Everything You Need to Know to Plan a New York City Elopement
NEW YORK ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER // NEW YORK ELOPEMENT PLANNER // NEW YORK CITY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
What makes NYC so romantic? Is it history? The culture? The lights? If elope there it will be all of the above, plus your love story. Imagine having a chic courthouse wedding, before exploring the city, and ending the night with a fat pizza. Or having your first look at dawn on the Brooklyn Bridge and having an intimate ceremony and picnic in the park afterwards. There really is no wrong way to elope in NYC!
Big cities and new places can feel overwhelming, but luckily NYC is so loved that there are endless resources for even the littlest things. Today we’re going to talk about the big stuff: How to get your marriage license, where to stay, when to visit, places to elope, and things to do. Let’s get those things off your plate and jumpstart your imagination!
“I look out the window and I see the lights and the skyline and the people on the street rushing around looking for action, love, and the world’s greatest chocolate chip cookie, and my heart does a little dance.”
– Nora Ephron
How to Legally Elope in NYC
Seriously, NYC has made it a breeze to get married there. You’ll just need to add some extra time into your travel itinerary to complete the process. As always, if you’re from out of state and it’s easier to handle this paperwork at home, then do that instead!
- Schedule a virtual or in-person Marriage License appointment here. And begin your paperwork prior to your appointment here.
- Virtual appointment slots are released every Thursday at 9am EST and in-person appointments are released every Monday at 9am EST.
- You two must complete your paperwork and appear together for your virtual or in-person scheduled appointment at the Office of the City Clerk.
- It is $35 to process your Marriage License
- You must wait a full 24 hours before your Marriage Ceremony can be performed
- You need an officiant and at least one witness. (In New York anyone 18+ can obtain a One-Day Marriage Officiant License from the Office of the City Clerk. If you want to get married in the Court House you can only have 3 witnesses in there with you. )
- Bring your Marriage License back in person or mail it in to the Country Clerk that issued it.
Where to Stay During Your NYC elopement
The best way to narrow down your stay is to first decide where you want to elope and what you want to do during your stay. From there pin the locations on a map and try to find an area with the highest concentration of pins. Make sure that the accommodations you choose are in close proximity to at least one subway station – this is a must and will make getting around the city much easier. Generally speaking Midtown South is a safe bet due to its central location. On the other hand, try to stay away from Brooklyn (other than Williamsburg) and boroughs; these areas are very residential and not ideal for getting around in a pinch.
Before you run to open Airbnb and VRBO, you should know that most Airbnb’s are illegal in the city. If you do book through those sites there’s a chance of your host canceling at the last minute or ghosting (this has been a huge issue for travelers of late). The Short-Term Rental Registration Law requires hosts to register with the city and prohibits listing an entire place on Airbnb for less than 30 days. The good news is there are countless historic, boutique, and luxury hotels to choose from!
(To name a few: The Archer Hotel, The Ludlow Hotel, Refinery Hotel, and The Greenwich Hotel.)
When to Elope in New York City
Each season in New York City has its own unique vibe, so there’s really no wrong time to go! Summer time it’s extra spicy hot outside and the tourist crowds are at their largest. But – there are countless festivals and museums to take refuge from the heat in. If you want to have a Hallmark-Christmas kinda elopement, then plan your trip from December! Go iceskating, try to find the biggest Christmas trees, and enjoy holiday pop-ups. With the winter you’ll also be risking full-blown snow storms though. This leaves us with two more seasons and the best times to visit – in my opinion.
Spring: Mid-April – June
If you’re willing to chance a little rain, New York City in the springtime is totally worth it. Temps stay in the 60’s and everything is in bloom. Don’t miss the iconic cherry blossoms blooming at the end of March/beginning of April. The city will be mellow and hotel prices will be lower due to it being outside of peak tourist travel windows.
Fall: Late September – Early November
Warm days & cool nights; doesn’t get much better than that! Through the fall months the temps will hang in the 60’s/70’s. If you want to see incredible fall foliage head to New York between mid-October to early November. Summer tourism has died off so you can expect less crowds and lower hotel prices just like in the Spring.
**Weekdays are the best time to elope in NYC! Crowds will be more mellow and you’re more likely to get reservations/permits (if you need them) for those times as well!
12 Incredible and Iconic Locations for Your NYC Elopement
BIG CITY VIEWS
1. Rockefeller Center (Midtown Manhattan)
2. 74wythe (Williamsburg)
3. Archer Hotel Spyglass Rooftop Bar (Manhattan)
STROLL-WORTHY PARKS
4. Hunters Point South Park (Long Island)
5. Central Park (Manhattan): Gapstow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace, & Wagner Cove
6. Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
ENCHANTING GARDENS
7. Wave Hill (Northwest Bronx)
8. Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (Brooklyn)
TIMELESS CITY VIBES
9. Brooklyn Bridge (DUMBO): Pebble Beach in Brooklyn Bridge Park & Jane’s Carousel
10. NYC City Hall, Civic Center (Lower Manhattan)
11. Merchant House (NoHo)
12. Grand Central Station (Midtown Manhattan)
Things To Do in NYC During or After Your Elopement
– Take a helicopter tour of the city
– Go see a Broadway show
– Explore a museum like The Met, MoMa, or The Museum of Sex
– EAT!! Pizza, lobster rolls, cheesecake – try to find the best of everything!
– Catch the sunrise from the Brooklyn Bridge
– Check out the NYC skyline from Top of the Rock
– Take the Bateaux New York Premier Dinner Cruise
– Go on a horse and carriage ride through Central Park
Gardens, museums, street art, michelin star restaurants, festivals, and shopping — you won’t be bored! It’s not a matter of finding something to do in NYC, narrowing down what you want to do while you’re there!
Start Counting Down the Days!
Okay… are you ready to pack your bags or what!? There are so many possibilities when planning your elopement, but what really matters is what kind of day will fill your cup and how do you want to remember your wedding day 10, 20, 60 years from now? If you think New York City is the perfect backdrop for those memories, then we’ve got some planning to do!
Also… when thinking about New York City one of two things start to play in my head; Jay-Z, Empire State of Mind or anything Frank Sinatra. Please tell me I’m not the only one!
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