WHY ELOPEMENTS ARE THE WAY TO GET MARRIED IN NYC!!
WHY ELOPEMENTS / MICRO WEDDINGS ARE THE WAY TO GET MARRIED IN NYC!!
LESS IS MORE!
Having an elopement is a great idea! It’s so nice to host an intimate small elopement ceremony with close friends and family! Most of my couples elope first and even add on another bigger reception / party at another time! Whether you’re just sticking with the intimate elopement or planning a bigger NYC wedding later, here are a few reasons why I think you should have an elopement!
1. SAVE SOME MONEY….
You can also spend a little more on the parts for the elopement that will last and that matter most to YOU! For instance your WEDDING photos!! :D (But for real, wedding photos last forever… not anything else) But also if you want that beautiful BHLDN dress that you’ve been thinking about forever, those Cartier specialty rings, that DELICIOUS Taste Creme Cake, or that kick ass Fox Fodder Farm bouquet … GET IT… because you have the cash for it —instead of having it all tied up in a reception venue deposit! Best part is that you don’t even need to share the cake :)
But, if you choose to have an intimate elopement ceremony before the big reception party, you can also buy some time to….
2. SAVE UP FOR A BIGGER PARTY LATER!
You can save up for that amazing restaurant or dream venue (Hello, Blue Hill At Stone Barns), enjoy the food AND have that crazy dance party when the time is RIGHT! It’ll be even more fun because you don’t have to stress about the ceremony or any thing else! Just about enjoying yourself with your friends and family— eating, drinking and dancing away!
3. Less Headaches AND Deadlines
With a small intimate elopement ceremony, you don’t need to think about sending out save the dates, invitations, RSVPS, or venue deposits. Just call and text your closest people, tell them when and where to show up and you just show up too. :)
4. More Time for Photography
This is honestly KEY. With a smaller and quieter ceremony, you’ll be able to have a much more of a laid back portrait session! Most large weddings have time constraints on photography since we’re always trying to rush back in time to the guests and the party schedule. But having a small elopement allows you to slow down and ease into more getting comfortable in front of the camera and allowing your photographer (hopefully me!) to get some amazing and intimate portraits of you two. You can even schedule to go to more locations around NYC since there are less people out and about.. and also less people to take care of and host during a big wedding day.
5. Less Traffic
This may seem like a silly thing to list… but in New York City, not having to sit in traffic is like a DREAM. Being able to get yourself and your close peoples to the right place at the right time will be much easier and also less headache. The less people you have to move around and plan for, the easier!
6. Zoom-Able to Meet in New York City
You can now just easily live-stream your wedding either via facebook, instagram, zoom, google meets- whatever!— so that those near and far can tune in on the festivities! Right in their pajamas! (You could also make them dress up- the fun is up to you!!) But it’s awesome because you can bring EVERYONE from all over the world to your intimate ceremony in New York City!
And last but not least…
7. Full Focus on Each Other
With all those 10,048,584,449 things out of the way when planning big weddings, you can truly SEE your significant other clearly and soak in every moment of your intimate ceremony. With less distractions, less things to stress over, less things to think about— you can truly remember WHY you’re marrying the person next to you and enjoy each other’s vows, I DO’s and first kiss! It really is an amazing way to start the next chapter in your life..
I hope you all enjoyed this post and are a little more open to the idea of elopements in new york city!! If you’re interested in learning more about NYC City Hall Elopements or just checking out some elopement inspiration, here are some great links:
CUTE Prop Ideas for your New York City Engagement, ELOPEMENT & WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY Session! (IN GIFS TOO!)
Props for your New York City wedding or engagement photos can come in all different forms! From balloons…to food, to snacks, desserts or even your pet… it’s okay to get CREATIVE! But incase you need some ideas or inspiration, here are some great ideas from some of my past couples that have used props for their engagement shoots and weddings!
BOBA
(aka Bubble tea for those of us from the East Coast)
Def still my favorite drink of all time albeit I need to do like 30% sugar now (getting older -_-) but still delicious! We picked these Boba Guys from the Canal Street Market in Chinatown, New York City.
PIZZA
The quintessential NEW YORK CITY food! Pizza and photos are always a beautiful partnership! One of the best spots in NYC? Scarrs !
DIM SUM
New York City has one of the best asian cuisine selections in the world! Dim Sum was something that brought this couple together and wanted to have their engagement photos reflect that!
BOOKSTORES + BOOKS!!
Always a great backdrop and fun! These were taken at Housing Works in Soho, NYC
Or this SUPER cute GIF taken with postcards! This wedding was at the iconic STRAND Bookstore on Union Square, NYC inside the Rare Book Collections room! (Obsesssssed!!!!!)
TACOS
Fish tacos are definitely my personal favorite, but I’m always down for ANY, even TACO BELL hahha. These are taken in by The High Line at Chelsea Market; Los Mariscos Tacos.
COFFEE
Grabbing a cup of coffee with someone is one of my personal favorite past times… so of course getting one with your s/o is just as fun to use as a prop!
SHAKE SHACK
Shake Shack Burgers for your engagement session …. I would sure never say no!! I love their burgers and their milk shakes! These were taken at the Shake Shack near Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo, Brooklyn.
SUNFLOWERS
Flowers of any sort are a nice addition to making your photos pop! This shot was taken at Fort Tryon Park in Hudson Heights, NYC.
BALLOONS
Balloons are so much fun to have during your engagement or wedding photo sessions! They add a sense of movement and always exciting for me when I’m creating my wedding gifs! The Balloonn Saloon definitely has a HUGE selection! They’re located in the West Village, in NYC.
STRING SIGNS
These were made by the bride herself! This shot was taken on the High Line, overlooking the Empire State Building in Chelsea, New York City.
BUBBLES
You can find the elusive bubble guys that wander around Central Park. Or you can bring your own bubbles to use!
BIKES
Real or graffiti bikes always work!
SPARKLERS
Always a classic with weddings! Most of the times they’re illegal in NYC…. so you’ll have to pick and choose your battles. Speak with your venue / wedding location before lighting them up!
DRINKS
Grab a drink or a beer at your favorite bar, brewery or beer garden!
THE NYC SUBWAY
As annoying and unreliable the NYC subway is, it is the structure that runs and is the backbone of New York City. So having it your photos to commemorate your time in New York City can actually be really cool and fun.
SMORES
If you have access to a fire pit somewhere (like this couple who had one of their Brooklyn Rooftop!) smores are such a cute and tasty idea!!
CUPCAKES
Always a sucker for sweets! Most places in NYC or Brooklyn have banging cupcakes. These are from One Girl Cookie in Dumbo, Brooklyn and Magnolia Bakery!
ICE CREAM
We all know no one can resist ice cream! This couple chose to get Van Leeuwen ice cream in the West Village in NYC! Yum!!!!!!!
… and this couple opted for Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream right after they had their elopement at Central Park!
UMBRELLAS
Great for the rainy days! This couple opted for I <3 NY umbrellas because they both came from California, along with their parents visiting to see them elope in the big apple! (You can check out their whole session here)
UKELELE
Or any musical instrument would be cute! I’ve had couples use guitars for their engagement session and serenade each other too!
FRAMED STATE IMAGERY
Are you a NYC transplant? You can create an ode to your hometown state in some fashion, like how this couple did these beautiful framed gold state images!
and last but not least….
YOUR PET !! (NOT A PROP, BUT ITS A GREAT IDEA!!)
Having your dog or cat (and even rabbit!) join for your session is never a bad idea!! I also once found a man walking his pet turtles at Central Park…. so no judgement to anyone!! <3
And if you feel EVEN MORE creative … you can double up on props and pets!!
Hope you guys got some great inspiration for your New York City engagement, elopement or wedding shoot from this blog post!! Can’t wait to see what other creative ideas others will have in the upcoming years!