6 Great Locations For An Intimate Wedding Ceremony / Micro Wedding / Elopement in New York City

I hope this list will be useful to all of you guys that were planning (or will plan) your NYC wedding and elopements! I know things are looking a little unpredictable these days due to the covid-19 pandemic, but throughout all of this, it does highlight the importance of people around you and to never take anything or anyone for granted.

I figured it wouldn’t hurt for some of you guys to use some of this downtime to plan ahead, get inspired, so that when we do move past this difficult time, you’ll be SO READY to put a ring on it and run and marry that special person in your life.

I am wishing everyone will stay safe and appreciate those hard at work on the front lines and the people around you <3

And now onto my list….

1. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Bridge Park - It’s funny because most people want that iconic New York City skyline, but they don’t seem to remember that if you’re on Manhattan island… you’re not going to get those gorgeous building skyline view of NYC! So I always love to recommending to my couples to think about getting married at Brooklyn Bridge Park. There is a wonderful view of all the New York City lower Manhattan buildings, such as the Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center), Brooklyn Bridge itself, and many more!

2. The Brooklyn Promenade, Brooklyn, New York

The Brooklyn Promenade - The same idea as Brooklyn Bridge Park, but a little more tucked away from the crowds, private and intimate. The promenade is a little area that is just a short walk away from Brooklyn Bridge Park and also has a beautiful view of the New York City skyline!

3. Central Park - New York City

A popular and WORLD famous place to elope and have an intimate ceremony with close friends and family. There are so many different locations in Central Park that would work to have either a small elopement or a large group. (Any groups over 20 must register for a permit. The permit is $400 - check out Central Park’s Wedding Website for more information since policies are changing everyday!)

My top favorite spots in Central Park are The Ladies Pavilion, Bethesda Fountain / Bethesda Terrace and Cop Cot.

The Ladies Pavilion, Central Park, NYC

Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, NYC

Cop Cot, Central Park, NYC

4. The High Line, Chelsea, New York City

The High Line encapsulates the more urban and modern feel of New York City. The High Line is an ever changing art piece that is unique and quirky! It can be lush and organic, mixed with urban and industrial vibes. There are also a lot of great food spots nearby that you can easily get to after the ceremony! (Like Chelsea Market and many other delicious restaurants!)

5. Gantry State Park, Long Island City, New York

Gantry State Park - Echoing what I spoke about for Brooklyn Bridge Park, Gantry State Park is located in Queens, just a short bridge away from Manhattan and also boasts an amazing view of the New York City skyline. From this park, you get the midtown nyc building views- so you’ll see the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. For those that are from queens (like me!!!) and for those that want to capture the gorgeous city that they live in- forever in their wedding photographs, this would be a great place to do it! You do need a permit to hold a ceremony there, and you can check out this link for more information.

6. New York City Hall ( City Clerk’s Office)

The Office of the City Clerk of New York - …And of course, my all time favorite, New York City Hall! A lot of couples have their ceremony here and then spend the rest of their time taking photos around NYC. Since it is an indoor space, it’s also can serve as a great backup location incase of any weird precipitation. New York City weather is always very unpredictable! So if you had an outdoor location in mind for your intimate wedding ceremony and there seems to be projected rain, maybe it would make sense to move to have the ceremony at New York City Hall; then get some photos at some of the previous locations I mentioned in this blog post! For more information about eloping at the NY City Hall, check out this blog post!

Incorporating Graffiti and Murals into your New York City Wedding Photos!

Backdrops are important when taking your wedding photos! In New York City, we have plenty of different types of backdrops. We have the new york city skylines, the new york city streets and even plenty of gorgeous parks to act as your backdrop. But I wanted to give you guys some inspiration on having graffiti or urban murals that can be great backdrops too!

7 Tips on How to Plan your New York City Hall Ceremony / Elopement !

Updated March 2025, so these tips are up to date with 2025 Cityhall Guidelines!

So I’ve photographed a ton of weddings inside New York City’s City Hall on 141 Worth Street! I’ve had amazing couples from all over the world from places like Singapore, UK, Ireland and even some from as far as Australia- and they all travel to New York City for a destination wedding. I’ve also had couples from Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan because they chose to have a small intimate ceremony inside the NYC City Clerk Chapel! People either bring an entourage of family and friends, or with just me- as their witness! Whatever the reason—-it’s exciting!! There’s such a sense of sweetness in dressing up in a wedding dress, galavanting into a gorgeous historical building in New York City and saying your vows to one another. There’s really nothing else like it. Having your soul mate by your side, making promises that will last a lifetime and then getting your pictures taken all around the amazing views of New York City? Nothing. Can. Beat. It.

So if this is something you’re planning on doing, I figured it’d be nice for me to give you some tips on planning and how to make your day go smoothly!

1. Apply for your marriage license!

I know you may think this is a no-brainer- but in fact, a lot of couples don’t realize you need to apply first in order to get married at the chapel! You can apply online on the Office of the City Clerk. After you have done that, you’ll receive a Confirmation Number with more info telling you what IDs and documents you will need. Keep in mind that this is all BEFORE the actually wedding ceremony at the Chapel. I believe now, (post covid in 2024), you MUST schedule all appointments online before entering into City Hall. So you must schedule to get the license AND you must schedule a time to go in for the in-person ceremony.

If you want more in-depth on the types of paperwork, IDs you’ll need, please go to the office of the City Clerk Website, or you can check out this great article from The Knot.

2. Invite your friends and family as early as possible!

Since City Hall elopements happen only during normal government work hours (M-F, 8am-4:30pm) - chances are your friends and family will need ample time to take off of work/class/other engagements so they can attend! Especially true if they are flying in or out from another country! The current guest amount in NY City Hall is 4, so it would be you, your fiance and 4 other people. If you have a photographer, then it is 3 more guests you can bring in. PLEASE DOUBLE check the current guidelines on the CITY CLERK website before inviting too many people!

3. Secure A Photographer and Secure a Witness!

If you have someone in mind, reach out to them ASAP! ( You can also contact me! 😉) You definitely will want this day captured! So get someone who knows the ropes of the City Hall procedures and can also take you around to some cool places afterwards to get some portraits done! If you also plan on having just you and your significant other at this intimate ceremony, make sure to bring a witness! It’s not legal until you have a witness sign that paper! Photographers (and myself) can also act as a witness- so make sure they bring a legal ID. (A driver’s license or passport works!)

4. Best Time to go to City Hall for the Chapel Wedding

Mondays and Fridays before a long weekend are usually the most busy days. I always recommend the after-morning rush, which is around 11am (if you’re aiming for a brunch with friends/family) or go for the 3pm slot if you are planning to do some photos and have dinner afterward. They are currently doing reservations online so you can book 3 weeks in advance. Keep in mind that the city clerk office CLOSES FOR LUNCH between 1-2pm so there is usually a bit of a delay and sometimes even a line to get in at 2pm, so I’d aim for 3pm.

5. A BIT OF Wait Time is Expected!

No matter what, there is going to be a small wait time. Even though now (2025 post covid) you can make a reservation online for an appointment— there is still a small wait. If you’ve ever been to the DMV, you can equate it to that. There are a few lines to wait on, but they generally go by rather quickly! From my experience, the wait these days is at most about 45 minutes to an hour; from entering, paying, having the ceremony to exiting! So always have that in mind when you’re planning your day. Get insight on where you want to do your photos after and also where you want to hold your reception in accordance to your ceremony time.

6. Plan your MEAL!

Keep in mind that the ceremony at Cityhall and then photos afterwards could take about 2-3 hours, so make sure you have a hearty meal beforehand or grab a snack along the way… and always, always remember to bring water! Modeling is tough work!

7. Think about transportation!

Do you have a large group or is it just you two? If you have a big group that is traveling from out of town, make sure they know where and how to get to their next destination! After a few group portraits, you’ll either need to call them some taxis, teach them how to manage the subways or call ubers. Getting them situated would be the best move in order for you and your photographer start your portrait session. If it’s just you and your photographer, make sure you plan where you’ll be heading to next and how you’d like to get there!

I hope this helps out in your planning for your special day! If you have any other questions or would like to book a session with me, you can always reach out to me!


8. BONUS TIP - Bring a hard and unbendable folder to store your MARRIAGE LICENSE IN! After the ceremony, they give you your official marriage license! So make sure you have somewhere safe to store it when you leave city hall! You can also hand it to a trustworthy friend/family member so they can hang onto it until after you finish your wedding portraits!

Couple celebrating with family across the street from City Hall

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!