Kerry and Mark, both 36, brought thirteen of their close friends and family over from their home in Lancashire, UK for their wedding in the Ladies’ Pavilion in December. They met at a New Year’s Eve party in 2008, they didn’t get together straight away, though. They had been together for six years when they got married.
The couple have a son, Mikey, and getting married was important to them not only to show their commitment to each other, but also partly to formalise their relationship for his sake. They said that they did think about the possibility of a large traditional wedding close to home. But, neither of them felt they would enjoy a large wedding, and as they planned the day they found that their guest list just kept on creeping up. “We felt like we would be paying a lot of money for everyone else to enjoy a venue we didn’t really want,” said Kerry.
Kerry said that a destination wedding really suited them. “The people who really want to be there make the effort to come,” she said. “Weddings at home are becoming more about the guests and the party rather than the actual couple,” she added. I asked her if she had any regrets about not choosing the big wedding at home and she said “absolutely zero,” so I think we can safely say that they made the right decision!
I asked if they had had any concerns about getting married in New York. “Lots,” said Kerry. They had the standard worries that I find common with all of our couples, people not turning up, and of course the dreaded weather! “In the end it worked out perfectly,” said Kerry. I do ask couples to write a review for us, to help this worry about people not turning up, although we can’t control the weather! We did two weddings on this first Saturday in December (the other wedding on the same day was John and Mark) and luckily the skies were blue and, though it was very cold, we had a beautiful sunny day.
Kerry and Mark visited New York for five days and they stayed in the Kitano Hotel, which they would recommend. They brought thirteen guests, with them, mainly family. “I think they thought I had lost the plot when I originally suggested getting married in Central Park,” said Kerry. “But when they saw the venue for the ceremony and the weather they just got it,” she told me. “My parents especially wanted us to have a traditional wedding but after the day they were on an absolute high and completely understood why we wanted it,” she said. So, I hope that is comfort to anyone considering a wedding in New York who has parents who are not too keen.
We kept the ceremony quite short, given the time of year nobody wants to stand around in the cold for a long time! “It was a gorgeous ceremony; not too long and said exactly what we wanted it to say,” said Kerry. After photos at the Ladies’ Pavilion the guests went on to the Tavern on the Green for a drink in the warmth which the couple went to take a few more photos around Bethesda Terrace. After that they walked over to the Tavern for a photos with their lovely Christmas tree, and then had a few photos taken inside where Kerry could take her coat off!
They got married in the morning, so had the day to enjoy after their wedding. After Central Park they all went to the Grey Bar and Restaurant for a meal and drinks and then for dinner they went on to take a cruise on the Hudson with a buffet and DJ.
They were both so glad that they chose Central Park for their wedding. “It’s a beautiful location, and just the most incredible venue for photos,” said Kerry. I asked where her favorite photos were taken but she said “I can’t choose, they were all just incredible. Every single photo is perfect.”
I asked if they had any advice for other couples considering doing what they did for their wedding, “anyone considering it; just do it, don’t hesitate,” said Kerry. “It was the best day of our lives.”
Thanks for sharing your story, Kerry and Mark. If you would like me to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding, no matter what time of year, visit our website, or follow us on Pinterest, “like” us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram for photos of happy newlywed couples.
