They say April showers bring May flowers, but this April and May have both been very full of rainy forecasts. Never fear however, a spring elopement in NYC may call for rain, but I always have an armful of big clear umbrellas and a rainy day can still make for beautiful spring elopement photos in New York.
Elaine and Corey had their City Hall wedding at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau and while it may have been a rainy day, it was such a fun one! These two had the best outlook and were never going to let a few raindrops ruin anything. One of the big advantages of having a City Hall wedding in NYC is that if it does happy to be a rainy day, your ceremony is indoors so we don’t have to worry about the weather.
It wasn’t too busy on their day at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau so we had space to lounge for photos on those iconic lime green couches!
Then off to get them officially married in the chapel! There are two chapels at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau and they were assigned to the pink stripe side. I always love this background, especially for a spring city hall wedding, the pink is so cheerful!
Officially married at City Hall! Woohoo!
One of my favorite parts of a City Hall Wedding in NYC is when couples have a confetti exit. I’m always happy to help coordinate this with your guests. It’s such a fun celebration for everyone, the happiest exit door in all of NYC!
After all the confetti was popped, we headed into the streets around the Manhattan Marriage Bureau for some spring NYC elopement photos. The steps to the main courthouse were closed, but we hopped up on another set of steps down the block and wandered around Foley Square and managed to get some beautiful magnolia blossoms even in the rain!
Elaine and Corey also wanted to head over to Chinatown for some of their elopement photos which is always a fun spot and just around the block from the City Clerk’s Office where you get married in Manhattan. This area always has lots of fun colorful backdrops and hanging lanterns over the streets.
After Chinatown, we made our way over to Queens. Long Island City is where Elaine and Corey’s love story began, and they wanted to head over to Gantry Plaza State Park to take in both the skyline for photos, but also to exchange their own vows. I’ve had a few City Hall wedding couples do a private vow session, and I love the idea! At City Hall, the vows are very strictly not personal and you are not allowed to alter them in anyway. Because of this, sometimes couples opt to do their own personal vow exchange at another time. You don’t need an officiant since you’re already married, and it can be a great chance to have those heartfelt moments in a place that’s special to you.
The amazing part of the weather being less then ideal was that Elaine and Corey had the pier where they exchanged vows after their City Hall wedding all to themselves and were really able to savor their private moment and get lots of great photos as well!
Since it was spring time and cherry blossom season, I was thrilled to be able to get some photos with the blooms! These row of cherry trees was perfect for some spring cherry blossom elopement photos! It was so pretty! I love how twirly Elaine’s dress was too!
After the cherry blossoms, we headed out to the waterfront for their vows. Even though the view was a little foggy, the Chrysler Building still managed to peek through the clouds! This was such a beautiful moment for the two of them and I was so happy to capture it for them.
After vows we snapped a few more fun portraits with the skyline. What a great afternoon to elope in New York!
Huge congrats to the happy couple! Thank you so much for taking me along to document your NYC Elopement at City Hall!
Are you looking for more information on how to elope in NYC or how to elope at NYC City Hall? Check out my guides for NYC City Hall Weddings or NYC Elopements for more information!
