Mary and Billy got married under the Greywacke Arch on the East Side of Central Park. Mary’s parents were their only guests and witnesses. They got married on their fourteenth anniversary of being together.
The wedding ceremony took place in the late afternoon. They got married in mid August, so Mary and Billy wanted to wait until the temperature had cooled a little and the sun had started to move down in the sky, which is always better for photos than around midday at this time of year.
The spot Mary and Billy choose for their ceremony was underneath a lovely archway called the Greywacke Arch. Central Park has thirty ornamental bridges and arches, and some further (less ornamental but just as useful!) bridges in the woodlands and over streams. This one is named for the material with which it is built, a sandstone found in the Hudson Valley.
Greywacke Arch is very close to the Met Museum on 5th Avenue. It’s just south of what I think is the oldest structure in Manhattan, the Obelisk, which is behind the Met, and from ancient Egypt. Greywacke Arch carries Central Park’s East Drive over a pedestrian path that connects the Great Lawn area with the part of Central Park behind the Met Museum and visible from some of its windows.
This arch is one of the most ornate in Central Park, so it’s a beautiful spot to stand under, although it’s quite a public spot, with it being right over a footpath. It’s got some amazing details, such as its pointed archway inspired by Moorish architecture, and a gorgeous cast-iron railing featuring an elaborate trefoil pattern.
They did have an audience for their wedding, besides the invited guests. “We had a large crowd watching us and even applaud at the end which was so lovely!” Although Mary did tell me that there was a street performer nearby playing music, and it didn’t bother them too much but it would have been nice if she had stopped for the short ceremony. We do usually ask any musicians to pause playing for a ceremony, and usually they do, this is one of the reasons why we get the permit.
Because Mary and Billy’s wedding ceremony took place in such a public spot, we kept it very short. We had a quick intro, very reduced vows and then the ring exchange. “We just wanted it simple and straight to the point,” Mary told me. So, we kept it straight to the point. There are certain things that we are legally required to have in a wedding ceremony, but we can do it all in just a few minutes if a couple wants that.
The parks department will issue an event permit for this area, but we still have to allow a right of way to the general public, so I wouldn’t advise that anyone holds a wedding here with a large group. This is lovely archway is within easy walking distance of Belvedere Castle, which is a better spot for a wedding with a larger group of guests. We held a wedding in the Shakespeare Garden recently, and then had the family go over to the Greywacke Arch to take some photos, because it’s a nice shaded spot, which is helpful on a sunny day!
It was hot that day and Mary and Billy didn’t want to walk too far. After the ceremony, they took some photos around the area where they got married, and at Turtle Pond, with Belvedere Castle as a backdrop. Mary and Billy loved their photos. “I can’t say enough good things about our photographer! She was absolutely fabulous and just really fun to work with,” Mary said.
I asked Mary how we did. “Thank you so much! I am happy with everything. Everything was wonderful and I loved our spot,” she said.
If you would like me to help you with your own Central Park wedding, whether you or are a local couple, or if you’re visiting New York 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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