If you’re planning an elopement for the springtime, one of the best places to elope has to be New York City. While I have a top five reasons to elope in NYC post, this post is specific for springtime micro weddings and elopements in New York. Before I lived in NYC I always thought I was a fall girl. I certainly still love the fall colors, but New York City transformed me into loving springtime. The spring in New York is so wonderful and it’s the perfect time to elope in NYC! I’ve been photographing elopements now in NYC for over 15 years and I can tell you it’s SUCH a beautiful time for wedding photos.
Why is springtime great for elopements in NYC? FLOWERS! All the trees are flowering and it’s beautiful. You’ve got tulips and lilacs and magnolias and of course the cherry blossoms! The city just seems so much happier as the weather warms up, before it gets gross hot in the summer, and everything is at it’s best! The temperatures are also usually very mild and nice for not sweating in formal wedding outfits.
So if you’ve decided to elope in New York in the springtime, the biggest question you have to answer is where to elope? Here are my favorite places for a spring elopement in NYC outside of City Hall. (If you’re looking for City Hall, that’s awesome, you can find all the info you need for that here. This post is focusing just on spots outside in the city.)
The trickiest part about springtime elopements in NYC is catching the blooms. They happen at different times every year and it’s difficult to predict. Generally speaking, mid to late April is usually a safe bet, though I have seen flowers in March and as late as May. Brooklyn Botanical Garden does have a handy cherry blossom tracker on their website, and I’m in Central Park at minimum a few times a week, so I can let you know how things are looking!
Best Places for a Spring Elopement in NYC
Spring Elopements in Central Park
If you’re looking for classic NYC elopement venues, Central Park has to be one of your go-to’s. It’s probably my second most asked for location outside of City Hall for couples eloping in NYC. For the spring time, Central Park is especially wonderful as it’s FULL of beautiful flowering trees from magnolia’s to cherry trees. There are flowering trees all over the park, though one of my all time favorite spots is the tunnel of cherry/magnolia blooms on the west side of the reservoir. It has been my mission for years to get a wedding couple here on an early morning in peak bloom! Once we’re done with the park, there are lots of areas on the Upper East or West Sides for city street photos as well!
My favorite wedding venues in Central Park can be found in my Central Park Wedding Guide.
Spring elopements in Prospect Park Brooklyn
Another amazing spot for cherry blossoms and magnolia trees in Prospect Park! There are loads of beautiful spots in Prospect Park and as a bonus we can wander the streets of Park Slope for some great city shots!
Fort Tryon Park Elopements in NYC
If you’re looking for an off the beaten path park in Manhattan for your elopement, might I suggest Fort Tryon? This park is so quiet and it’s the perfect place for your tiny wedding in NYC. There are soaring archways, beautiful manicured garden paths, and best of all? The most fragrant wall of lilac bushes! It’s amazing place for a spring elopement in New York if you don’t mind the cab ride north. We can have a view of the George Washington Bridge, get you married and stroll all the paths for photos in lots of greenery and flowers.
Conservatory Garden Elopements in Central Park
I list the Conservatory Garden separately from the rest of Central Park since it’s a bit different then getting married elsewhere in the park. To get married in the Conservatory Garden you need a special permit. However, it’s an amazing place and would be fantastic for a spring elopement! There are so many beautiful spaces for photos and it’s a much more manicured garden look then the rest of Central Park.
Brooklyn Bridge Park Elopements in Spring
The focus in Brooklyn Bridge Park is always on the skyline, but there are lots of spots where we can get skyline and flowers as well. The Max Family Garden will be flowering, and there are blooming trees throughout the park. This is a great spot to get iconic New York elopement and beautiful spring garden looks all in one! For all the info on getting married in Brooklyn Bridge Park, check out my Brooklyn Bridge Park wedding guide!
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Elopement Photos
The epicenter of cherry blossoms in NYC! Brooklyn Botanic Garden has a Sakura festival every year to celebrate springtime and the cherry blossoms. While I would strongly advise against eloping during the festival due to crowds, any weekday would be great for a springtime elopement in Brooklyn. The one thing to consider about the Botanic Garden is that you do need to obtain a permit for photography. You can find all the details on their website. There are several spots in the garden where you could have a tiny ceremony or we could chose to come just for elopement photos before or after.
NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx Elopements
Another location full of flowers and spring time goodness is the NY Botanical Gardens. While this shoot would certainly require a permit, the grounds are beautiful and would be stunning the springtime with all the blooms.
Carl Schurz Park Elopements on the Upper East Side
Carl Schurz is my favorite neighborhood park and it’s so beautiful in the springtime. It’s quiet and not too large, so we can cover a lot of ground with different backgrounds in a short amount of time. If you can time it with the blossoms, there is a huge grove of cherry trees right out front that make an entire canopy of cotton candy pink every spring! The park is also surrounding by stately carriage houses and brownstone blocks which are great for photos. It’s also a short cab ride from Central Park if you want to combine two green spaces!
Riverside Park Elopements on Manhattan’s West Side
On the West Side of Manhattan is Riverside Park. This park is huge and has tons of areas for a ceremony as well as photos. There are loads of flowering trees and beautiful blooms to be captured for your spring elopement. One of my favorite spots for a tiny elopement is the little 91st Street Garden featured in the movie You’ve Got Mail!
Roosevelt Island Elopements
Perhaps an unconventional choice for a micro wedding venue in NYC, but I love Roosevelt Island and especially taking the ferry across the East River! The views are awesome and once you land, you get a great view of midtown. If you can time this with the cherry blossoms, there’s a great walk along the river that has a beautiful tunnel of blooms.
Other pocket parks and gardens for elopements in NYC
The 6BC Botanical Garden (highly recommend!) , Jefferson Market Garden, The Little Creative Garden, and several other tiny community gardens are all great options. Don’t be afraid to look over google maps for green spaces around the neighborhood you might be staying. If you really want to head further afield, Snug Harbor on Staten Island also has a botanical garden!
Still looking for ideas for your spring NYC Elopement? Check out my Best Places to Elope in NYC, all about NYC Elopements or contact me for more info! Happy Spring!
