NYC City Elopements
Brooklyn Bridge Park Wedding Guide
How to get married in Brooklyn Bridge Park
I photograph elopements and weddings all over New York City. I’m often asked by couples, “What are the most popular places to take wedding photos in NYC? Or “Where are the most popular places to have a ceremony?”
The top three spots I’m at most often include the City Clerk’s Office, Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Of these, Brooklyn Bridge Park is always popular for both ceremonies and for photos. It works great on both counts. Not only is it just a hop across the bridge for a convenient photo spot after your City Hall wedding, but it’s also a great ceremony or portrait location in its own right.
Sometimes places are popular for a reason, and you really can’t beat the views from the waterfront at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
So, this begs the question, how do you get married in Brooklyn Bridge Park? Is it complicated? Do you need permits? Where should you take your photos? This guide is here to answer all your questions!
"Nicki photographed our wedding and she did an amazing job!"
"She is so nice and easy to work with, and understood our vision perfectly. The shots she got are amazing and I am so happy with our photos!"
-julie
Planning a Brooklyn Bridge Park Wedding or Elopement
You’ve decided you want to get married in Brooklyn Bridge Park, awesome! First things first, how many people are you expecting? I ask this question because it's crucial to knowing if you'll need a permit and what locations are options for you. If it’s an elopement with 10 or fewer guests, you’re good to go.The process to get married in Brooklyn Bridge Park is the same as it is in pretty much any city park. You can see more on my how to elope in NYC guide. Essentially there are just a few steps:
- Apply for your marriage license at least 24 hours in advance. This can be done at any of the City Clerks Offices, there's one in each borough. Most couples chose 141 Worth Street in Manhattan. You can even start the process online.
- Make sure you have an officiant to marry you. I have lots of info on hiring an officiant for your NYC wedding on my blog.
- Pick your location, show up and get married!
That's it! It's really quite simple. You can get married anywhere in the park!
I’ll outline all the details below for your Brooklyn Bridge Park Wedding or Elopement.
Planning on more guests or a bigger event? If you’re planning a larger gathering, you’ll need a permit and the spaces you can have the ceremony are limited to the granite prospect steps, Empire Fulton Ferry Boardwalk or Pebble Beach. You can apply for a permit on the park website here. All these locations are good for ceremonies, though I would make special note of the noise at Pebble Beach. The NQR trains rumble above on the Manhattan Bridge and it can make it especially hard for guests to hear. For this reason if you're debating between these spots and have a large guest count, I'd avoid Pebble Beach. The boardwalk is good spot if you have a small-medium guest count.
"Nicki is amazing!!"
"Her photos of our wedding were extremely stunning and full of life! I couldn't recommend her more -- since we got married during the quarantine, some of our plan changed, but she was so flexible and kind about accommodating these changes."
-rebecca
Where to Have Your Ceremony in Brooklyn Bridge Park
I’ve written extensively on the best places for a ceremony in Brooklyn Bridge Park in my blog. You can check out the blog post for lots of ideas.
The main places that couples most often consider for a wedding ceremony at Brooklyn Bridge Park are below.
Empire fulton ferry boardwalk
In front of Jane’s Carousel along the Empire Fulton Ferry Boardwalk. This location not only has the classic view of the Brooklyn Bridge but it comes with a bit of an opening in the boardwalk so a group can comfortably arrange for a ceremony.
Unless you’re here at sunrise, however, you will have folks walking past or stopping to watch your ceremony. On a weekend afternoon or nice day in the summertime it gets quite crowded in this area. Generally speaking though, people are respectful and you can plan on lots of applause afterwards!
Emily Roebling Plaza
There is now a brand new space further down the boardwalk known as the Emily Roebling Plaza. It has slightly lighter crowds then right by the carousel, and the view is just as nice.
Pebble Beach
You get the full stretch of the Brooklyn Bridge as your backdrop along with the Manhattan skyline. It’s a beautiful and iconic NYC view.
The one downfall of this location is that it can get LOUD. The subway tracks rumble above you on the Manhattan bridge and it can be quite hard for guests to hear if you’re having any. It can also get crowded at any time other than sunrise or early morning hours and especially so on weekends; so you’ll have an audience for sure.
John Street
John Street: I don’t get too many people requesting a ceremony here, however if you’d like a quieter section of the park, this is where to go. You can get views of the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge without quite as many passers by. However, take note, the space is quite narrow here, so if you have lots of guests, it's not the best option.
Pier 3
Pier 3: I love the view from this pier and there are hardly any crowds! There’s also lots of space for guests. If you want somewhere just a bit off the beaten path but with a similar classic view, this is a great spot and also a bit quieter in terms of crowds. There is also a little beach nearby if you want some toes in the sand along with some great landscaped green spots as well.
Rooftop of Empire Stores Building
Rooftop of Empire Stores Building: I love taking photos from this rooftop and it works great for ceremonies in the earlier morning. After about 10am you're going to get a fair amount of foot traffic up here. The view is still great, you'll just have to compete with others enjoying the view as well.
St. Anne's warehouse Garden
St Anne's Warehouse Garden/Max Family Garden, while this spot lacks the view of the waterfront, it is a really nice, quiet green space and you shouldn't have too many passers by. It also works decently well for a slightly larger group.
Do you Need a Permit to Get Married in Brooklyn Bridge Park?
That depends on your group size. If you’re having a small simple ceremony with 10 or fewer guests, you’re likely ok. If you’re planning a grander wedding with a larger guest count and more involved ceremony, yes, you will need a permit. Those can be applied for on the Brooklyn Bridge Park website here. Keep in mind the permit does not fully reserve the space for you, and there will still be onlookers at most locations.
How do you get to Brooklyn Bridge Park for your wedding?
This depends on where in the park you’re headed and on your transit preferences. I’ve had couples take the subway; A train to High Street Brooklyn Bridge or F to York Avenue are your closest stops for most of the park. However if you prefer you can always grab a cab or car service like Lyft or Uber. If you do use the following for where to have them drop you off.
Pier 1: 1 Water Street and Old Fulton Street at the bottom of the hill.
Pier 3: You can get dropped off in a little pull in (by a row of citi bikes) along Furman Street. Alternatively, it’s also just a short walk from the One Brooklyn Bridge Hotel at the corner of Doughty and Furman Streets.
Pebble Beach: Corner of Plymouth and Main Street
Empire Fulton Ferry Boardwalk/Janes Carousel/Empire Stores: Corner of Dock Street and Water Street
Pier 6: Corner of Atlantic Ave and Brooklyn Park Drive
John Street: Corner of Adams Street and John Street
You can also find all the information on the park website by location here: https://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/park
"I do not have enough words of thanks or gratitude for Nicki!"
"Firstly, super easy to correspond with her. She was great with her suggestions for where good spots to take pictures were. Secondly, the pictures she took of us felt magazine worthy! My family and friends agree! She documented our covid Brooklyn Elopement perfectly and I can’t stop looking at the pictures!"
-Missy
Is Brooklyn Bridge Park close to City Hall?
Yes! A great feature of Brooklyn Bridge Park is its proximity to the City Clerk's Office. Brooklyn Bridge Park is usually about a 10 minute cab ride from the Clerk's Office.
What if it rains for our Brooklyn Bridge Park Wedding?
This is a tricky one with Brooklyn Bridge Park. Most all of the locations are outside and aren’t covered. In regards to back-up options… there is a space underneath the Manhattan Bridge that is sheltered from the rain in Dumbo. I have also used a small tunnel area lined with plants behind the One Brooklyn Bridge Hotel, however this area is subject to approval of the staff working that day. A quick ceremony without guests in the early morning hours? I think it could fly. A large party on a Saturday afternoon? Probably not so much.
You can always duck inside the Empire Stores Building and I have done many ceremonies with umbrellas. It’s all going to depend on your comfort level with the elements. We could hop on a ferry boat, or you could also move somewhere covered like Grand Central Station. More ideas can be found here: what to do if it rains on your wedding day.
Where are the Best Places for Wedding Photos at Brooklyn Bridge Park?
There are so many options in and around the park for photos! You have the whole waterfront to work with. The great thing about Brooklyn Bridge Park is that you have green space, skyline, and cool neighborhood streets all in one place! I love wandering from the Fulton Ferry Landing down through John Street and up into Dumbo. You could also start further down around Pier 3 and make your way in either direction or up into Brooklyn Heights depending on the look you're going for.
The area around the Empire Fulton Ferry is by far the most popular, but the park is huge, you can go as on or off the beaten path as you like.
What are the best nearby neighborhoods for photos if you get married at Brooklyn Bridge Park?
You have a few nearby areas that offer great backdrops for photos depending on what you’re going for if you tire of the skyline views from Brooklyn Bridge Park itself or just want to add a little variety to your images. In fact, one of the great aspects of getting married at Brooklyn Bridge Park is you have such a variety of backdrops in close proximity to each other.
Dumbo: This is the most commonly used area after a walk along the waterfront. Dumbo has the most instagrammed street in NYC with the view of the Manhattan Bridge. (Keep in mind with this spot in particular, unless you're here at sunrise it's an absolute circus of tourists.) It also has some cobblestone areas, a bit grittier warehouse feel and some awesome street art to boot.
Vinegar Hill: This little enclave is just down the road from Dumbo. There are cobble stones and some neat store fronts that work well in photos.
Brooklyn Heights. This is the neighborhood directly above Brooklyn Bridge Park. It has all the classic brownstone, tree lined streets you could want and makes for a wonderful stroll. There’s also the Brooklyn Promenade, another area that also has sweeping views of the downtown Manhattan skyline.
Can you take wedding photos on Brooklyn Bridge itself?
Short answer: Yes of course! The access to the Brooklyn Bridge is a short walk from the waterfront through Dumbo.
Long Answer: I don’t always recommend it depending on when you’re taking photos. While walking across the bridge is an iconic NYC experience, it can get CROWDED with loads of tourists. Weekends especially can be nuts. If you’re really excited about photos here, of course I'm happy to go. I just want to make sure you know what to expect. I generally recommend if you want photos on the actual bridge to go as early in the morning as you’re able. I love sunrise on the Brooklyn Bridge and it’s the only time of day you’ll get the pathways even close to on your own and the morning light is magic.
Looking for more information on Eloping in New York? I'd love to hear from you!
Check out my NYC Elopement Photographer Guide and send me an email today!
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De Nueva Photography specializes in NYC elopements and weddings. I'm also available for engagements, proposals, and family portraits.
Not having a local wedding or elopement? No worries. Travel is literally my favorite thing and my passport is always ready. I’m available for travel worldwide.
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Email: info@denuevaphoto.com
Phone: 347-560-1625
