There are so many reasons why a couple might choose to elope. I have been providing help, guidance and advice to couples who want to elope to New York to get married in Central Park since 2012.
Some couples turn away from the traditional big wedding close to home because they don’t want to spend so much money on such a large event, some don’t want the stress involved in planning such a big event, and some have family issues that put them off a big wedding. Some couples turn towards the idea of eloping with the desire for something unique for their wedding day – to make some memories that really stand out against any other wedding. Some just love New York and want to celebrate here in this incredible city, some want to focus just on each other on their wedding day, and not have to chat to hundreds of other people. Some have made the decision that they want to spend their money on an elopement or small and intimate wedding with just the people most important to them, rather than on a big party where they must speak to a hundred people rather than to their new spouse. So, it might not be a matter of saving money by eloping, but rather a decision about what the couple wants to spend their money on for their wedding day.
Whatever the reason, a question about what an elopement in New York is likely to cost is a reasonable and important question. Let’s start with travel expenses. If you’re a visitor to the city, you are likely to be flying in, and you are likely to be staying in a hotel. AirBnB is no longer allowed in New York City, so it’s got to be a hotel or serviced apartment. Where you stay in the city will affect what a hotel costs. Lots of our visiting couples choose to stay in Times Square, but other locations in Manhattan might be cheaper (and considerably quieter!) and options in other boroughs may well be cheaper than Manhattan, although consider what you might want to do while you’re in town, so travel time to and from places should be a factor in your decision making when deciding where to stay. Of course a hotel charges by the night. Many of our visiting couples might be in town for four or five nights, and that’s enough to get married here and to get a good feel for the city. Some stay for up to a week and really see a lot while they are here.
What you choose to wear will of course affect what the whole thing costs. We have married people in jeans and warm jackets (this is more common in the winter!) and we have married people in the most stunning wedding gowns. Your clothing, and any flowers you choose to have, and any professional hair and makeup will have a price tag. Fresh flowers delivered to your hotel will be most costly, bringing a silk bouquet from home will likely cost far less. Having a hair and makeup team come to your hotel room will be most costly, going to a salon will be cheaper, and of course doing it yourself (perhaps after some lessons at home beforehand!) will be the cheapest.
All couples who get married in New York need to get a license. This costs $35. Where you choose to get married will affect the cost. You can get married at City Hall, which is the same place where you get the license from. This is a very low budget option. I have thoughts about this, which I’ve outlined in another (admittedly very biased!) blog post comparing getting married in City Hall versus Central Park. You can get married in a hotel or bar or restaurant, which is a practical option if you’re worried about rain, or if you’re getting married in the winter. There are hundreds of indoor wedding ceremony locations to choose from in New York that suit all budgets and tastes.
There are also hundreds of outdoor places wedding ceremony locations to choose from in New York. And if you get married indoors, then when you look back at the photos, you could probably be anywhere in the world. People come to New York because of its iconic look of its streets, its iconic skyscrapers, its rivers, and of course its green spaces. You can get married anywhere you like in public spaces. Many of the public parks in New York offer a permit that gives you some control over the location that you choose for your ceremony and they have varying fees. Of course, I specialize in weddings in Central Park, but we have planned and performed weddings in other parks in New York, and can held and advise on permit costs.
There are people that you will need to pay to do things on your wedding day. You must have a New York State registered office to perform the wedding. Many people like to have a professional photographer on the day, and I do recommend that you have a professional capture some photos, even if it’s just for a short time. Some want a videographer or content creator, some want a musician to play, and some may want special transport to and from their wedding ceremony location and perhaps reception or celebration dinner.
I can sort out all of the above for our couples marrying in Central Park, and I am clear about our prices. I can guide couples through all of the decisions they need to make and then book all of the right people to make your day go exactly how you want it to. You can check our prices and packages for weddings in Central Park on the website. If you spend some time researching all of the vendors that are out there in New York, you will see that prices for their services have a vast range. I would advise that decisions are not based only on price, but to check reviews of everyone and to ask plenty of questions.
You can probably achieve a quick elopement wedding in New York with some photography for under $1000 if you’re flexible on timings. You will need to be prepared to put the time in to find someone who will come out for a low fee, and you’ll have to be lucky enough that they won’t cancel on you at the last minute because a more highly paid job has come along – I see couples posting about this a lot in Facebook groups dedicated to finding vendors for weddings in New York.
You can probably spend roughly the same amount on an elopement wedding in New York as you would on a fairly low-key traditional wedding at home involving all of your friends and family. You’d have to go all-out on the elopement to do this but it’s possible! You can stay in the fanciest hotel and splurge on your dress and so on.
What matters is that the two of you have discussed what you want your wedding day to be like and you have decided what is right for you. This will be the first day of your marriage and on this day you will likely promise to forsake all others as part of your vows. This means that you’ll put your spouse above everyone else. So, it’s about what you want and what they want.
Finally, if you elope, you can save some of the funds for a party on your return home and this can include all of your friends, family and acquaintances. In many ways, eloping couples find that this is the way they can achieve the best of both worlds. They can have the elopement wedding in New York that they want, and they can celebrate with all of their loved ones.
If you would like me to help you with your Central Park wedding or elopement, whether you or are planning on eloping, or bringing some guests with you to New York, visit our website. Keep updated with our news and see lots of beautiful photos, on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest.
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