Sabrina and Chris are New Yorkers, born and bred. They both grew up in the Bronx, and even went to the same middle school, but they didn’t meet then because Sabrina was in the year above Chris. They met years later through their work.
They had been together for exactly four years to the day when they got married in the Ladies’ Pavilion this July. They both love nature and the outdoors, and they love taking walks in Central Park. They also love travel and are on their honeymoon in Italy as I write this.
Sabrina told me that her parents got engaged in Central Park, so it has a special significance to them. Sabrina and Chris got engaged on the Ponte dei Tre Archi in Venice. “It’s one of the main bridges in Venice which happened to be right in front of our hotel,” Sabrina told me. “It was just the two of us staring into the night sky when he got down on one knee to ask the most important question of my life. It was so romantic! I felt like I was in a fairytale!” she said. They were both raised Catholic and marriage is one of the seven sacraments, so it was important to them to share this one, the ultimate commitment to another person.
They considered eloping to somewhere far away because they knew they wanted their wedding to be about them, and not about their guests. They had discussed getting married in Greece, but they wanted their parents with them on the day, and they knew they would not be able to travel that far, so they decided to get married in New York, but to only invite their parents and to keep the ceremony location a secret so that they wouldn’t have any family members showing up unannounced!
Because they are local, they know Central Park well. They chose the Ladies’ Pavilion for the ceremony location. It is in a nice, tucked away spot, and though they had been to Central Park many times, they had not been inside the Ladies’ Pavilion together before, so they knew it would feel special for their ceremony. They took pictures there and by the Lake, Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace, and the Mall. “We chose those areas because those are the iconic spots you think of when you think of Central Park,” said Sabrina.
Sabrina chose a beautiful lace sheath dress from David’s Bridal. She went with her parents to the fitting appointment and it was the second dress she tried on. “When I saw the look on my dad’s face, I knew I had found the right one!” she said. “It was nice and light and inexpensive,” she told me. She chose a sash, which they sewed in to personalize the dress. She picked out a lace veil, hair piece and shoes to complete her bridal look. Sabrina’s mom took care of ordering the bridal bouquet from a florist local to them. She just told her that she wanted white roses, calla lilies and blue orchids and her mom handled the rest. “When the florist delivered my bouquet on my wedding day I cried,” she said, “it was more beautiful than I had imagined!” It is a beautiful and huge bouquet!
An advantage to eloping pretty locally to your home is that someone you know can do your hair. Sabrina had her hairdresser of seventeen years do her hair and her co-worker did her makeup. “They came to my parents’ house that morning to help me get ready and made me feel like a beautiful bride,” she said.
They had a relaxed ceremony in the morning, with a little while taking photos together around Central Park, then they all went to nearby restaurant Pomodoro Rosso, on the Upper West Side, a block from Central Park. “It was our first time there and we loved it!” said Sabrina, “the food was delicious and we celebrated with champagne!”
After the couple had said goodbye to their parents they had a kind of staycation for their wedding night; they stayed at the William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn. Their suite had a wrap around balcony that overlooked the Manhattan skyline. “We had gorgeous views of the Freedom Tower, Empire State Building and Chrysler Building,” said Sabrina. “The hotel had a beautiful outdoor pool and many areas to relax,” she added. “We had our dinner at the Peter Luger Steakhouse, a steak lovers’ dream! We also had tastings at Brooklyn Winery and Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. We walked around Williamsburg and admired the beautiful street art. It was the perfect New York honeymoon staycation!” she told me. It does sound pretty awesome, it’s great to hear from New Yorkers about what their hotel choices are in the city, and where they go to visit.
I asked Sabrina if she had any thoughts that she would share, for New Yorkers or visitors to her wonderful city. “If you are thinking of getting married in New York City, Central Park is the best place to have your ceremony,” she advised. “I am so grateful for finding your website, Claire,” she added. “You made everything so easy for us, by taking care of all the planning. All we had to do was simply show up! Thank you for all your help in ensuring our special day was perfect.” . Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Sabrina and Chris! For more information on planning your own Central Park wedding, visit our website, or “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest where you will find lots of lovely photos and many more inspiring stories of real weddings.