Best places to elope this winter in New York City.

New York City is ready for the Holidays, every street and district in the city is shining with Christmas decorations and it looks like it is a perfect season for an intimate elopement.

Here are our Top 5 best places to elope this winter:

1. Ladies Pavilion, Central Park
   There is something in this pavilion that brings elegance and grace to the ceremony. It is also a perfect winter spot as the pavilion is covered and can hide you from rain or snow. Also, it is located right on the lake, so you have a lot of picture opportunities after the ceremony. It can host up to 10 ppl
2. Washington Square Park
   This park is perfect for winter elopements. It has a wonderful Holiday tree and the Washington Square Arch looks great in the pictures. Also, you can walk to the “Washington mews”, a charming cobblestone street with two-stored carriage houses on both sides. Perfect location for some styled shoots. Or if you are looking for more “edgy” looks you can walk to the Greenwich Village with its curvy streets and charming townhouses.
3. Hudson Yards
   This Holiday season this is the place to be. The whole area is covered in lights and you can say “I do” on the “Edge”, which is the highest observation deck in the western hemisphere. This area has everything you need, from the great restaurants to endless picture opportunities.
4. Pulitzer Fountain
   Pulitzer fountain is located in front of the Plaza Hotel on 5th avenue. This Holiday season this place looks like the magic itself. Ideal for the evening intimate elopement ceremonies, this place looks fantastic in the pictures. It is also located right by Central Park, which gives more photo opportunities. And don’t forget about the Plaza hotel and its exclusive dining options.
5. Seaport district
   This area has so much charm and you feel as if you are walking around the English countryside here. You can have a ceremony on the pier overlooking Brooklyn Bridge and celebrate in private rooftop igloos, that were set specially for the winter. This will be an experience you won’t forget. This area also has lots of picture opportunities and you can even take the water taxi or a ferry from there.

Winter weddings are always magical and we love organizing them. But be prepared that it is going to be cold outside, so dress layers and wear proper boots. We also provide warm cozy blankets for our couples to stay warm between the location hopping and always can suggest a warm inside place to stop by.
If you are planning to elope this winter and want to start your planning process, contact us now at info@daretodream.nyc and our experienced team will help you to create the most magical winter ceremony in New York.

Here is some simple guidance on how to start crafting your personal wedding vows:

1. Discuss with your partner the tone and format of your vows. Do you want it to be humorous or poetic? How long? Do you want to write them separately and surprise each other at the ceremony or write together? We saw this couple of times when couples did not discuss the tone and format of the vows with each other and as a result, one partner had way too long and emotional vows and the other one kept it short and humorous.
2. Now when you agree on the format you can start working on your writing. We always recommend writing your vows separately and at your own pace. Don’t expect to write the final draft at once, but instead, work in stages. Start from writing notes about your relationship, what did you like about your partner back then, what were your first thoughts at that moment. It is really great to show your partner how much your love grow over the years and how you both changed over time.
3. Include a funny story. It is a perfect way to lighten up the tone and give your partner something to smile at.
4. Write actual promises. Try to avoid clichés and words like “never” and “always”. But actually, say what you promise to your partner. It can be something serious like “I promise always be by your side” or something more down to earth as “I promise to remind you to put a sunblock when we go to the beach”. 
5. Say why you want to get married to your partner and mention the future. This is a good moment to show your partner the qualities that you see in them and set some goals for the future. Maybe you already talk about having children or moving to another country, it is worth mentioning it.
6. When you finish writing the vows leave them for a week and then get back and correct them if needed.
7. Read them out loud. It is a great technique to practice and make sure you like the way it sounds. Also, you can make mental notes on where to pause longer or change your tone. It shouldn’t sound monotonous, so better practice in advance.
8. Write them down. You can send your drafts to a professional calligrapher to make them look more celebratory or write them yourself. But it is always a great memory to keep from your wedding, so have it in writing.
9. Have a backup plan. Sometimes couples feel way too emotional at the wedding and don’t feel like reading the vows out loud in front of the family. In this case make a draft for your officiant, who can read it for you or include some parts of your vows into the ceremony.
10. Have fun and enjoy every second of your special day.

After quarantine wedding elopement in New York City.

Little by little New York City lockdown restrictions are lifting up and with the new permission from the government, couples who want to get married can now obtain their marriage license online.

Top 5 elopement locations in Central Park where you can practice social distancing from other ppl:

1. Dene summerhouse

2. Pinebank Arch

3. Waterfall

4. Hallett Nature Sanctuary

5. Shakespeare Garden

COVID-19 Updates – Message from Dare to Dream NYC team.

With the spread of coronavirus, lots of couples had to cancel or postpone their weddings in New York. We are doing our best to accommodate the clients, who had to change their plans due to quarantine and taking a limited number of May clients. And we are expecting to start booking fully for summer/ fall 2020.

Our team is following all the safety protocols and practicing zero contact polity. Our wedding planner and marriage officiant are working from home and accepting online consultations. Our photographers and videographers are keeping the safe distance from the couples and maintaining a no-contact policy.

Contact us for more info. 

Here are some Covid -19  related articles:

⇒ Best hidden places to elope in Central Park after quarantine is lifted in NYC ⇐

We are getting ready to start accommodating summer elopements, but we still want to be sure that our clients and our team are safe, so here are our top 5 elopement locations in Central Park where you can practice social distancing from other ppl.

⇒ How to plan your small wedding while on quarantine ⇐

This spring became very challenging for everybody. Ban on travel, social distancing, and quarantine is what everyone is talking about and we can see how all that can give anxiety to the newly engaged couples, who just started to plan their intimate wedding or an elopement. But we think that this is the best time to start planning your wedding and here is why:

⇒ How to get married online in New York? ⇐

On April 19th, the New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced that now couples can get their marriage license online, and officials will be authorized to perform the ceremony over video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, for example. So, what does all this mean?

We really think that ” When life gives you lemons – do lemonade” and even in this situation we still can create an unforgettable wedding experience.

So if you were planning to elope this spring season, but your plans were changed due to the quarantine, contact us now info@daretodream.nyc, and our experienced team will help you to make your big day unforgettable.

On April 19th, the New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced that now couples can get their marriage license online, and officials will be authorized to perform the ceremony over video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, for example.

What does all this mean?
First of all, before the couples who wanted to get married had to obtain their marriage license in person at the marriage bureaus before they were shut down in March.
Now, couples are allowed to do it online and get married by the city clerk or marriage officiant at home. This is absolutely exciting news as if you were planning to get married this spring, but your plans were changed due to quarantine, you still can get married.

So, how can you plan your home wedding now?

1. Set the date and contact the marriage bureau to apply for the license.
   Most of the couples had to postpone or cancel their weddings, but we really think that it is better to elope now and have your big family celebration later on. So maybe instead of postponing your big day, just make it smaller and spend the rest of the quarantine as a married couple. You can still invite all your friends and family to your online wedding ceremony.
2. Decide if you want to get married by the city clerk or by the officiant.
   The difference will be in personalization. Usually, the city clerks are in a rush and the whole ceremony doesn’t last longer than 10 minutes. When you have an officiant, you can make the ceremony more personal with a brief description of your relationship, vows exchange and a unity ceremony.
3. Dress up.
   Even if you have your wedding in your living room, it doesn’t mean you can’t dress up and look your best. Most likely, you already have a wedding dress, so this is your chance to rock it. If not, just really do it for yourself. This is your big day, and you need to make the most of it. You can be casual or add a fun element in your outfit. This is a perfect opportunity to be silly and have fun.
4. Don’t stop at the ceremony, create the whole day experience.
   Again, this is all very personal, but why not to make the most of this unusual situation and have a blast. Create the schedule for the day, starting with the bridal preparation and mimosa drinks with your virtual bridesmaids and culminating by the cake smashing in your living room. You can actually even hire a wedding planner, who will help to organize the wedding day schedule and make it fun and exciting for all the participants. You can have a live DJ performing online and all your guests can dance at their houses.
5. Capturing the moment.
   Wedding photos are essential and you absolutely must have them If you decide to have a ceremony in your house, maybe do it outside so that the photographer can use the wide lenses to capture the moment. He doesn’t need to come close to you but will need some space, so the backyard or rooftop will be ideal. If the ceremony will be inside the house and you are not sure about the actual photographer, do it yourself. Set the camera on timer and let it snap the pictures every 2 minutes. It might be too static, but again we are doing the best we can in this situation, so no complaints.

How can we help?

We are based in NYC and ready to physically accommodate couples living in our area. Meaning we can provide photography and video assistance and officiant if you want to have a ceremony outside your house. 

For the couples who want to get married at home, we can deliver flower bouquet, cake, and champagne for the celebration. Plus, our wedding planner is offering full-day online coordination. From creating the personalized banner for your zoom room wedding to live DJ performances. 

We truly think that any situation can bring joy and happiness and even at these uncertain times we can create beautiful and memorable moments for our couples. So if you were planning to elope this spring season, but your plans were changed due to the quarantine, contact us now info@daretodream.nyc and our experienced team will help you to make your big day unforgettable.