Central Park Wedding Venues & Packages
Choose a package that you like — when you add “add-ons” the price will change.
A Central Park wedding with Dare to Dream starts from $1,400 and includes a licensed officiant, one hour of professional photography and the park permit. We secure the permit and handle the planning — any day of the week, rain or shine, for up to about 30 guests. Choose a package below and add only what you love.
Where your small wedding ceremony can take place in Central Park
Bow Bridge, Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Terrace and more — we handle the permit for any of them.
Not sure which venue is right?
Tell us your date and the vibe you’re after — we’ll match you with the perfect spot and check availability.
Compare our Central Park wedding packages
| Essential$1,400 | Most popular Classic$1,950 |
Signature |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed officiant & ceremony | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Central Park permit handled | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| On-site coordination | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Up to 20 guests (standing) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Professional photography | 1 hr | 1 hr | 1 hr |
| Floral ceremony arch | – | – | ✓ |
| Cinematic highlight film (2–3 min) | – | – | ✓ |
| Bouquet & boutonnière | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Private online photo gallery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 100 LED candles & rose-petal aisle | – | – | ✓ |
| Champagne toast & aisle runner | – | – | ✓ |
| Private Penthouse upgrade (Empire State view) | – | +$1,200 | +$1,200 |
Your Central Park wedding, step by step
Marriage license
Apply online via Project Cupid. Go to the City Clerk office together and pick it up. It is $35 and the license is valid for 60 days.
We handle the permit
We will secure the Central Park permit for you. Just need 21 day notice for it.
Your ceremony day
Arrive 15 minutes early — officiant, photography and coordination are on us. Rain or shine.
Married!
We file the paperwork; your marriage certificate is legally valid worldwide.
Tatiana was an absolute dream to work with! From our very first meeting, she brought a calming presence, incredible attention to detail, and a true passion for making our wedding day everything we envisioned.
My wife and I got married this February. Tatiana was a great listener, and it was easy to discuss our wedding plan with her. She arranged a beautiful venue for the winter time — a penthouse with glass walls near Times Square.
I HIGHLY recommend this great business to handle your NYC wedding. We live in a different state and working with Tatiana and her team was a dream. She was very responsive and took charge of all the planning and details.
Tatiana and her crew did an amazing job for our elopement wedding. They were organized, friendly and patient! We will never forget our rooftop wedding because of them!
Highly recommend. Very professional, friendly and knowledgeable. Made the experience very easy and less stressful.
Super professional team! We are so grateful for the beautiful ceremony that you organised, guys! You made our day so bright and happy! Thank you so much!
How to plan a wedding in Central Park?
Central Park is the largest park in the city, and it’s the first location you think of when you start planning a wedding. With so many great photo opportunities and locations, it is ideal for wedding ceremonies. Summer and autumn are the best time of year to tie the knot, when the park’s nature is at its best. There are so many beautiful, intimate locations — Bow Bridge, Gapstow Bridge, Cop Cot, Wagner Cove, Ladies Pavilion, Cherry Hill, Shakespeare Garden, Belvedere Castle, the Conservatory Garden and many others — each with its own pros and cons, as well as rules and regulations to follow. Central Park weddings are really fun: whether you’re a native New Yorker or having a destination wedding, Central Park is a perfect, intimate place for your ceremony.
Paper work+
The wedding ceremony+
For the ceremony you will need+
- Valid photo ID (and a passport for international couples)
- Your New York City Marriage License from the City Clerk
- An officiant to register the ceremony
- A witness (photographers count!) over the age of 18 who has a valid photo ID
- A professional photographer and videographer, because you want to save this moment forever and share it with all of your friends and family who can’t be there. Photography for a Central Park wedding starts from $550 and video from $750 (order now).
Permits for a Central Park wedding+
If you have fewer than 20 people, you might not need a permit, but in this case you won’t be sure the location you picked is available — so it’s better to have one.
If you’re planning your wedding at the Conservatory Garden, the rules and regulations are different. You will need to get a permit from the Central Park Conservancy. The permit fee is $400, plus an additional $100 for photography. The wedding party is limited to 100 people. You cannot use the lawn in the Conservatory Garden, and no chairs or tables either. No amplified music is allowed.
How can Dare to Dream help organize your Central Park wedding?+
Found a place you love? Tell us your date and we’ll confirm it’s free.
Central Park wedding FAQ
How much is a Central Park wedding?+
What’s included in the package?+
Do you handle the Central Park permit?+
What happens if it rains?+
How many guests can attend?+
Which Central Park locations can we choose?+
I have planned proposals, elopements and small weddings for 11 years. Was featured in the New York Times as a small wedding planner in New York. All the information, pictures, and couples are from real ceremonies we have produced in NYC.
Best places for a wedding ceremony in Central Park
Dare to Dream is a unique, NYC-based company specializing in small, pop-up, and micro weddings. Even with the smallest of budgets, we can bring a taste of luxury to every client looking for a Central Park wedding. Our Central Park wedding planner has planned and organized more than 100 micro weddings in the last three years, with one goal: a luxury, stress-free wedding experience for every client. Our all-inclusive wedding and photography packages offer extraordinary value, with the added bonus of our specialized photography team, led by Vlad Leto. From stone bridges with city backdrops to secret garden gazebos, Central Park offers a little bit of everything.
Here are the locations we love most for an intimate wedding.
This bridge is absolutely stunning; located right on the lake, it provides a romantic setting and great photo opportunities. As the bridge itself might be too busy, consider having your ceremony at the wood chip vantage point with the bridge in the background.
It is the most visited location in the park. It offers multiple options for the wedding ceremony, such as the terrace, fountain or by the lake. In case of rain, you can have a ceremony under the beautiful mosaic-tiled ceiling of the passageway.
A very popular location for wedding ceremonies, this castle has all you need, from marvelous park and pond views to beautiful architectural backdrops. It also has a covered area for a rainy day and a great lawn for the after-ceremony picnic.
This beautiful bridge is located right on the pond and has the best views of the Manhattan skyline. Located at the entrance of 59th Street and 5th Avenue, this bridge is known from movies and postcards. Perfect for a small elopement and vows renewal ceremonies.
This sweet little gazebo is ideal for an intimate elopement ceremony. Located steps away from the Cherry Hill fountain, this rustic wooden shelter has the best views of the lake. This is probably the most secluded location in the park.
The most popular wedding spot in the park. This elegant pavilion is overlooking the lake and can host up to 10 people. Ideal for early morning ceremonies.
It is a beautiful wooden gazebo located at the 59th Street and 6th Avenue entrance. Its round structure can fit up to 30 people standing and has marvelous views of the Manhattan area. It is a rather private location, off the tourist path, and ideal for a wedding ceremony.
This gazebo is a real hidden gem of Central Park. Located on East 67th Street and 5th Avenue, this place is perfect for quiet wedding ceremonies. The summerhouse is up on a small hill and has stunning views of the park and the Manhattan skyline.
A formal garden with fountains and vast lawns in the northeast corner of Central Park. An intimate wedding ceremony surrounded by nature.
Hidden path with the lake view. An intimate spot for a small ceremony. Ideal for early morning and sunset weddings.
A beautiful wooden structure located right on the lake. It used to be a boat landing, but is now a recreation spot. This vantage point is ideal for elopements and intimate weddings. A perfect location for pictures, as you have the lake, bridge and Manhattan skyline in one shot.
Another hidden gem of Central Park. Located right on the lake, this wooden structure provides great views of the Bow Bridge and shelter from the rain. It is ideal for a small wedding ceremony and for couples who are looking for privacy.
A very intimate and secluded spot, located by the lake with marvelous views of the Manhattan skyline. This location is perfect for an elopement and a small, 10-person wedding ceremony. It is also a great spot for sunset photo sessions.
This location is perfect for summer ceremonies. Covered with flowers and greenery, it creates an enchanted atmosphere, ideal for an intimate elopement ceremony. It can fit from 10 to 30 people, depending on where you have the ceremony, the main staircase or the promenade.
Guests, permits & music
When you are looking for Central Park wedding ideas, keep in mind that hiring a live band might not be possible: as a general rule, there is no amplified music allowed in Central Park. If you are planning to have more than 20 people, you might even need a permit in order to secure the location. In general, you don’t need a permit to get married almost anywhere in the park, though it is a good idea to have one for the most popular spots, just to make sure you will have a smooth day. The only exception is the Conservatory Garden, which requires both a wedding and a photography permit.
Ceremony spots with seating
If you are specifically looking for a Central Park wedding space with more seating, we recommend Cop Cot, the largest gazebo in the park, which can fit 10–30 people comfortably seated. The Ladies Pavilion is small, but can accommodate 6 people seated, with cover. The Dene Summerhouse also has a few benches inside, perfect for a small ceremony.
Receptions & the City Hall combo
There are also two nice restaurants in the park you may consider for a small reception after the ceremony: the Loeb Boathouse and Tavern on the Green, both ideal for a small celebration with friends and family. Dare to Dream also offers a popular City Hall and Central Park combination: get married at City Hall, then enjoy a beautiful photo session and wedding celebration in Central Park. How far is City Hall from Central Park? It depends on traffic, but in general no more than 30 minutes, either by train or by taxi.
Plan your Central Park wedding
Tell us your date and favorite spot — we’ll check availability, handle the permit, and take care of every detail.