I’ve been writing this blog for several years now, and I post interviews with couples asking how they think their wedding in Central Park went after it’s all over. I ask if there is anything they would have changed, and what they especially liked, and how we did – that sort of thing.
Overwhelmingly, couples say how certain they are that they have made the right decision to get married with us in Central Park. We do a great job, if I do say so myself, and Central Park is just lovely and doesn’t disappoint.
Many of our couples are getting married in New York with no guests – eloping, just the two of them. But lots of couples bring along a group of close family and/or friends to witness the wedding and to celebrate with them in New York. So, if you’re considering asking your loved ones to join you on a trip to New York to share in the celebration of your love, then you might be interested in hearing what other couples’ guests have said about the experience.
This British couple brought a small group of seven of their close family with them to New York from their home in Newcastle in England. They had both sets of parents, the groom’s brother, his grandma and also a close family friend. “They all absolutely loved it, they all said the day was perfect and they were very glad we chose to do it this way,” our bride told me. She also told me that she thinks that maybe this non-traditional option of a smaller wedding abroad with only the people who matter most in attendance is becoming more popular. “I think couples are doing more for themselves rather than pleasing hundreds of guests,” she said. She pointed out that was a big part of their decision to do what they did, and “we’re so pleased we did!” she said.
This American couple came from out of state to get married with us in New York. Our bride is originally from Florida the groom is from Puerto Rico. Their guests were family members and some of their friends from college, where they had met. “They loved that our wedding was in New York and we all loved that we got to spend a little bit of time with them throughout the few days we were there,” our bride told me.
This British couple came over to New York from their home in Yorkshire, England with both sets of parents, the bride’s brother his partner, the groom’s Grandma her partner, best man and his partner, and the maid of honor. They were thirteen in total – a lucky number this time! The bride’s mom and dad had renewed their vows with us to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary, so we were confident that they would enjoy coming back to Central Park, since they had recommended us to their daughter and future son in law. Luckily, everyone else enjoyed it too. “All of our family have said how personal and special the ceremony was, and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house,” our bride told me.
This Irish couple brought a small group of close family over with them from the home in Ireland for their wedding with us in New York. Our bride was given away by her dad. “My dad said afterwards that they were slightly apprehensive when they first heard we wanted to get married in Central Park,” she told me. “But they couldn’t believe how well-planned it was and how seamlessly the day went,” she added. “Both families kept commenting on how much they enjoyed the day and how lovely the ceremony was,” she said.
This British couple brought their son over to New York with them from their home in Leeds in England for their wedding in Central Park. It was almost an elopement, but their son’s opinion is of course very important to them. They hadn’t told their son that they were going to get married while they were in New York until they were at the airport waiting to leave for the US. Our bride told me that he cried happy tears when they told him their plans.
This British couple brought their two sons over from their home in England for their wedding with us in New York. So, again, almost an elopement. We kept the ceremony fairly short, since it was just the two of them and their kids. “Our ceremony was very simple as we requested, yet Claire did an amazing job with the wording making it very personal and emotional. With just our two boys as guests it was a very relaxed morning and exactly what we wanted,” our bride told me. We involved their sons by giving them the important job of holding the rings. The kids loved it. “Our boys thought New York was amazing and were generally in awe of the city for the whole week,” our bride said.
This American couple came from out of state to get married with us in New York. They brought around twenty-five guests with them for the wedding from their home in Virginia. Their guests were close family and friends. “They were all really excited to be in the city. Many had never been,” our groom told me. We arranged for a vintage trolley bus to collect the group from Central Park after the ceremony, and to take them around to sightsee before a celebratory meal. “The trolley was awesome, all the adults thought the site seeing was awesome,” he said. They took a tour around midtown Manhattan and then over to Brooklyn in the bus. “The kids’ minds were blown by all the excitement and energy. Adults couldn’t get enough of the good food and attractions to see,” the groom told me.
This British couple brought their close family over from their home in the North of England for their wedding in Central Park. Their guests were just their parents and Rob’s mum’s partner. “They were excited to see New York, albeit a little apprehensive!” our bride told me. She also told me that her parents had previously made comments about expecting them to elope just the two of them, so she said they were glad to be invited along!
This British couple brought over a small group of their friends and family from their homes in Wales and the south of England. They had twelve guests in total with them for the trip. They had one groom’s grandma, parents and their partners, and both grooms’ siblings and their partners, two aunties, and an uncle. They have no regrets about marrying with just their nearest and dearest in attendance. “We loved doing it this way, the small group of immediate family we did invite felt so special and the fact they had an excuse to come to New York for the wedding was a bonus for them,” one of the grooms told me. They did choose their wedding location with their grandma in mind, there were no steps to get there and it has benches inside for anyone who can’t stand for too long. So, all went well for the guests because they kept everyone’s needs in mind when making their plans.
This American couple came from out of state to get married with us in New York. They brought a small group of close family members to New York from their homes in Virginia and Texas. It was the groom’s parents, his brother and his fiance and the bride’s mom and aunt. I will share that there were mixed feelings among the guests about coming to New York – “everyone has an opinion on NYC,” our groom told me. But in the end, he says he thinks everyone in the end had a lovely time. Most of the guests at our couples’ weddings are absolutely thrilled to be in New York, but then, many of our clients come from overseas. “We love New York but we can’t say the same for our families, but hey, it’s our wedding,” our groom said. It absolutely is your wedding, and that’s the best way to look at it – you can make the day as nice as possible for your guests, but you should always keep in mind that they have their wedding day their way and you have your wedding day your way. The couple took their visiting family members out to tea the day before the wedding, to the Museum of Modern Art with them, and then out to dinner, then they had the beautiful wedding in Central Park following by another dinner! So, they couldn’t have had such a terrible time in New York.
I mentioned this last couples’ guests’ opinions because it really stood out to me. I’ve been planning weddings in Central Park since 2012 and this is the first time anyone has told me that their guests weren’t keen to go to New York. Perhaps the ones that aren’t keen just don’t attend so I don’t hear about what they think! I truly think that New York has something for everyone, but appreciate that older people might not want to make the long journey, nor deal with how busy it is. I also think that people with small children may find it more trouble than it’s worth, but it’s an incredible place to visit with older kids. New York is an expensive place to stay, there’s no doubt about that, so maybe that puts some people off from visiting.
For those who are willing to come to New York then they can never argue that they’re bored! It’s the city that never sleeps, and there’s so many iconic sights to see. Central Park never disappoints and I often say that it does the bulk of my job for me by being so beautiful, in all of the seasons.
I always make a clear and comprehensive plan with our couples in advance of the wedding, and we consider the needs of the guests as well as the desires of the couple for their special day. All of my team are reliable and passionate about providing a great service to everyone, so all will seem seamless and effortless to the guests!
If you would like me to help you with your own Central Park wedding, whether you or are planning on bringing some guests with you to New York, or not, visit our website. Keep updated with our news and see lots of beautiful photos, follow us on Instagram, follow us on Facebook, follow us on TikTok, and follow us on Pinterest.
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