Fallon and Ross brought a group of close friends and family with them to New York in December for their wedding. They got married in the Ladies’ Pavilion, beside Central Park Lake. Ross is from Edinburgh, Scotland and Fallon is from Leeds, England.
The couple met when they were both at University in Edinburgh, they were both working at the same nightclub. They were friends for about a year before they became a couple and had been together for just over eleven years when they got married. Ross was 32 and Fallon was 31. “We would have been married much sooner, but our love of travel took over our bank balances and we just never quite got round to it,” Fallon told me. “We have been lucky enough to travel all over Asia, Europe and the US as well as living in New Zealand for a short amount of time,” she added.
Fallon and Ross got engaged in October 2024 on a trip they took to Singapore to celebrate their tenth anniversary of being together. Ross popped the question under the lights at the Gardens By The Bay after the light show. He told Fallon afterwards that he had always planned to do it there as he knew it was her favorite place out of anywhere they had ever been together. With their love of travel there was no question that they wanted to get married abroad. “We always wanted a small wedding as it is what suits our personalities and likes best,” Fallon said. Christmas is her favorite time of year, so they very quickly decided on December being the month when they wanted to get married. Then they started to consider where might be a place they would want to visit at this time of year and they were drawn to New York. “The only other option we considered was a Vegas wedding by Elvis,” Fallon told me. “Having been to both cities before we were torn, but in the end we flipped a coin which picked for us,” she said.
I’m so glad that fate chose New York for them! “It worked out well for us as nowhere does Christmas quite like NYC and looking back we can’t imagine having our wedding anywhere else,” Fallon said. She told me that she and Ross have acted like a married couple for as long as they can remember, so nothing really changes for us to be married. But making things official felt like the next step in their relationship. “Now we are able to share life’s accomplishments and challenges together legally, as a unit and with the same name,” she said. “We stumbled upon Wed in Central Park by chance when looking at locations in NYC to get married,” Fallon told me. “We looked through the website and social media and we were sold!” she added. “After we first spoke to you asking for a bit more information, we were both sure we didn’t need to look anywhere or for anyone else to help plan our wedding,” Fallon said.
I asked if they had had any concerns about getting married in New York. “Our biggest concern was the weather as it can be really hit or miss in New York in December!” Fallon said. They chose the Ladies’ Pavilion for their ceremony location, which does have a roof, but wouldn’t fit their whole group under the roof so some would get wet in the case of heavy rain. So, we made a good weather plan and wet weather plan, and we agreed they would hold the ceremony underneath Bethesda Terrace in the case of heavy rain. “You really put our minds at ease by having a back up location in case the weather didn’t hold out for us, but regardless we just accepted that it’s something that comes with the territory getting married outside in December,” Fallon said. The other thing Fallon and Ross were slightly concerned about was whether people may pass through the ceremony space or try to use the same space at the same time as them, this is another common worry. “We had no reason to worry at all. Having the permit for the space put our minds at ease and everyone we encountered on the day was really respectful, kind and friendly. I lost count how many people offered their congratulations!” Fallon told me. Lots of couples tell me that they really enjoy the congratulations they received from New Yorkers and it adds to the good memories of their special day.
In the end, it didn’t rain and the locals were respectful and pleasant. Another good thing about holding a wedding in the Ladies’ Pavilion is that it’s kind of an enclosed structure, and as a result it’s quite clear that this space is for the wedding, so it’s very unlikely that anyone would wander through. “Our ceremony went better than we ever imagined,” Fallon said. “Our officiant and photographer were both so friendly and knowledgeable,” she said. She and I had worked on the ceremony wording together beforehand. I always ask our couples some questions about themselves and we go back and forth a little to get the ceremony that feels right for them. “Having the time to mend and reflect on our ceremony wording during the planning process was so valuable – Ross and I were able to reminisce about some of our favorite moments together and equally able to take the time to remember those who couldn’t join us which was important to us both,” she explained. They wouldn’t get that sort of attention from Elvis in Vegas!
Their guests were close family. “Most of our guests had been quite worried about the cold in December, but they all enjoyed the ceremony and the day and couldn’t have imagined us doing it anywhere else,” Fallon said. “They were really impressed how well everything was planned and came together given everything was planned via email!” she told me. Lots of couples tell me this. After planning hundreds of wedding since starting this business in 2012, I feel I know what I’m doing now and have a slick process. Fallon bought her wedding gown from a small boutique in Harrogate close to her hometown and Ross stayed true to his roots and wore a kilt bought from Glasgow. I had arranged for their flowers to be delivered to their hotel on the morning of their wedding and they had seasonal blooms, and they had been sure they wanted to include thistles as another nod to their home in Scotland. I had also arranged for a hair and makeup team to come to the hotel room to make the bride and the maid of honor look so amazing.
After the ceremony, and photos at the Ladies’ Pavilion with the group, their photographer took Fallon and Ross for some portrait photos around Central Park. Then they left in a cab to get some shots at Times Square. While they did that, the guests went on to Valerie to enjoy a cocktail drinks reception. The newlyweds joined them after their photos and went on to to Tao Uptown for dinner. They had hired out a private space there and they told me that they had some amazing food there. They all walked back down to Midtown and caught a show on Broadway. “When we were walking to Broadway, Ross and I walked past the Rockefeller Center with the Saks Fifth light show playing in the background when we caught the first flurries of snow – that moment just encapsulated the whole magic of having a wedding in NYC in the run up to Christmas,” Fallon told me.
Fallon and Ross and their group stayed in New York for five days. They all stayed at Iroquois Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. “It was a fab location, right amongst the hustle and bustle!” Fallon said. I asked if they had any regrets about not having a “traditional” wedding closer to home? “None,” Fallon said. “For Ross and I, having a destination wedding took away so many pressures of planning a ‘traditional’ wedding, and really gave us the opportunity to make sure that everything we planned for our day was for us and that we spent it doing the things we enjoy,” she said. That’s exactly our aim, and I’m so glad to hear it!
I asked if they had any other thoughts on marrying in Central Park that they would like to share with anyone else considering doing something similar. “If you’re unsure, go for it! One of the best decisions we have made,” Fallon said. I am always asked for restaurant suggestions, so I always ask our couples. “Tao Uptown and Bazar Tapas are an absolute must! And Hole in the Wall for breakfast,” They recommend. They held a welcome dinner for all of their family the night before the wedding at Baires Grill which they said was a massive hit. I asked how we did. “We couldn’t recommend Wed in Central Park enough and it is at the top of our recommendation list for anyone thinking about a destination wedding in New York,” Fallon said. “Claire has been amazing from start to finish; the planning was so stress free, all our questions were answered so quickly and in such detail that by the time our day came around we were able to just enjoy it. Everyone involved with the wedding was absolutely faultless. Ross and I can’t thank Claire enough, we wouldn’t change a single thing about our day,” she added.
Thanks so much for your kind words, and for sharing your story, Fallon and Ross, and I wish you both the very best of luck for the future. If you would like me to help you with your own Central Park wedding, whether want to celebrate in New York with family as this couple did, or eloping alone, visit our website. December weddings are so very popular! Keep updated with our news and see lots of beautiful photos, follow us on Instagram, follow us on Facebook, follow us on TikTok, and follow us on Pinterest.
Discover more from Elopements and Weddings in Central Park, New York
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Type your email…
