Rachel and Dean came to New York to get married this April. They live in Weymouth in Dorset, which is on the South coast of England, with their beloved chocolate labrador, Bonnie. They had met in a bar in Weymouth through a mutual friend and had their first date in September 2011, about a month after they first met.
On the second anniversary of their meeting Dean told Rachel that he planned to take her to London, but when they got there they got on a train to Paris, which Rachel thought was a lovely surprise. She was even more surprised when they got there and Dean got down on one knee in front of the Louvre and asked her to marry him. Of course she said yes.
I asked them why getting married was important to them, and Rachel said that it was a great excuse for a party and a honeymoon, but also represented the ultimate commitment to them.
They decided to get married in New York then they originally planned to have their ceremony at City Hall. Then they found out that when couples do this they are unable to book a specific time and are expected to turn up and wait their turn. They wanted to make reservations for a meal following the wedding and they would be unable to do that with this system. Also, they had invited family and friends from the UK and they did not like the idea of making them all wait around for a few hours with no real plan or structure to the day.
They wanted something informal and simple for their wedding location. They only had a small wedding party so did not see the need to book any indoor venue or a hotel so an outdoor wedding in Cop Cot in Central Park seemed to suit them best. They loved having their wedding ceremony with the New York skyline surrounding them.
They did have some concerns about the weather, as all couples do, this is the main problem with an outdoor wedding. But they were very lucky with the weather and they had beautiful sunshine all day. For more information on weather in Central Park check our website. Cop Cot does provide some shelter from any hot sun, but not really enough from any rain. Rachel said, “we were both a bit nervous about getting married in public however those nerves soon eased off as the friendly New Yorkers and others cheered, clapped and congratulated us during our ceremony.”
Rachel wore a tea length lace white ivory dress, which she chose because it is a practical length to wander around the city in. She was lucky enough to pick it up on eBay. She carried yellow tulips for her bouquet to accent the bridesmaids’ yellow dresses. Dean wore a traditional black tuxedo. Their guests were their parents, sisters and brother in law and the best man, and their bridesmaids were two of their nieces. For some of them it was their first time in New York And they said that they had a great experience. They loved attending a wedding on their trip.
They loved their pictures, taken mostly in the South end of Central Park. “We particularly liked having the iconic Essex House in the background and having photos on the famous rocks of Central Park,” said Rachel. Then, on their way to the restaurant they went to the Love sculpture on Fifth Avenue for more photos. They went on to the South Gate Tavern at the Marriott’s Essex House for some drinks, “and they treated us spectacularly in there, we would highly recommend them,” said Rachel. After that they went over to the Water’s Edge restaurant in Long Island City for a great wedding dinner. They chose that restaurant because they wanted a view of the fabulous New York skyline to look over as they dined. Again they said that they would highly recommend this restaurant. For my latest list of recommended restaurants, which includes this one, check this part of the blog.
When I asked if she had any other thoughts to share on getting married in Central Park Rachel said “it is a great experience and so easy! If you want a simple ceremony in a brilliant location this is the choice for you. The service from Claire has been great. She helped us design our ceremony exactly how we wanted it. She will answer any questions about getting married that you need to know. Great planning service, and a great officiant. It took the stress out of organizing a wedding abroad.”
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Rachel and Dean, 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.