Gemma and Paul came from Stockton on Tees in the UK to get married in Central Park. Paul is a dedicated supporter of Middlesbrough Football Club, and they were celebrating their fifth anniversary since they met by having lunch at the football grounds when he proposed to Gemma.
They knew that they wanted an unusual and unique location for their wedding. Paul had suggested the football grounds he loved so much but Gemma managed to persuade him to consider some other locations and they found information about Central Park on the internet. They had always wanted to visit New York City so they decided that would be their location. They felt sure the Park would provide the perfect backdrop for a romantic ceremony and they would have some beautiful photos to show for it.
They chose the Ladies’ Pavilion for their ceremony location, one of my personal favorites. The Pavilion was originally designed in 1871 as a shelter for trolley passengers and sat near the Park’s Eighth Avenue and 59th Street entrance. When construction began on the monument that stands there now, the pavilion was relocated inside the Park. It is so-called because during the Winter the Ladies’ would change into their ice skates here, before skating on the Lake.
The couple eloped to New York alone. They had no guests from home at their wedding. They stayed in New York for seven days in total, and their hotel was the Grand Hyatt on Park Avenue. Their family thought their idea to get married in Central Park was a brilliant one. They were all very impressed with their unique photo album.
After the ceremony and photos in Central Park they had a limo ride to Jacks Steakhouse for a meal, followed by champagne back at their hotel and a trip to the Empire State Building in the evening.
Gemma wore a beautiful dress and luckily she got the opportunity to wear it a second time. They had their reception when they got back home to the UK at Middlesbrough Football Club.
When asked to summarize her feelings on her wedding in Central Park Gemma said “My experience of getting Married in Central Park was just amazing, I would love to do it all again. When people ask me where I got married they are really intrigued when I say New York, they ask me all sorts of questions. All in all a wonderful exciting experience I will never forget, New York will always have a special place in my heart.”
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