New York, New York…such a glamorous, exciting, romantic city. Where better
to begin a lifetime of wedded bliss? The possibilities are limited only by your
imagination: No wonder people come from all over the world to get married here.
Proposing
There are so many wonderful ways to propose: On a carriage ride through Central
Park, atop the Empire State Building, via theYankee Stadium scoreboard. Some men
have even taken the stage during performances of I Love You, You're
Perfect, Now Change to pop the question in truly unforgettable fashion.
Once "yes!" has been said and the date set, New York City is a wedding
planner's dream - from traditionally tasteful to unconventionally unique, the
Big Apple is the perfect place for a stylish celebration. Myriad resources are
available to help you, from finding the venue to hiring the photographers, from
arranging witnesses to booking the honeymoon.
Legal Requirements
Legal requirements for marriage in NYC are the same for everyone, whether you
are a U.S. citizen or not. The fee for a Marriage License is $35 payable in a money
order only. No other method of payment is acceptable.
Both the prospective bride and groom must appear together in person to apply for
a Marriage License. The application must be completed in our offices. The
application consists of an affidavit wherein the applicants list various
personal details such as their name, address, birth place, date of birth, social
security number, and marital history and make a sworn statement that there are
no legal impediments to the marriage. Applicants who have been married
previously must list all prior marriages on the Marriage License Application.
They are required to supply their prior spouse's full name, the date the divorce
was granted and the place the divorce was filed and may be asked to produce the
final divorce decree. All divorces, annulments, and dissolutions must be
finalized before applying for a new Marriage License. If you are a widow or
widower, you must provide your deceased spouse's full name and date of death.
The Marriage License is generated based on this information. It will be prepared
while you wait, and you will take it with you upon your departure. Unless you
obtain a judicial waiver, you must wait a full 24 hours before your Marriage
Ceremony can be performed.
It is strongly suggested that you proof read your Marriage License before
leaving our offices. If an error is found, please return to the clerk for a
correction. Any errors found within the first 24 hours after issuance will be
corrected at no cost to you. After the 24 hours, there is a fee of $25 payable
in money order only for any corrections.
A Marriage License which is lost in the mail or is returned to the City Clerk's
Office mutilated must be replaced with a duplicate Marriage License for a fee of
$25 payable in money order only.
A New York State Marriage License is valid for 60 days only and can only be used
in the state of New York.
A blood test is not required to obtain a Marriage License in New York State.
All applicants must bring valid forms of identification when applying for a
Marriage License. All identification must be valid. Expired forms of
identification will not be accepted, no exceptions.
Acceptable forms of identification:
1. Valid driver's license (from the United States or one of its territories)
2. Non driver's identification card (from the United States or one of its
territories)
3. Learner's permit from New York State only
4. Active United States Military Identification Card
5. Valid passport
6. U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (issued within the past ten years)
7. Valid United States Alien Registration Card with expiration date
8. Employment Authorization Card issued by the United States Immigration
Authorities
If you are under the age of 18 and want to obtain a Marriage License, continue
to read the following message:
If either prospective bride or groom is under the age of eighteen years, but
over the age of sixteen years, written parental consent is required to obtain a
Marriage License. If either prospective bride or groom is under the age of
sixteen years, in addition to parental consent the written approval of a judge
of the Supreme Court or Family Court is needed. If you are less than eighteen
years of age be prepared to show proof of your date of birth. Such proof of date
of birth may be one of the following: original or certified copy of birth
certificate, baptismal record, passport, driver's license, life insurance
policy, school records, naturalization record or court record. In all instances
where either prospective bride or groom is under eighteen years, both parents
must be present with valid identification at the time of application for the
Marriage License and at the Marriage Ceremony if the ceremony is performed in
our offices. If one parent is deceased, the surviving parent must appear and a
death certificate for the deceased parent must be produced. If both parents are
deceased, the legal guardian must appear instead. A person under the age of
fourteen years cannot be married.
If you prefer a religious ceremony, there are countless houses of worship of all
denominations throughout our city. See below for research suggestions.
Congratulations, and here's to Happily Ever After! Marriage
License/Marriage Ceremony
City Clerk of New York in Manhattan: Municipal Building (south side),1 Centre
Street, 2nd floor, NY 10007, 212-669-2400, 212-669-8195; hours: 8:30am-4pm.
Wedding Planner 2Mac
Meetings & Events Planning 718-723-0026; loraine.mcmillan@2macplanners.com
Provides nationwide customized meeting/event planning services at affordable
rates for corporate & social events. Offers planning services for corporate
meetings, seminars, conferences, special events, parties, outings, wedding day
coordination, & more.
Tourism Marketing Inc.
9 East 38th Street, 646-424-1556, tmiorysia@aol.com.
Local wedding service, from venue to witnesses, for international and domestic
couples who want to tie the knot in Manhattan.
Bridal Gowns Kleinfeld Bridal Store
8202 Fifth Ave., Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, 718-765-8500
Designer wedding and evening gowns.
Formal Wear Baldwin Formals
52
W. 56th St., 212-296-1872, 800-427-0072. Tuxedos.
Bloomingdale's 1000 Third Avenue, 212-705-2000. Formal, semi-formal, not
formal - and more! Nicole Miller 780
Madison Avenue, 212-288-9779. Hip dresses, accessories, shoes.
Alternative to Formal Wear The Family Jewels
Vintage Clothing
130 West 23rd Street, 212-633-6020. High-fashion, top
quality vintage clothing, e.g., 1950s taffeta cocktail dresses.
Flowers
Type "florist" into the search box on any page to find more
suggestions.
Ariston
Florists 69 Fifth Avenue, 800-422-2747. Full service florist,
unique arrangements. Starbright Floral Design
149 West 28th Street, 800-520-8999. Floral designs both traditional and exotic,
gift baskets, balloons. Wedding Favors Avantgarde Basket &
Gift Company 800-442-2258.
Customizable gift baskets.
Photographers A
Phototrek Tour
1619 Third Avenue, Suite 11B; phone 212-410-2514
Professionally photographed walking tours with you as the subject and New York
City landmarks as the surroundings. You are in all your photos. The photo tours
can be customized, or designed by your photographer/guide.
B & H
Photo-Video
420 9th Avenue; 212-239-7500
New York's largest photo-video discount shopping destination; Multilingual
staff; professional photographers. Einzig Photographers
212-727-9270
The leader in trade show and event photography for 35 years.
Event
Photos 212-410-2514
On-site printing or 24-hour turnaround time. Great gift for clients at events;
can supply prints, CD’s of photos or calendars. Also offers sightseeing tours
acting as guide and personal photographer. Group Photos, Inc.
212-262-8611
Same day group photos.
Venues
The city is full of hotels and events spaces to suit couples' various
requirements. Here's a brief list of some different locations.
Conservatory
Garden (Central Park, entrance at 105th St, 212-360-2766). Six
acres of lush flora in Central Park's only formal garden.
Gotham
Hall
1356 Broadway; phone 212-244-4300
Historical landmark bank, with 120 foot high, elliptical gold leaf ceiling with
opaque stained glass Corinthian columns, gilded chandelier and sconces, imported
marble floors, wood burning fireplaces. Can accommodate 50-1200 guests.
Grand
Prospect Hall
263 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn; phone 718-788-0777
Film site of 'Cotton Club' and 'Prizzi's Honor', along with some of the most
popular music videos. Accommodates fashion shows, meetings, weddings, concerts,
banquets. Capacity: 1500 sit down, 2500 reception; 9,600 sq. ft. Lots of Yachts/Lots of
Spots (1 Irving Place Plaza, 212-245-2533). Yacht weddings, including
food, bar, and boat. Also, mansions, townhouses, lofts, penthouses, hotels.
SoHoSoleil
Studio Loft Location (136 Grand Street Loft 5WF,
212-431-8824) Sunny corner 3,000-sq.-ft. loft. Open kitchen, SoHo
views, historic cast iron bldg, huge direct freight elevator, parking.
Waldorf=Astoria
(301 Park Avenue, 212-872-4766). The Starlight Roof - a fairy tale setting with
gilded ceiling, crystal chandeliers, and magnificent views.
Wyndham Garden Hotel
(100-15 Ditmars Blvd., East Elmhurst, Queens, 718-426-1500). The LaGuardia
Airport location is ideal for guests flying in from out of town.
NYC Historic Venues
Many of the city's landmark locations are available for private events:
Carnegie Hall
(881 Seventh Avenue & 57th Street, 212-903-9790)
Bridal Registry Tiffany & Company
(727 Fifth Avenue & 57th Street, 212-755-8000). Crystal, silver and china
treasures.
Fortunoff (681
Fifth Avenue, 516-542-4159). Fine china as for professional cutlery and stylish
bedding.
Lalique
(712 Madison Avenue, 212-355-6550). French luxury crystal manufacturer. Macy's (151 W. 34th
Street, 212-494-4395). Housewares, appliances, linens, cookware, and apparel.
Wedding and Honeymoon Hotel Packages Most hotels have honeymoon packages.
Honeymoon Escape Travelscape.com
(888-335-0101). Book a relaxing honeymoon in Tahiti, Greece, or Montserrat…
but first, why not linger for a few days in the world's most fascinating city:
NYC!
