This year has been an eventful one for this blog. It has been nominated for the UK Blog Awards 2019. At the time of writing I don’t know if it is through to the next phase, but I’m thrilled to have been a part of it, and I’ve found some other great blogs because of it.
Last year I got into a routine of posting once per week on the blog. This year I structured things a little more, posting a real wedding one week, and an advice or general information piece the next, then real wedding, advice, and so on. I try to show the vast range of weddings that take place in Central Park – big ones, small ones, short and sweet or big and extravagant, local New Yorkers effectively marrying in their backyard or visitors from around the world. Some couples come to me a couple of years in advance, this year I broke my record for the least time I’ve planned a wedding in – twelve days! I love to tell the stories of all the couples who marry in this incredible place.
2018 has been a busy year for me personally and it’s gone by very quickly. My kids turned the grand old ages of three and five this year. So, the most important thing for me for the first three-quarters of 2018 was spending plenty of time with my oldest before he started school this September. I’ve also had a milestone birthday myself, celebrated in Paris.
At the end of last year I posted by top five posts of 2017, and I found it quite useful to go over things. These are the most viewed posts of the year, regardless of which year I posted them in.
Four out of five of the posts that were the most-read of last year were written in 2014. I did wonder if that meant that I’ve already written my best or most helpful content. This year the top five includes two from 2012, one from 2014, one from 2017 and one from 2018. So, that shows that I am still thinking of stuff to write about that people really find useful, and that’s important to me. Looking at what was popular this year will help me to decide what to write for next year.
So, this is what my followers have been reading the most in 2018.
1 The Top Ten Best Places to Take Wedding Photos in New York
This blog post was intended as a very short list of photos for couples who had married in Central Park and wanted to take photos in other parts of New York City after their wedding. Because it has been read so many times, I wonder if it is getting hits from people who are visiting New York for a vacation. Either way, I do mention several Central Park locations a few times in this list. I do love Central Park, but the other usual suspects are in the list, too. The popularity of this post inspired me to write my list of the best (free or cheap) places for photos with the NYC skyline this year.
2 Restaurant Recommendations for your Wedding Day
This is such a frequently asked question, and an impossible one to answer for someone else! That’s why I have written several blogs on the subject of New York restaurants, and have a couple more planned for this year. This list is from 2012, so some recommendations will be out of date, so I wrote another on New York restaurant recommendations in 2014, which I admit may also be a little out of date now. I have also been posting round-up lists of where couples who featured in the blog ate. So far I’ve posted recommendations for the couples who featured on the blog in 2015 and in 2016. I’m planning on sharing the 2014 wedding recommendations early next year, and I’ll also start compiling some lists for the more recently married couples. I also frequently get asked for suggestions of great rooftop bars, and there are quite a few in New York, so I wrote a post on that, too.
So many restaurants to choose from…
3 Twenty Wedding Readings and Poems
This is another post I wrote that was intended to answer a frequently asked question that I get from my clients, but I think it’s a post that may have been useful to couples planning a wedding anywhere else. When I plan a wedding for my clients I ask them a series of questions that allows me to write a unique ceremony just for them. Some want a reading, or perhaps more than one. Either a guest can read it, or the officiant. Not everyone wants a reading, it’s entirely up to the couple. A quick search online will show up a very long list of possibilities. On this list are some that my couples have chosen previously, and some of my own personal favorites. Next year I’ll be posting tips on writing your own vows, some ideas for how to make your promises in the ceremony (instead of or as well as the good old love, honor and cherish) and some alternative wording for the ring exchange.
4 Wedding Vow Renewal in Central Park
I think this may have been my first blog post of 2018 and it’s been a popular one. I love being involved with vow renewals. I love them for a similar reason to my love for weddings – everyone has a unique story. But many married couples have a much longer and more complex story because they’re shared so much. So, a vow renewal feels very special. I’ve had a steep increase in enquires about vow renewals this year, so perhaps they’re on the rise. I will try to write a little more on vow renewals next year.
5 How to get your marriage license in New York City
This is a real golden-oldie, and one I share with every couple who contacts me about getting married in Central Park. It’s an important one, and experience has taught me that people planning weddings have a lot on their minds, so I often share this post three times with a couple during the planning process, just to make sure they’re clear on it. It’s a very straightforward process but it’s the important legal part, so the couple have to do it themselves.
For more information to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding, visit our website, or “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest where you will find lots of lovely photos and many more inspiring stories of real weddings. I would love to hear any suggestions of what other subjects you would like to see me write about in the coming year, please comment below if you have any ideas.
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