John and Joanne got married with us in the Ladies’ Pavilion. They eloped from their home in England for their wedding in June. The original plan was for them to get married in 2020, but of course Covid put a stop to that. John was 53 and Joanne was 49 when they got married.
I always ask our couples how they met and I’ll be honest, this is the first time anyone has told me that their new wife was their first wife’s best friend, and that she was a bridesmaid at the wedding. After John’s marriage ended John and Joanne weren’t in touch at all but some time after Joanne’s marriage ended too they happened to meet again, and eventually they got together. They had lived together for twelve years before they were married, so they’re not the type to rush things.
Joanne used to joke that John was commitment phobic. Then they hit a bad spell of family members sadly passing away, losing nine family members within five years. After Joanne lost her father, John then decided that he would surprise Joanne with a surprise wedding in New York. Then of course Covid ruined everyone’s plans for 2020 and Joanne’s mom and brother let the cat out of the bag by telling her. So after that it was no longer a surprise, and we postponed it by a couple of years to be sure that they could get to New York to say “I do.”
John and Joanne stayed for five nights at the Archer Hotel at 45 W38th St. He said the staff were excellent, and upon their arrival, they were greeted with a bottle of Prosecco, which always starts a stay off well! They never considered getting married anywhere else but Central Park. They had originally wanted to get married in Wagner Cove but we couldn’t get a permit for that space for their date so we went with the Ladies’ Pavilion. “The Ladies Pavilion was lovely and we highly recommend this location,” said John.
I ask all of our couples if they had any regrets about not having a traditional wedding close to home. John said their only regret was that because they weren’t in a rush to get married, that when they finally did, their parents had died. He also said that he thinks an elopement like theirs would really suit a couple who might have already been married and want a small and personal but very memorable wedding.
We had their photographer Jakub Redziniak meet them at the entrance at 72nd Street by the Dakota building. They had some photographs taken there with the iconic yellow taxis and the Dakota building in the background, which John enjoyed, having the same home town as John Lennon. Then they went on to Strawberry Fields and then took photos by the side of the Lake before walking up to the Ladies’ Pavilion for the ceremony.
“The ceremony was brilliant and our officiant was very nice and put us at ease,” said John. We had her do a short introduction with some details about their relationship to date, and she also mentioned loved ones back home and no longer with us. Then they exchanged traditional vows. After being pronounced married, they had a quick first dance to the song “Mrs Robinson” played on John’s phone, since that was Joanne’s new name!
After photos at the Ladies’ Pavilion they walked down past the Lake for photos at Bow Bridge and Bethesda Terrace. I always ask the couples where their favorite photos were taken, but John said that he couldn’t choose. “I can’t say where our favorite pictures were taken, as we loved all of the locations and Jakub was awesome,” he said.
John wore a navy blue three piece suit and Joanne wore a navy blue dress. She carried a single fake red rose as she has allergies to pollen. Joanne originally bought the dress for a friend’s wedding from a British department store called Debenhams. She was trying dresses on with the friend’s wedding in mind and when she tried this one, she said “I can see me getting married in this dress,” this was before she knew about the surprise wedding, but she stuck to her word!
After the photos, they called loved ones back home, and then went downtown to Carragher’s bar for a meal and a few drinks. This bar is an upscale sports bar dedicated to the city of Liverpool, and most importantly; Liverpool Football Club. Both John and Joanne support Liverpool FC so this was a home from home for them. After Carragher’s bar, they returned to the hotel, and had a few drinks at the Spyglass rooftop bar which has a great view the Empire State Building.
I asked John how we did. “The whole day was amazing from start to finish,” he said. He said it was well worth the long wait imposed on them by Covid. “The whole experience was wonderful. Claire was supportive and extremely helpful throughout the whole and challenging process including the Covid pandemic. Everything was arranged perfectly. Our photographer and officiant were also super and the location of Central Park was awesome. It was all better than we imagined and we have a fantastic memory plus photographs of a great day,” he said.
It was a pleasure to plan your wedding with you, John! And I’m so glad to seethe two of you married at last. If you would like me to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding, whether you’re from near or far, visit our website. Keep updated with our news and see lots of beautiful photos, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest.
