Keira and Nick eloped to New York in early June. They are both from the North East of England and live together in Newcastle Upon Tyne. They got married in Wagner Cove, right in the middle of Central Park. Keira turned 41 five days after they got married and Nick is 37.
The couple met through their work. Nick was transferred to the office where Keira was already working in the Autumn of 2014. They didn’t happen to speak until the Spring of 2015 when they hit it off straight away. They became a couple very quickly after getting to know each other. So, they had been together for years before they got married.
Keira and Nick never actually officially got engaged. “As we have been together for so long, living as a married couple with a mortgage and a cat we didn’t feel the need to get engaged,” Keira told me. They always knew they would get married one day. They eventually talked about it and then decided to actually do it in 2024. Keira said that they do both like the symbolism of being married and for them it just feels more stable,” but they never felt in a rush to be married.
So, once they had made the decision to get married, they started to discuss options. “We considered Colorado because you don’t need a witness to get married in that state!” Keira told me. She said their choice was between New York and Colorado but of course they ended up making the right choice of New York! She said they chose to get married in New York because “it is a place we have been to on a number of occasions so it holds a special place in our hearts and we were able to have the minimalist wedding we had always wanted.” And they were drawn to getting married in Central Park because “its a beautiful destination within a beautiful city, despite being in a very dense city it’s a little slice of peace in New York” and I can’t argue with that.
Keira told me that she thinks elopements and a smaller, more minimalist wedding might be becoming more popular, “because people are choosing to do what they want,” she said. “The main reason why we chose a tiny wedding abroad is due to us both hating attention and the thought of walking down an isle and then having everyone’s attention all day just put us off a “traditional’ wedding. The other benefit of getting married abroad is that the honeymoon is included!” she said. So many couples come to me saying that they prefer to elope than endure the attention that a big wedding would bring, it’s just not their idea of fun.
I asked if they had had any concerns or worries about getting married in New York. “Our only concern was that we would get the marriage license sorted without any hiccups!” Keira said. This is of course a vey important part of the process and it’s the part that the couple are legally required to do themselves. I can tell you everything you need to do for this, but you have to go to City Hall yourselves to get the license. If a couple takes all the correct paperwork and shows up for their appointment time then we haven’t had any issues, though.
Keira and Nick stayed in New York for seven days on this visit – wedding with honeymoon included! They stayed at the Park Central Hotel, and said it was absolutely incredible location wise, not only for Central Park but for Times Square too. It’s a huge hotel on 7th Avenue, between West 55th and 56th Streets, so it is within walking distance of the south end of Central Park. They got married at Wagner Cove, though, which is level with around 72nd Street. It is walkable from their hotel, but I wouldn’t recommend it in wedding gear in June!
They had asked me which location would be best for the most private ceremony and I had suggested Wagner Cove. It’s the best spot if you want to be close to the major iconic sights and views of Central Park, but want to be hidden away from any passers-by. It is down some stone steps, though, so may not suit everyone. “We chose Wagner Cove because it seemed the most private area and it was just us two so it was perfect,” Keira said. They told me that their favorite pictures were taken at Wagner Cover and at Bethesda Terrace. “Wagner Cover because we had literally just got married and Bethesda Terrace has allowed us to get photos that look like they should be in Vogue,” she said. We can thank their photographer Clara Alave for that.
We kept the ceremony fairly short with just a short introduction and traditional vows. They wanted it that way. “The ceremony was perfect, it was very short which is what we wanted,” Keira said. If a couple has guests traveling a long way to attend the wedding, I might encourage a couple to add in a little more to a ceremony, but if the couple are eloping and they don’t feel they need a lot to be said, then we can keep things short – more time for photos and then celebrating!
I asked if they had any regrets about not having a “traditional” wedding closer to home once it was all over and they had returned home. “Not one!” Keira said. Keira wore a Banana Republic silk dress and Nick wore a suit from Marks and Spencer. Keira purchased fresh flowers from Whole Foods the night before the ceremony and then used some ribbon she had brought with her to make them look more like a small bridal bouquet. She had her hair done at Blo East 64th Street on the morning of the wedding. “Their blow dry was incredible and lasted nearly a week! Highly recommend this place,” Keira told me.
Keira and Nick got married mid-morning and were finished with their photo session not long after noon. “After the ceremony and photographs we had lunch at Trattoria Dell’Arte which is next to the hotel we were staying at and then just had a look around the city,” Keira said. They had their celebratory evening meal at Keens Steakhouse, a popular one with many of our couples, “it was incredible” Keira told me (and that’s what everyone tells me!)
I always ask couples for any other New York restaurant recommendations that they may have, because I always get asked for them! Keira said they had a delicious soft serve ice cream from Glace at Rockefeller Center. They said that the one meal they are trying to recreate at home is a salad from Chopt! Keira told me that they don’t have those in the UK but it was the best salad they’ve had.
I asked how we did. “Claire was amazing, she had to push me a couple of times as I would forget to reply to emails or be a bit too laid back in my answers but with her help we had the perfect day,” Keira said. Hopefully the odd nudge here and there wasn’t too annoying! I do in general try to allow the couples to dictate the pace of our planning, but I will prompt them if I feel there’s an important and timely decision to be made or a deadline looming, that’s part of my job, after all.
Keira’s friend Kerrie had gotten married with us the year previously, in Cop Cot, in October, you can read about their wedding on the blog, too. Theirs was a bigger event with more guests, a vintage cab, and photos in their hotel beforehand. Keira and Nick were sure that they wanted their wedding to be intimate, and quite low-key. Keira told me that they didn’t fully expect to use the whole two hours of photography included in the package. “Our photographer did an amazing job with two people who hate being in front of the camera, the pictures are stunning and we will forever be grateful,” she said. It’s so common for an eloping couple to tell me that they’re not keen on being photographed, but our photographers are used to that! Lots of couples feel that way, and our photographer have techniques to help them to warm up to the camera a little.
I asked what Keira and Nick would say to anyone else considering doing something similar to what they have done. “The process of arranging it all was so so, so easy,” Keira said. “Central Park is a stunning location that allows for intimate or extravagant weddings to suit all,” she added. I do often say myself that Central Park never disappoints and often does a lot of the hard work for me! “We had lots of people congratulate us as we took pictures but we never felt like we were under a microscope despite how busy the park got,” Keira said. “Don’t hesitate, just do it!” she advises.
If you would like me to help you with your own Central Park wedding, whether you or are a bringing a group with you, or if you’re visiting New York alone to elope as this couple were, visit our website. 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.
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