlotte. “ It amazes me how one second you can be in the center of all the hustle and bustle of a major city and the next feel like you are on your own desert island. Central Park is an escape for me and each time we have been in the park we have found somewhere quiet; somewhere to breathe, relax and dream.”
I asked why marriage was important to them and Charlotte said “it is the ultimate bond between two people. Our vows were very personal to us and they were our expression of support, loyalty, love and unity.”
Charlotte and Nelson’s ceremony was held on Bow Bridge. One of Charlotte’s favorite photos of them (and mine) is taken under the Bethesda Terrace. The beautiful tiles that decorate it were made by the famous pottery manufacturer Minton in her hometown and mine, Stoke on Trent, for the original design of Central Park. When the Park was recently restored the Conservancy were pleased to find out that Minton still existed and they were able to purchase replacement tiles from the exact same place the original tiles were from.
Charlotte wore a dress with black embroidery lace all around the train of the and detailing over the body. The top part was black satin with a silver diamanté brooch. She carried a bouquet of fresh cream roses. They wanted a quiet, intimate wedding where the only focus was their marriage, so they flew out with just Charlotte’s best friend, Adele, and her boyfriend from California joined them in New York. Adele thought it was incredible. She thought the location was much better than she would have expected and more intimate than any wedding she had been to.
Charlotte cannot recommend a Central Park wedding enough, “I honestly believe that any wedding in New York would be amazingly special but Central Park will always have a special meaning to me. It has beautiful architecture, stunning green fields, amazing skylines and views, and something for everybody to appreciate no matter what the season or the weather.”
