This post is aimed at the engaged couples who are considering eloping. I have been planning weddings in Central Park for eloping couples (as well as couples with a small group of guests) for several years, since 2012. During that time I have found that some couples know straight away that they want to elope, and some who have gone some way down the route of planning a big traditional wedding and then realized that it’s not for them. This post is for the ones who are sure they want to elope, but perhaps need to persuade a partner, and also for those who are just not sure if eloping is really for them. Be warned though, that I am of course rather biased, and I consider New York as the ideal location for an elopement!
I wrote a blog post on the pros and cons of an elopement versus inviting a few guests along, but this post is a pure and simple argument in favor of eloping. I also asked a few couple who had eloped and various other people who may have views about it what they though some good reasons to elope might be. I offer a range of wedding packages that might suit an eloping couple, and also a specific elopement package aimed at a small, low-key event.
It’s easy
I always contact my clients after their wedding to ask them how they feel it went. Everyone always says how smooth and easy and stress-free it was. Most of my clients are British and the are often surprised at how easy it is to get a marriage license in the US, take it along to a wedding ceremony and sign it with the officiant and that’s all the need to do.
If you make the decision that your wedding day will be exclusively about the two of you, then straight away, so many of your decisions become simpler. You don’t have to worry about what various family members will like or what they think or what they will say because they won’t be there.
It can be a secret
Some of our eloping couples tell their loved ones in advance and some don’t. Sometimes, it might be that your parents have been expecting a large, traditional wedding, and they will need some fair warning so that they’re not upset. If not, then some couples like to surprise people back home with the news on the day itself or on their return home.
It’s unique
All of us have attended large, traditional weddings that are beautiful and full of joy and love. But they all essentially follow the same rulebook and process. If you choose to elope then your wedding day will be different from all of others.
I write all of our ceremonies with each couple. I have a list of questions that I ask that helps me to get a good idea of what the couple want from their wedding ceremony. If you want to spend some time having the officiant tell the story you have shared up to this point, or perhaps perform some alternative ceremony rituals then we can do it. Couples tell me that they feel more comfortable reading out long and heartfelt vows to each other when there is nobody else there to listen. If you want just the absolute basics then we can do that too. We can make the ceremony go just how you want it.
If you get married in an incredible and iconic city such as New York, your photos will be stunning and unique, and you will have memories to share that will really stand out from any traditional wedding held close to home.
It can be tailored to suit you
If you’re eloping then you can choose to throw some traditions out, and keep the ones you like, and invent new ones if you want to! The ceremony can be just how you want it, and so can the rest of the day. I have had couples tell me of riding in a helicopter over New York City, going to sports games or Broadway shows, and of course eating and drinking in some amazing places!
Many of our couples like to take photos in their wedding gear, either before or after the ceremony. Some popular spots are Times Square, the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock, on Brooklyn Bridge, or overlooking Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn, Grand Central, or a boat on the Hudson with the Statue of Liberty photobombing!
It can happen whenever you like
If it’s just the two of you then you can get married whenever suits you, you don’t need to worry about anyone else. That means we can spend many months in the planning of the perfect wedding day and the most incredible trip. It also means that if you already have a trip to New York planned then we can accommodate surprisingly last-minute plans! The shortest time I’ve ever planned a wedding was around ten days!
It’s just one day
Your wedding day is the first day of your married life, and marriage is about two people. So it seems quite fair to me that the wedding should just involve the two of you, making promises to each other about your future. You can have the day to focus on those promises and the pledge you are making to each other for this one day. Then you can celebrate on your return home with extended family however you wish.
It doesn’t even really have to be an elopement
In my experience, some people refer to a very small group where the couple and guests are traveling to the wedding location as an elopement. So, who am I to argue? If you want to bring a few guests along to your elopement then that is entirely up to you. If what you want is to have a handful of people who are very close to you there on the day to witness your wedding and you still think of it as an elopement then that’s fine.
However you decide to get married, remember that is that it is *your* wedding day, so you should have it how you want it. It might feel as though eloping is the best way for you to make sure that the day just how you both want it to be. I think that marriage, like life, is full of compromises, so having a small group with you on the trip might be the best way to help your nearest and dearest to feel involved in such an important day in your life, or perhaps to have the reception with wider friends and family on your return.
If you would like me to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding or elopement, either with or without some guests, visit our website. Keep updated with our news and see lots of beautiful photos, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest.
