How to elope on the High Line Park

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How to elope on the High Line Park

The High Line Park is the modern elevated park, which was built on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan. The park runs from the Gansevoort Street ( couples blocks below the 14th street) through Chelsea to the northern edge of the West Side Yard on 34th street near the Javits Center.  Right now the High Line park is one of the most visited parks in New York and a real gem of modern architecture.

Park regulations

1. The High Line Park is open daily, but the hours of operation vary by season. For example, from June to September the park is open from 7 am till 11 pm. But December through March it is 7 am – 7 pm.

2. You can not walk in the grass, pick up flowers, and block paths. It is a public park and if you decided to have your ceremony here be prepared for the other people to be around.

3. For weddings of 20ppl and less, you don’t need a special permit. But, if you want to have any sort of decorations (candles, flowers, arch, etc) you need to apply for the park permit. Last year the permit was $150 and you need to apply at least 2 weeks before your event date.

4. The permit does not give you permission to block any paths or restrict access to any park areas. Also, no alcohol is allowed on the park territory.

5. No drones are allowed in the park. Also, photos and videos are permitted unless the photographer is using the tripods and other big equipment that block the area.

So if you have a small group of people for your ceremony and you agree with the park regulations, you can start to look for the location. There are lots of great spots along the park and some of them have the Hudson river views or the Midtown street views or the modern architecture view. We would highly recommend visiting the park in advance and choose a spot.

From our experience, we really like those locations:

1. Tiffany and Co, foundation overlook
This spot is located at the Gansevoort street, right by the Whitney Museum Of American Art. It is off the walking path and you can have the place all for yourself.

2. 10th avenue square overlook.
This overlook is located right at the 17th street entrance and has fantastic views of the city. Ideal location for a seated ceremony.

3. 23rd street lawn and seating steps.
Another great location for a larger group. Here you can have a modern architecture building in your shot as well as the Hudson river views. It is also the only location where you are allowed to sit on the grass, so picnics are welcome.

Where to go after the ceremony?

This neighborhood has lots of fantastic restaurants and bars, so you don’t need to go far to celebrate. Here are some of our favorite spots around the park:

1. Del Posto (85 10th Av, NY)
Michelin star Italian restaurant with the private dining areas.

2. STK Downtown ( 26 Little W 12th st)
A steakhouse with the roof deck. Perfect for casual dining.

3. TAO Downtown ( 92 9th ave, NY)
Asian fusion restaurant with fancy decor. Perfect for a larger crowd.

4. Gallow Green ( 542 west 27th st, NY)
Roof lounge with the green garden, ideal for summer brunch celebrations.

5. Electric Lemon ( 33 Hudson Yards, 24th floor, NY)
New American restaurant with the terrace, overlooking the Vessel.

 
 
We hope that you will find this information useful and if you are considering getting elope on the High Line Park, contact us now info@daretodream.nyc and our experienced team will help you to make your wedding day unforgettable and stress-free. 
How to et married on the High Line park.
wedding on the High line

  

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

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.

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.

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

1. Dene summerhouse

Intimate Wedding at Dene Summerhouse Intimate Wedding in Central Park
Dene Summerhouse Intimate Wedding in Central Park
We absolutely love this location, because it is far off the tourist path and very intimate. It is located 5 minutes away from the entrance, so you won’t be walking through the whole park. Although there are not that many people in the park right now, by the summer it will be very crowded, so the less you walk through the people the better. The summerhouse has a fantastic view of the skyline and is perfect for the intimate elopement ceremony. You can have up to 20 people there sitting.

2. Pinebank Arch

A real hidden gem of Central Park. This bridge is very elegant and ideal for an elopement. Located 7 minutes away from the Columbus Circle entrance, this bridge is one of the five remaining original cast-iron bridges in Central Park. It also has the views of the Midtown Skyline. There is no sitting area around that spot, so we would not recommend it for a large party. But a group of 4 would be perfect here.

3. Waterfall

Yes, there are lots of waterfalls in Central Park. Our most favorite is the one located between the Azalea Pond and the Ramble cave. This location is off the tourist path, so might be hard to find, but it’s absolutely beautiful. You have two options here: 1. Have a ceremony at the base of the waterfall, so that it will be right on your background. 2. Have a ceremony on top, with the waterfall underneath you. In this case, you will have the pond and Midtown skyline in the pictures.

4. Hallett Nature Sanctuary

This location is known only by the locals. Located minutes away from the popular Cop Cot, this spot is less traveled. It is a hidden four-acre preserve, which offers views of the pond, the lower park, and the Midtown skyline. When you walk all the up the path, you will stumble upon an observation point and it is an ideal location for the ceremony. This place will be perfect for an intimate elopement with less than 10 ppl.

5. Shakespeare Garden

Elopement in NYC on Summer 2020

We love this location for its beauty and simplicity. Located minutes away from the Belvedere castle, this location is not so easy to find. The garden is filled with beautiful plants and flowers ever mentioned in Shakespeare’s work and its blooming year around. You can have an intimate elopement or the medium size wedding here. This is an ideal summer location.
We find all of those locations ideal for intimate elopement ceremonies. These are not popular spots and very few people actually know about them. So if you feel anxious to go into public places and think it might not be safe, those hidden spots are your best options. And of course, morning ceremonies are better than the one during the day, as there are more people in the park during the day.
If you are planning to get elope in NYC this summer, but don’t know where to start your planning, contact us now info@daretodream.nyc and our experienced team will start working on your perfect elopement.

 

Tatiana Caicedo

Covid 19 updates

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.

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.

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. 

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:

1. First of all, right now, we are all working from home, so if you were planning to use wedding planning services, this is the best time to reach out and speak to the planner. As many weddings were postponed or canceled, there are good chances that your planner is free and can spend quality time with you.

2. Start to look for the venues. Again as most of the weddings were canceled, there are more available dates and you can reach out to the venues and inquire about the dates that you are interested in. Also, most of the venues are offering virtual tours right now. This is a unique opportunity to do a venue search with your partner without leaving the house.

plan wedding while quarantine

3. If you were planning to hire a DJ, there is no better time than now to reach out and schedule a zoom session. Most of the musicians and DJ’s are doing online performances, so you can hear them live and decide if that is the person you want to hire for your wedding.

4. If you were planning to have the first dance with your partner, use the quarantine time to actually learn how to dance. Again, all the dance studios are now operating online, which means you can hire a first dance couch and practice the moves at home with your partner.

5. Wedding invitations, save the date, wedding favors – you can do it all at home by yourself. This is the unique opportunity to acquire a new skill, make your wedding more personal and save money.

If you were planning to elope, here are some useful tips for you as well:

1. You can start looking for your officiant. You can check them online, hear how they conduct the ceremony and see which one you like the most. Reach out to them and ask all the questions you were interested in.

2. Perfect time to start working on your vows.

3. You will definitely need a photographer, so start looking now. Again as many couples canceled their weddings, most of the photographers who were booked before are available now. So if you had a photographer in mind, but he was not available, reach out and see if he will be able to take you.

4. Look for the elopement planner in the city you plan to have your ceremony. There are lots of destination planners, who actually don’t live in the cities they offer their services and that might be a problem. We are all pretty sure that after the quarantine there will be new rules and regulations on any gatherings, so every city will have its own rules and it is better to have a planner who actually lives in that city.

5. If you were planning to buy a dress for the ceremony, many bridal boutiques are offering now the online virtual dress try on. Why not use this opportunity and see what dress styles suit you. It will save so much time and will boost your wedding mood.

 

How can we help?

Dare to Dream NYC is based in New York, so if you are planning to get elope here, reach out to us and we will answer all your questions. We are still operating on a regular schedule and ready to plan a last-minute elopement. We dream big and ready to help you bring your dreams into reality.

Tatiana Caicedo (c)

Call, text or WhatsApp +1(347)-926-9458

Leap Day intimate wedding ceremony by the Manhattan Bridge

Leap Day intimate wedding ceremony by the Manhattan Bridge

Cathy and Alan knew that their elopement day should be special and what can be better than the day that exists only every 4 years? On February 29th, one of the coldest days of the month, we had a small wedding ceremony by the Manhattan Bridge.

Cathy and Alan met in line for a roller coaster four and a half years ago in Disneyland, rode it multiple times and did the tower of terror where they held hands for the first time. When we heard this story for the first time, we knew we had an amazing couple to work with.

 

Leap Day intimate wedding ceremony

Cathy wanted to do a wedding with as little plastic and trash involved as possible, so she made her bridal bouquet herself and a lot of what she wore was either handmade, natural or used.

wedding ceremony by the Manhattan Bridge

Alan had a succulent plant boutonniere, which Cathy made as well. We had 15 family members present at the wedding, who arrived from Boston and China. During the ceremony, the cold wind was blowing so hard, that we were able to see the couple tremble during the exchange of vows. But as soon as officiant announced Cathy and Alan, husband and wife, and the couple put the warm coats back on, the celebration begins and the sun went out.

We decided to escape the cold and found shelter in the local coffee shop, which allows us to make a photo session at the business office. We did some fun shots there and as soon as everyone gets warm we hit the streets.

ceremony by the Manhattan Bridge
The Dumbo area in Brooklyn is known for its amazing views of the Manhattan skyline and beautiful waterfront line. That was exactly what we were looking for for our post-wedding photo session.
Congratulations dear Alan and Cathy on your special day and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

Leap Day intimate wedding ceremony - 1

Leap Day intimate wedding ceremony - 2

Leap Day intimate wedding ceremony - 3

Leap Day intimate wedding ceremony - 4

Photographer – Vlad Leto

Elopement Planner – Tatiana Caicedo

Central Park Elopement

Best places to get elope this Spring season in New York City

Spring in New York is absolutely spectacular and if you were planning to get elope, this is the best time to do so. Snowdrops, daffodils, Cornelia cherry, and magnolia trees are blooming right now and it gives the grey city this new look of awakening. It goes without saying that spring symbolizes a new beginning, new life circle, and you can not choose a better moment than this to get married. We understand the current coronavirus precocious and want to assure you that all our officiants and photographers are maintaining the zero contact policy. These are our safe elopement packages for the ongoing outbreak situation.

 

Central Park Elopement

1) Central Park

Of course, Central Park will be the first one on our list. We especially love the Ladies Pavilion for this time of the year. Its beautiful, elegant structure looks absolutely beautiful during the day and the lake and city background makes it perfect for the pictures. If you looking for the blooming Cornelia Cherry trees, the lawn on the left side of the Bethesda Terrace has lots of pink beauties, so you can get eloped at the Terrace and walk to the lawn for a spring wedding photo session.

2) Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Brooklyn Botanical Garden will be the next one on our list. With the annual Sakura Festival, this garden has lots of Magnolia trees all over the park. The most popular will be the Magnolia alley, located in the middle of the park. This place is ideal for an intimate elopement ceremony. The diversity of the park gives a professional elopement photographer a wide range of locations for the photo session, so will be ready to spend a couple of hours there.

3) Roosevelt Island

has it all, the breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline and hidden park full of magnolia trees. This place is perfect for intimate pop up weddings and elopements. Also, there is an old chapel on the island for those who are seeking a religious ceremony, which is just 10 minutes away from the park. You can get married in the chapel and have a photo session by the waterfront.

Spring elopement ideas

This is a very tender season, so we will recommend soft, nude, pastel colors. Soft pink bridal bouquet and boutonniere will look absolutely stunning on the pictures. Also, grass green and pastel yellow colors will help to enhance the mood. The pastel pink bridal dress would look absolutely amazing among the magnolia trees. For more traditional couples, we would recommend having the second outfit, which they can switch after the ceremony and take pictures. Also, don’t forget about the props. Everything from gigantic balloons, to pink matcha latte and pink scooters, can be a great addition to the pictures.

Rooftops

Finally, the rooftop season is officially open and you can enjoy the gorgeous views of the Manhattan skyline from above. It is the time of stunning sunsets and what can be more romantic than getting married on a rooftop with the pink sky above you. Our rooftops are located all over the city and Brooklyn areas and almost all of them have the Empire State Building views. If you are still seeking for nature, the rooftop garden can be the best option for you. Elegant venue for a marriage proposal in New York.

Elopement Photography

Spring wedding photography is always beautiful, as nature is just awakening and the sun is not so harsh as during the summer months. Perfect time for tender photo sessions and love story shots. We always recommend talking to your photographer before the wedding and decide what style of pictures you are looking for. Also, don’t forget to bring a second outfit for the shoot, it will help to create another mood for the pictures and make the photo session more diverse.

Spring months in New York are officially from March till May and those are the months when the trees and flowers start to bloom. We would highly recommend eloping during this time as it’s not too hot yet not cold already and nature looks fantastic on the pictures. If you planning to elope this spring season, but you don’t know what location to choose or don’t even know where to start, contact us now info@daretodream.nyc and our experienced team will help you to plan the wedding of your dreams.

Мicro wedding in Washington Square Park

For a wedding ceremony, we choose Washington Square Park as it was exactly what our couple were looking for. It has a beautiful background for the pictures, you can feel the Holiday Spirit in there and there were not many people at this time of the year.
The ceremony was officiated by the couple’s mutual friend and this closeness made the whole wedding very intimate and private. After the couple exchanged, the rings and the officiant pronounces them husband and wife, we had a beautiful photo session in an empty park. Christmas Eve in New York never felt so magical as on that evening.
Congratulations Jinny and Giuseppe on your special day!

Christmas Eve micro wedding in Washington Square Park

Jinny and Giuseppe Christmas Eve micro wedding in Washington Square Park

wedding in Washington Square Park

wedding in Washington Square Park

Christmas Eve in Washington Square Park

Christmas Eve wedding

Christmas Eve wedding - Jinny and Giuseppe

Christmas Eve wedding - Jinny and Giuseppe 2