
Eloping at City Hall in New York City is a straightforward process, but there are a few steps you’ll need to follow to ensure everything goes smoothly. Before you can get married, you must first obtain a marriage license. Please go HERE
I love city hall for so many reasons, my parents got married there pregnant with me in 1984 . It holds a special place in my heart.

City Hall is one of the most low key ways to elope. You set up you your appt online, find a photographer, at this time they only allow one guest your witness who is also usually your photographer. You show up at your appt time, ceremonies usually last 5 minutes and you’re legally married. Also you leave with your paper work which is great. Minted has a great article check out here.
City hall for elopements and wedding is located at the NYC city clerks office, 141 Worth St in Manhattan. There are also City Clerk’s offices in the other boroughs, with Brooklyn as the second most popular location.
Elopements range from just the couple to upwards of 25 people. The number of guests usually depends on the location I say a true elopement is between 10-25 guests. Or it can just be the 2 of you. You can even elope via zoom.
You will need an Officiant if you’re getting married outside of city hall. Officiants provide more than just your ceremony, but good ones also provide help with the marriage process. I love working with Honey Breaks an all women owned company. Please see their site here. You can also have a local priest, minister, rabbi, marry you as well. Whatever suits your specific spiritual belief system. In most cases all officiants have experience with working with varying religious backgrounds and accommodate those in the ceremony.
You can also have a friend or relative get ordained and marry you, I have seen many couples do this and it adds something truly special to the day.

What does eloping in NYC cost? Most elopements with good quality photography will run you around $1,500-$2,500 thats with officiation and an out door free venue, maybe 10 guests, a bottle or 2 of champaign. Some folks splurge a little more, and will rent a small venue or an Airbnb, and then you can get up to 5-10K. Elopements in general are more affordable than traditional weddings, which often at bare minimum are around $31,000 based on The Knot’s Real Wedding Study. Everyone is different and you really need to decide whats right for you and going to mean the most.
City Hall Weddings are the most affordable option as you only need a photographer most photographers are also happy to act as witness and included in their packages. The 2 hour elopement is perfect for NYC hall weddings.
For as long as I can remember an elopement was a term used for people getting married in secrecy, even the city hall wedding was frowned upon in some circles, If you dont go big, its almost as if it didn’t happen. Well thank god that is over. Elopements now hold space for people not wanting to spend a ton of money, too laid back couples who aren’t into big parties and are more reserved.

Well first of all it can be better for the environment, for your pockets, and for your mental well being.

Some places to Elope that are well known in The NYC are:
1. NYC City Hall (Civic Center)

7. Conservatory Garden in Central Park
11. 6BC Botanical Garden (East Village)
12. 620 Loft and Garden (Midtown)

16. The High Line (Chelsea)
17. Washington Square Park (Greenwich Village)
19. Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park (Inwood)

23. West Village cobblestone streets (West Village)
24. Madison Square Park (Flatiron)
26. Elizabeth Street Garden (SoHo)
27. Garden at Church of St. Luke of the Fields (West Village)

19. Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park (Inwood)

30. Brooklyn City Hall (Downtown Brooklyn)
31. Brooklyn Heights Promenade (Brooklyn Heights)
32. Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Park Slope/Crown Heights)
33. Prospect Park Peristyle (Park Slope)
34. Prospect Park Cleft Ridge Span (Park Slope)
34. Vale of Cashmere (Prospect Park)
35. Washington/Water Street (Dumbo)

36. Pebble Beach in Brooklyn Bridge Park (Dumbo)
37. On the Brooklyn Bridge
38. Jane’s Carousel (Dumbo)
39. St. Ann’s Warehouse garden (Dumbo)
40. Time Out Market Rooftop (Dumbo)
41. Bushwick Collective (Bushwick)
42. Green-Wood Cemetery (South Slope/Greenwood Heights)
43. Domino Park (Williamsburg)
44. Fort Greene Park (Fort Greene)
45. Green Dome Garden in Prospect Park
46. Naval Cemetery Landscape (Brooklyn Navy Yard)
47. Gil Hodges Community Garden (Gowanus)
And then of course you can always just elope in your backyard, a dope scenic spot that means something to you, the facade of an old factor building, a rail road track that looks off into infinity, a mountain top, go for a hike and find something together. NYC is vast and have so much room to play and be creative.





From the bride : ps I love you ! Laura and Gabe met as kids and their romance and friendship started then with a small diary note attached here . But mainly friends many years later there true love was able to blossom and here they are what an honor to get to capture there day .. and it went something like this .. @laurabethhart_
Gabe and I had planned to have our ceremony beside a creek we both love, but when a nor’easter rolled in that weekend, we had to change plans at the very last minute.
The morning of our wedding, I had to make a quick change of plans. I decided I was going to stop take out $500 from the ATM, pick up my sister, and drive to three places to see if anyone might be willing to let us get married there that afternoon.
Our first stop was Chadds Ford Greenhouses, a historic, family-owned greenhouse where I’d bought plants there many times over the years.
My sister and I showed up with hope and a prayer and humbly asked if they might be open to letting us and our family hold our ceremony there. They generously said yes.
We ended up getting married in a space that couldn’t have felt more like us. Beautifully imperfect, a little overgrown, filled with plants and the everyday remnants of the gardeners who worked there. Nothing had been staged or rearranged for a wedding, and that was exactly what made it so special.
Somehow, the day turned out even more beautifully than we’d imagined.
Coming up on 10 years with this beautiful guy right here! I still remember the night we met like it was yesterday a memory that I hope will never fade.. we met at a nyc spot called the tender trap. Who remembers the tender trap ? I was absolutely not looking for love that night but once we connected we couldn’t stop talking and I felt a feeling of home with him .. I remember those first few weeks so vividly, it was like highschool all over again and I couldn’t get enough of him, we were inseparable .. in a wild witchy twist of fate the apt building he had been living in burned down and we made some really big decisions only weeks into our romance to move in together .. the truth is I couldn’t have imagined not being around him or with him so it was such a blessing.. in those early months our love felt so effortless and both of our lives got better with eachother. He started working more full time in the carpenters union and my wedding work really became my full time job alongside graduate school for counseling .. it didn’t take long for us to both realize that kids and this energy around making babies together was a real thing, the truth is I spent most of my adult life after abdominal surgery thinking I couldn’t have them, but after some fertility testing found out I could and 3 months later we found out we were pregnant with our first child Luchiana ! That was the happiest day of my life .. then the pandemic happened and tested and rocked our world and we make this huge decision to move to PA this could have been a breaking point for us, he didn’t want to leave NYC and I couldn’t stay, but it wasn’t and our love grew and we ended up with our son Odin:) he was definitely a mistake but I had been thinking of him as many mothers do for months prior.. our life over the last 10 years has been filled with so many trials and has acted as huge testaments for why I love this man so much ! He’s my best friend and late night we still stay up talking way too late about everything and nothing .. I love you Ralph ! And as I just kissed you good bye I felt it again I’m still so in love with you .. you and our kids mean the world to me .. and I love your hands so much .. ❤️
Some of my favorite images live in this gallery Eva and Justin your a dream ! My recent city hall elopement with these two total sweeties .. I always have a level of nervousness and even anxiety every single time I shoot, I think it’s this very feeling that keeps my vigilant and on my toes … always feeling a deep sense of purpose for the couples I work with .. I don’t take this lightly portraiture is a honor and a gift I work so hard for all of you ..
Nyc elopement on 35mm film
Soho 35mm elopement
New York City elopement photography
Oldie but oh so good ! Take me back to this place IG ❤️
Usually get one of these magical photos per wedding ! This is the one for @katehmcternan ❤️