Miranda and Daniel came to New York this June to get married. They are from North Staffordshire in the UK, very close to where I am from. About seven years ago they were set up on a blind date by friends without them really knowing what was going on. It worked out, though. Daniel proposed on and clear and sunny day on top of Mount Snowdon in Wales. He had sneaked a bottle of champagne and some champagne flutes in his rucksack for the proposal. Luckily Miranda said yes.
They knew they wanted to get married abroad and originally they considered Greece, but it made better financial sense to go to city to get married. They had always wanted to visit New York, so they decided they would kill two birds with one stone, and visit somewhere new as well as getting married.
They chose Central Park because of its fame and renown. They hoped it would be an exciting story to tell their future children. I asked if they had had any concerns about getting married in Central Park, but their only worry was that their flight would run on time and that they would be able to get the marriage license. This was because they flew in on a Friday and had to go straight to City Hall because they were getting married on the Sunday. We had held the Tuesday open for them in case their flight was delayed, and they had to go to City Hall on Monday. It all worked out OK, though. Check out my blog on what you need to know to get your marriage license from New York City Hall for more information.
They stayed for five nights in the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Miranda said that it was the perfect location for them to explore Midtown, and when they told them they were there for their wedding they were upgraded to a room with a Times Square view. Miranda said that it was a little more than they had wanted to pay but they were glad in the end that they chose that hotel, because to wake up and have a coffee overlooking Times Square on their wedding day was something that they will never forget.
They had their wedding ceremony in Wagner Cove. They chose it for its privacy. It was just the two of them. They said that they wanted to keep the wedding just about them. Their photographer was New Yorker, Andy Mars. They said that one of their favorite photo locations was Bow Bridge.
Miranda wore an ivory gown from Coast and chose not to carry a bouquet. She said that she preferred to hold her husband’s hand rather than some flowers. She had her hair done by a stylist who came to her hotel room. She choose an updo style “which turned out to be the right decision as it was so hot on our wedding day that I don’t think my my first choice of having it down and curled would have lasted long in that kind of heat,” said Miranda.
After the ceremony they took a helicopter flight over Manhattan and ended the day on a sunset cruise. They highly recommend both for adding to their special day.
Miranda has a good tip for those who are visitors to New York City for their wedding. She suggests going back to Central Park perhaps the day after your wedding to retrace your steps from the day. She said that she was glad that she did this because the wedding day can all go so quickly that it is hard to take everything in on the day. She also suggests having a glass of champagne at the Boathouse. I would add to that my own suggestion of having a glass of champagne at the newly opened Tavern on the Green.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Miranda and Daniel, and good luck for your future together! For more information on planning your own Central Park wedding, visit our website, or “like” us on Facebook for photos and more inspiring stories.