Kayleigh and Andrew came over to New York from the UK to married this October. They have been together for just over seven years. They met through Kayleigh’s sister who had to try for some time to persuade them both to go on a date with each other.
They had already discussed marriage before getting engaged. Andrew proposed this April at home in private. He suggested with his marriage proposal that they marry in New York, which Kayleigh accepted straight away. Eloping was Kayleigh’s idea. Getting married was important to them because it meant that they would be moving forward in their relationship and becoming their own family.
They decided not to tell any family or friends that they were engaged. “Keeping it between us meant there was no stress and we could both enjoy it quietly,” said Kayleigh. “We don’t like lots of fuss so this was ideal. We did not tell our family our plans until a day before we flew.” They knew their family might have been unhappy that the couple were eloping but in the end they were not surprised, they knew this was the sort of thing they might like to do and they were happy for them.
At the time they got engaged, they had already booked the trip to New York to celebrate Kayleigh’s thirtieth birthday. They talked a little about where they might want the wedding ceremony, and almost immediately agreed that it had to be Central Park, especially as they were visiting in the Fall. “Central Park in the Fall is such a beautiful place,” said Kayleigh.
Kayleigh and Andrew stayed at the Martha Washington Hotel. “It was a lovely place to stay,” said Kayleigh. “It was in the middle of many of the attractions we wanted to visit and wasn’t too far from Central Park.”
They had chosen the Ladies’ Pavilion for their ceremony location, and, like many couples who are visiting New York for their wedding, they had not seen it before in person. “We certainly made the right choice,” said Kayleigh. “We went to see it the Saturday before our wedding and as soon as we saw it, we knew instantly we made the right decision. It is right on the Lake in a really is a beautiful spot,” she said. “Our photographer walked us to some of her suggested spots and many of them were the ones I had researched beforehand and had in my mind as places where I knew I wanted pictures taken.”
Kayleigh had been shopping for wedding dresses with her friend and had not enjoyed the experience. She did not think that she would feel comfortable in a traditional wedding dress, so she had been looking for “non wedding dress” But in the end she found one that does look quite bridal but the main thing was that it felt perfect for her. Her shoes were Irregular Choice, a brand she knew she loved. Like many of our couples, they got lots of nice comments from people as they walked around Central Park for their photos, “I must say my shoes were a big hit,” said Kayleigh. She did her own hair and makeup and even made her own bouquet, hairpiece and groom’s buttonhole from artificial flowers because she wanted to keep them.
This was not quite an elopement, they had some friends as guests at their wedding. And after the ceremony they went over the Loeb Boathouse for a celebratory drink, then on to an Italian steakhouse called Davios. “Amazing food and service,” said Kayleigh. “We were struggling to find a restaurant but a friend recommended this place and I would definitely recommend eating here.”
They missed their family at their wedding but they feel that they did the right thing for them, and by keeping it small they were able to focus on doing just what they wanted to on their special day. “We both would not change a single thing from our wedding day,” said Kayleigh. Everything ran as smoothly as it could and I can honestly say, Central Park is truly the most amazing place, one of our favorite places we have visited.”
“Claire was absolutely amazing,” said Kayleigh. “I am so pleased we found her. Always giving us guidance and advice. Everything was so easy and all our questions were answered quickly. Even if I thought I was asking a silly question or repeating myself, Claire was so patient and always made me feel at ease. Getting married is in itself a scary, nerve-wracking experience but Claire was there to help us every step of the way. Our officiant and photographer were both lovely. I could not have chosen a better person to plan our day, I would recommend anyone who is thinking of getting married in Central Park to go with Claire, hands down. Thank you Claire for all you’ve done. We will remember this day forever.”
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Kayleigh and Andrew, I wish you the best of luck for your futures together. For more information on planning your own Central Park wedding, visit our website, or “like” us on Facebook for photos and more inspiring stories.
