This Central Park wedding was an afternoon spent allowing light to fill the frame while enjoying the views from the iconic Bow Bridge. If you’ve dreamed of getting married in Central Park, you’ll find a quick guide for planning your wedding in the details below. Information includes obtaining your permit, locations throughout the park for hosting your wedding, and enjoying a photography experience emblematic of your love story.

Central Park Wedding Permit

For groups of 20 or more, it is recommended that a special events permit be obtained for your wedding in Central Park. While a permit is not specifically required for smaller sized groups, you should still apply for one ahead of your wedding. The application can be obtained online through the NYC Parks Department. The total fee for the application is $25 and can take 30 days to process.

Central Park Wedding Ceremony

In total, there are 14 distinctive locations throughout Central Park for hosting your wedding ceremony. 

1. Bethesda Terrace/Bethesda Fountain
2. Bow Bridge
3. Cedar Hill
4. Cherry Hill
5. Cop Cot
6. Gapstow Bridge
7. Great Hill
8. Harlem Meer
9. Ladies Pavilion
10. Shakespeare Garden 
11. Wagner Cove 
12. Belvedere Plaza
13. The Pool Lawn
14. Summit Rock 

Total Capacity

All in all, a wedding in Central Park can typically host groups ranging in size of 20 to 100 attendees. However, the total expected capacity is dependant upon the selected location of your Central Park wedding. For example, a wedding ceremony on the Bow Bridge may only host groups of 20 to 25, so as not to obstruct the path for park goers. Though the park is open to the public at all times, having a small group of guests attend your vows will allow you to be encircled by the ones you love, while also providing you privacy from the attentive eyes of those visiting the park.

Restrictions

In order to maintain the integrity of the park while keeping it open to the public, there are specific guidelines, including restrictions when it comes to hosting your wedding in Central Park.

• Setups, including tables, chairs, tents, and arbors, are strictly prohibited
• Amplified music is not allowed
• Flower arrangements cannot be set down or staked into the ground
• No balloons or decor

Allowable

Items that can be hand-carried or brought in a small bag.

• Chuppas are allowed if they are hand-carried and have received preauthorization
• Acoustic music is allowed
• Vow books
• Floral bouquets
• Boutinneres

Central Park Wedding Photos

There is an unmistakable otherworldly charm to Central Park wedding photos. The designated spaces in Central Park for a wedding are steeped in the city’s rich history, with their storied architecture evoking a sense of grandeur from a time long past. Regardless of the space you select to host your Central Park elopement, the rest of the park is available for Central Park wedding photos that embody quintessential NY. 

For example, the wedding featured here took place on the Bow Bridge, with portraits captured at the nearby Cherry Hill. Exploring the area for Central Park wedding photos lends itself to the experience of dashing off to one of the most iconic landmarks in the city for a wedding that embodies your story.

For a wedding photography experience unencumbered by daily foot traffic, my recommendation is to arrive at sunrise ahead of your ceremony. While it’s true that the park is always bustling, the early morning weekday hours are best for avoiding crowds and enjoying the feeling of the park through a more private experience.

NYC Elopement Photographer

New York weddings held in Central Park are filled with the vibrant energy and commotion of the city, enveloped by the magnificence of the park’s landscape.  As a NYC Elopement photographer, I offer several packages, including film photography and Super 8 Videography, to capture the storytelling narrative of your Central Park wedding. You can find more details on the experience I offer when you follow this link.