Over the years of planning weddings in Central Park I have encountered lots of visiting couples who are bringing a small group with them to New York from their home. Many of our couples are from out of state, and even more are visiting from outside of the US. Sometimes couples have never been to New York before and neither have their guests, so they will be making new memories together as they explore this incredible city together for the first time, which is a great way to bond when merging two families. For some of our couples, New York holds a special place in their hearts and they have visited many times before and they want to show this incredible city to their loved ones!
When planning your wedding day, you may to begin by thinking about what time you want to get married. The ceremony time will likely dictate what else you can fit in that day. There are pros and cons to getting married in the morning, afternoon and evening in Central Park. I discuss some of them in this blog post. The earlier it is, the quieter the park will be, but depending on the time of year, and what else you want to do with your day, afternoon or evening might be best. The couple tend to pay for any meals on the wedding day, so if you get married in the morning and then pay for lunch that tends to save on a budget but if you pay for lunch, any afternoon activity AND dinner then of course that pushes the budget up. If you get married in the afternoon, then the only meal you’re likely to need to pay for will be dinner. If you’re having professional hair and makeup done, either just one of you, or for a group, then factor timings for this into your plan. Some groups enjoy sharing the time getting ready, and may hire a photographer from this point in the day to capture everything.
If you have a group with you then making an occasion out of breakfast might be nice. Sometimes I hear of all the women going off and doing one thing and all the men going off and doing another thing on the morning of a wedding. Scope out the options in and close by to your hotel. I do hear of brides and grooms having a massage, going for a run, or doing some yoga in the morning before the wedding. If you’re getting married late in the day, then you’ll have much more time to get out so could make more of a thing of it if you wish. If you have the group with you in New York for several days, you could instead arrange a mini bachelor / bachelorette outing a day or two before the wedding instead of trying to fit it in to the morning.
If you want to do something on the way to the wedding all together, or after the ceremony whilst everyone is in wedding gear then there are lots of options in New York. It is very popular to go up to the top of a high building to enjoy the spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline. Sometimes couples do this alone before meeting the group, sometimes they take the whole group. Consider the fees if you’re taking everyone with you! The Empire State Building and Top of the Rock are the most popular. Some other popular high buildings with observation decks are Summit One Vanderbilt, the One World Observatory and Edge.
A very popular option for couple with a group of people with them is to hire an open topped bus or a vintage trolley bus or similar to take the whole group on a tour of New York. Depending on how long you have the vehicle for, you could take everyone down to Times Square or to the tip of the island to see the Statue of Liberty. If you have a vehicle for a tour of the city, I’d also recommend a trip across to Brooklyn for some incredible views. Once you’re there, you could take the group to one of the great places to eat in the borough that may well have cheaper dining options than Manhattan. If you’re close to the river then there will be some amazing photo opportunities to enjoy in Brooklyn (especially as the sun goes down over Manhattan).
Some of our couples have taken their guests on the subway, since it’s such a classic NYC thing to do. If you do that, keep in mind how comfortable everyone is with what to do, and make sure that you don’t lose anyone! If you choose a reception location within walking distance of Central Park, then that avoids any need for transport, which is nice. If you’re planning on walking a few blocks, make sure everyone knows that and can wear appropriate shoes, and again, make sure that you don’t lose anyone!
Some of our visiting couples hire a photographer for a few hours to take some photos in beautiful places. Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO are popular, so is Grand Central Terminal and those observation decks. Lots of couples like to take photos on the street, on the subway and in a yellow cab. If you have group with you then you’d need to consider what they will do if you and your new spouse want to take some photos alone for an hour or two. There are lots of awesome photo opportunities all over New York, with its many iconic sights, and you can fit this into the plan of your day either before or after the ceremony, depending on what else you want to do. You don’t have to have a professional photographer with you all day to capture some memorable shots, you can always ask your loved ones to take a picture of you in any of these amazing locations.
Almost all of our groups will have a celebratory dinner somewhere special on their wedding day. I read somewhere that New York City has the most restaurants, coffee shops, and gourmet specialty-food stores per capita among all US cities. So, whatever your choice of cuisine or restaurant you are sure to find somewhere that will give you a memorable dining experience. Depending on the size of your group, you may want to book a table in a restaurant or a private room. Consider the options after the meal, who will want to go back to the hotel and who will want to stay out? If you have a group of family members with you, the group will likely span at least a couple of generations, so there will be challenges in finding options that will suit everyone. There are so many incredible bars in New York, with new ones opening all the time, so whatever vibe you’re looking for will be out there – whether it be a sports bar, somewhere with a theme close to your heart or somewhere with beautiful rooftop views.
When planning what you will do on your wedding day, keep the weather in mind. Your guests are unlikely to want to be outdoors for too long in New York in the Winter because of the cold temperatures and possibly rain. Of course rain is a possibility all year round. In high Summer, New York can be hot and humid, but Central Park or by one of the rivers is usually the freshest place to be in Manhattan in the Summer.
I wrote another post with some suggestions of what to do on your wedding day in New York City a while back, and this is just an update of that in a way. If you would like me to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding or elopement, whether you’re from near or far, 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. I’d love to hear out-of-the-ordinary suggestions from anyone else about what to do if you’re getting married in New York – either for an elopement or for a small group.
