Lots of the couples who contact me asking for help with planning their wedding in Central Park have only a vague idea of what their wedding might be like. Many of us have attended traditional weddings, but not everyone has attended a wedding in Central Park, least of all a couple who might be considering doing it themselves. This blog post is intended to be a long answer to a frequently asked question and an introduction to how weddings in Central Park generally go.
All weddings are unique, but our weddings in Central Park tend to have similarities and there are limitations on what we are able to do, so this could be a useful place to start if you are wondering if getting married in Central Park is going to suit you and your partner.
The first thing to know about a wedding in Central Park is that it’s outdoors. So, consider the weather when making plans. There are some popular ceremony locations in Central Park that have a roofed area, so can provide some cover from rain, but if it rains on your wedding day, then you’ll get wet on the way to the ceremony location and while taking photos. If you especially don’t like very low temperatures or very high temperatures, then keep the season in mind when choosing your date.
Another very important thing to keep in mind about Central Park is that it’s a public place. It is said that it is a New Yorker’s backyard. Locals use the park to walk and exercise in and to generally enjoy being outdoors if the weather is good. There are some ceremony locations that are more private than others, but in general, you will be saying your vows out in the open. People may be passing by as you get married and they will certainly be passing by as you take photographs around the park. It is because Central Park is for everyone that amplified sound is not allowed at a wedding in Central Park, so all music must be acoustic, and guest numbers should probably be kept to a minimum, because if your group is too big then there’s a chance that not everyone will be able to hear you say “I do” if you don’t speak up!
I write all of the ceremonies especially for each couple. I ask a series of questions, and the couples’ answers allow me to write something specifically for them. We tend to follow a general template for a ceremony, and there’s an order that I usually suggest it should progress through, but other than that a couple can say as much or as little as they would like in a ceremony. Some might choose to have readings or music, or to say long personal vows to each other, which can add to the length of the ceremony, but some just want to say the bare minimum and be pronounced married. We can go with whatever suits the couple. Generally, a ceremony tends to last ten to twenty minutes. We are not allowed to bring chairs to weddings in Central Park, so if you or any of your guests are unable to stand for very long, then I advise that you choose a location that has a little seating, some do.
Some of our couples are on a tight budget and want to keep things simple and straightforward with nothing too fancy. Some of our couples have brought a large group and have come a long way and want to make a very big event of their special day. And we also get everything in between. So, there are really no rules when it comes to have lavish a wedding in Central Park might be.
We see lots of different sizes of weddings in Central Park. Of course the smallest a wedding can possibly be is just two people – the couple! We’ve done lots of elopements. The biggest weddings we have in Central Park tend to be around 60-80 people but that is quite unusual. Most often, our weddings might have between ten and twenty guests. I wrote a blog post on how many guests can attend a wedding in Central Park a little while ago. There are limits on how many guests will be permitted at each ceremony location, and there’s usually good reason for these limits. Some spots are better suited than others for larger groups. There’s a part of the website where I summarise the features of the most popular wedding ceremony locations in Central Park.
If you would like me to help you with planning your own Central Park wedding, or if you’d just like to do a little bit more reading of the information that we have on there, 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. Drop me an email with any questions that you might have about what a wedding in Central Park is really like!
