Adam and Liz came from Lincoln in the UK this September to get married in Central Park. They met at university in 2007 where they both studied the same subject. When they graduated from university in 2009 they moved in together. Since then they have moved house several times, moved jobs, visited lots of places together, shared some great times, and most importantly; got a puppy. Just before they made the huge commitment of the dog, Adam proposed while they were away on a romantic weekend together, “I was thrilled and couldn’t say yes quick enough!” said Liz.
Not long after they got engaged they started looking at possible wedding venues near to where they live. They attended a wedding show, “it was a real eye opener, said Liz. “We both realized how expensive everything was as soon as the word ‘wedding’ was involved.” They both liked the idea of an outside wedding but since they live in England, they did not feel confident enough to pick a date because you can never predict the weather in our country. They knew they would have to have a fine weather plan and a bad weather plan if they got married in the UK and that put them off that idea. They both felt that it would take us a few years to save up for a wedding which they really were not all that keen on.
They already had a trip to New York City booked as a vacation. “Adam had suggested us getting married in New York whilst we were there not long after we had got engaged but originally I wasn’t too comfortable with the idea,” said Liz. Eventually she came round to the idea, “and boy am I glad I did!” she said. Once they had agreed on New York as a destination wedding location, Central Park was always the place they had in mind. “It’s beautiful scenery, central location and choice of lovely spots meant it was perfect for a wedding ceremony and wedding photos,” said Liz.
The reason why Liz was not so keen on the destination wedding idea was that she did not think that any of their family or friends would be able to attend. But in the end they had twelve guests who flew over from the UK. They had a reception back in the UK a couple of months after their wedding so that they were able to invite everyone else that they knew. “It was also strange dealing with people who we had never met before but Claire made me feel very comfortable and I trusted her completely,” said Liz. I find this is common, I hope it gives some couples comfort to know that I know my officiants, photographers and other service providers quite well now, and I do try to match the personalities with the couples’. They have been working with me providing weddings in Central Park for some time now.
They stayed for a week in New York City at the Ameritania Hotel on West 54th Street. They said that they would highly recommend this hotel as it is a five minute walk from Times Square, ten minutes to Central Park and just seconds to the nearest subway station and coffee shops, bars and restaurants. They said that they had a fabulous room and they were given a complimentary bottle of wine and chocolates and were very attentive for their needs.
Their ceremony was at the Ladies’ Pavilion. “It was just perfect!” said Liz. “I thought I would be very aware of other people being so close and being able to walk past but on the day the thought never crossed my mind.” Quite a lot of people tell me this. Even with an event permit, we have to leave the rest of the area as a public right of way, but I find that the guests stand around the couple and the officiant so the couple rarely notice anything else but the promises that they are making to their loved one. Which is just how it should be. Adam and Liz loved getting married in Central Park. “Lots of people said congratulations as we walked past. The whole area was the perfect backdrop,” said Liz.
Liz bought a long lace ivory dress with sweetheart neckline in the UK and brought it with her to New York. It had a plain white belt but she felt that a colored belt would look better so she chose a dusky pink one with diamante embellishments. Liz did her own hair and makeup. Adam picked out Liz’s flowers. He spoke to her Mum to ask what colors would be best and she suggested pinks and whites. He ordered them from Scott’s Florists on West 37th Street and a selection of lilies and roses were delivered to their hotel on the morning of the wedding. Adam wore a navy blue suit with waistcoat from the UK. All the men in the wedding party wore matching ties.
Their twelve wedding guests were eight family members and four friends. They all made the most of their trip to New York, some of them staying all week, they all loved Liz and Adam’s wedding day and were very pleased to be a part of it.
After their wedding ceremony and some photos around Central Park, they had a yellow school bus transport all the wedding party to Brooklyn for some more photos under the Brooklyn Bridge with Manhattan in the background. They enjoyed the bus trip, it was a fun thing for visitors to the USA to do, and it was a cheap option to move this size group. It was provided by First Student Charter Bus Rentals. After those photos the bus dropped them off at the Club A Steakhouse on East 58th Street. They chose this restaurant because they got their own private room, because it was close to everyone’s hotels and because they did not charge a huge minimum spend.
“The whole process was made very easy due to Claire being so knowledgeable about Central Park and the process. I would very much recommend her services to anyone looking to arrange a wedding in Central Park. The fact that she could get all the permits, photographer, officiant and musician organised helped us out a lot. It is a scary process when not in the same country but Claire has been very friendly and quick on emails that I never felt worried,” said Liz. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Adam and Liz, and I wish you lots of luck for your future together.
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