Kristie and Tyron brought their family and friends from Australia to New York for their wedding in the Conservatory Gardens in Central Park. They had been together for over eight years before they got married. They met at Kristie’s eighteenth birthday party.
They got engaged in December of 2012 while walking their dogs one morning at sunrise. Two years before that they had been sitting in Central Park when Tyron suggested that it would be a beautiful place to get married one day. So, very soon after Kristie accepted his proposal he said, “so, we are going to go to New York,” and no other wedding location ever really crossed their minds.
They were totally relaxed about their destination wedding. I asked them if they had ever had any concerns about getting married on the other side of he world from where they lived and they said “not at all.”
They stayed in New York for six days, at the Salisbury Hotel on 55th and 6th. Kristie wore a short wedding dress by an Australian designer called The Babushka Ballerina. She carried white roses and lilies. Kristie’s hair was done at DreamDry and her make up was done by the girls from the Napoleon Perdis counter at Bergdoff, but they came to her hotel.
They had nineteen guests in all, and Kristie said that they were all excited for the destination wedding and pleased to have an excuse to take a vacation in New York City.
They chose the Conservatory Gardens for their wedding location because they consider it to be the most beautiful part of the Park. It is certainly quieter than many of the locations in the South or middle of the Park, there are less tourists in the North end. A permit for a wedding in the Conservatory Gardens does carry an extra charge, though. This is the best location for larger weddings, although it does take around twenty to thirty minutes to walk a group through the Park from the Conservatory Gardens to a central location such as the Lake. “It is private and secluded and the flowers and plants are just incredible,” said Kristie. The Conservatory Gardens are split in to three themed gardens and the flowers are indeed very lovely. Kristie and Tyron chose to have their ceremony under one of the walkways shaded by leaves.
They said that some of their favorite pictures were taken by the magnificent gate to the Gardens. The Vanderbilt Gate was made in Paris in 1894 and originally stood before the Vanderbilt mansion at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street. But now it stands on Fifth Avenue between 104th and 105th Streets and is the dramatic entrance the the Conservatory Gardens. They also loved the photos taken through the Gardens with the flowers. “We loved the pictures down by the arches and Bethesda Fountain but it was very very busy,” said Kristie. They preferred the seclusion of the Conservatory Gardens for their ceremony then walked down to the busier part of the Park later on for photographs.
I asked them if they had any advice for anyone who might be considering a wedding in Central Park and Kristie said, “it was the best decision we ever made. It was the easiest and most stress free event I have ever organized. I wish we could do it over and over and would recommend it to anyone.” Thanks for sharing your story and lovely photos with us, Kristie and Tyron. We wish you lots of luck for your future together.