Modern City Hall Elopement in New York City || Maren and Jonas
Maren and Jonas reached out to me with their dream of having a modern city hall elopement in New York City, and as you can already guess, my answer was HECK YES!
I loved this idea so much, especially because Maren and Jonas were traveling all the way from GERMANY (!!) to experience a truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime elopement! They had never been to NYC before, so to them, this was the ultimate adventure - not to mention a built in honeymoon!!! 🙌 Exploring a new city together, experiencing a Broadway show for the first time, and of course GETTING MARRIED made this trip the ultimate adventure and a super romantic getaway for them! We had the time of our lives exploring together and celebrating their love for one another.
For context, Maren and Jonas were celebrating their 15th anniversary together (!!) on the exact date of their elopement, which IS SUCH a cute tie-in for their now-wedding anniversary!! 😍
I loved that they chose their elopement day with such a sentimental milestone in mind. It was also really cool to me that they chose NYC for their elopement destination since, as a couple, they LOVE traveling! We spent time talking about how they recently bought and renovated their own RV, which they’ve been using to travel across Europe, including Denmark, Sweden, and so many other epic spots! For their elopement, they wanted to go to a place they had never been before and decided that NYC would be that perfect destination!
We started our elopement day by meeting at City Hall in downtown New York City, which is where they were slated to get married that afternoon! I actually served as their witness which was a first for me (lol! 😅🙌🏼) and I honestly couldn't believe how simple and seamless this whole process was - quick, too! We were in and out in just under an hour, probably closer to 30 minutes! Once the civil ceremony was done (just a few minutes long), there was some paperwork to do - then voila! We were free to dive into their photoshoot and truly celebrate their special day! 🙌
Because I was so amazed at just HOW quick and and seamless the City Hall elopement process was, I just have to share the steps that Maren and Jonas shared with me on how to book your NYC elopement… for the interested eloper 😉
You can do a City Hall elopement in any of NYC’s 5 boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island City Clerks, whose offices are now open for civil ceremonies. Ceremonies can literally be performed 24 hours after the couple gets their marriage license 😮 (though keep in mind that this is only on weekdays!)
You can book your appointment for your marriage license appointment up to 3 weeks ahead. (This is what we did so we could plan the rest of our photoshoot around their appointment time!) For your ceremony, you can do in-person appointments or virtual appointments, but make sure to check their website before setting an official date: City Clerk’s Office
Once this is done, you need to set your civil ceremony appointment. Appointment times are released every Monday morning at 9am for the 3 weeks ahead, and these appointments book FAST! Set an alarm for right at 9 am to get your desired time slot!
Then show up to your appointment (don’t forget your paperwork!), and get yourself hitched! 🥳
Literally sooo easy, and honestly exciting, too! My heart was racing and adrenaline was pumping - it was so cool seeing HOW MANY couples were there to elope on a random Wednesday afternoon?! 😂
Shortly after they were pronounced man and wife, we left City Hall to explore the city and take some photos! We started our photoshoot right in downtown by taking photos at the United State Courthouse. This historic building had the most massive pillars and made the perfect backdrop for the dreamest GIFs. It was built in 1919 with 10 granite fluted corinthian columns and 100-foot wide flight of steps, and it was the perfect vibe for Maren and Jonas’s modern City Hall elopement in New York City!
From there, we made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge, which was A super high priority on their WISH list!
We walked about halfway over and stopped for photos where there was a lull in the crowd… the bridge is always buzzing with people, so Maren and Jonas of course got so many warm wishes and echoed “congratulations” - some even in German! It was super cute! 🥰 The skyline view, the bridge architecture, and the quintessential NYC vibes couldn't have been more perfect.
From there, we made our way to DUMBO, another dreamy New York City location. DUMBO is known as “Down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass” and is a charming lil neighborhood with cobblestone streets, old brick buildings, and of course stunning views of Manhattan Bridge and downtown New York City’s skyline. It is also full of bookshops, boutiques, and art galleries, making it a super hot touristy spot. I personally usually make a pit stop here for coffee. 🤓
Our last stop of the day was my favorite: an impromptu, totally spontaneous decision for ICE CREAM!!
We spotted the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory while walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and we just so happened to walk down the street from it while we were exploring DUMBO!! It was so fitting for Maren and Jonas to top off their already sweet day with dessert, and I’m low key wondering if ice cream should weave it’s way into all of my sessions 👀 (Check out these cute ice cream photos during my charming engagement session in historic Franklin, Tennessee with Nicole and Truett!)
Overall, Maren and Jonas had the perfect elopement - they made it an epic, adventure which WAS the BEST decision for them as a couple, and they were able to reap alllllll the benefits of a sweet and simple elopement DAY:
Authentic: It was 100% true to what THEY wanted! No extras, no bells or whistles, just a genuine day of celebrating their love and marriage.
Simple / easy: It required far less planning than a traditional wedding! Of course, planning for two people is much easier than planning for 150+, so their experience was sooo seamless.
Inexpensive: Instead of spending money on venue, catering, etc. they poured their money into an adventurous elopement for the two of them! This trip also doubled as their honeymoon, which I thought was such an awesome idea!
Adventurous: For Maren and Jonas, their elopement was the an adventure of a lifetime! They had such a fun, carefree time and loooved their epic experience in NYC.
If you’re trying to decide if an elopement is the right choice for you, check out MY Deep dive on elopementS BLOG for more of my thoughts!
I am truly so grateful for my experience with Maren and Jonas, and I am overjoyed for them as a couple. Their City Hall elopement in New York City was sooo special, and I am thrilled that they chose me (all the way from Germany!) as their NYC elopement photographer. If you are craving even more city elopement inspiration, check out Rachel and Jerell's gorgeous NYC rooftop elopement from earlier this year! It is another NYC elopement that I will never recover from!!! 🙌