Micro-weddings have become wildly popular over the last year. They are an easy and affordable way to celebrate the start of your marriage. Some couples have planned micro-weddings with hopes of having a larger celebration in the future. Others have decided that going small is the way they want to keep their celebration of love. Whatever your choice is, there are so many unique ways to host a micro-wedding in New York City. Let’s go over how to plan an NYC micro-wedding.

What’s the Difference Between a Micro-Wedding and an Elopement?

The two terms micro-wedding and elopement have been thrown around a lot in recent months. Some may conflate these terms with each other, so it’s important to clarify which is which. We love shooting both micro-weddings and elopements. However, by definition, they are a little different. Elopements are typically just a couple, your Hudson Valley wedding photographers, and maybe a witness. We have also had the pleasure of witnessing several marriages in the city.

What Does it Mean to Host a Micro-Wedding?

Micro-weddings are a bit more of a detailed occasion. These events can be up to 50 guests or so. Sometimes, with elopements, the couple will get married as just themselves and then meet family for a celebratory meal. Micro-weddings tend to have the guests around for the meaty parts of the wedding day. Be sure to clarify your guest count and plans with your vendors while booking them.

Should You Book a Venue for Your Micro-Wedding?

Couples may ask themselves whether they need a wedding venue for their micro-wedding. There are pros and cons to booking a space for your wedding ceremony and reception. One of the most important details to consider when choosing where to get married in New York is having back up plans. Whether that’s because of inclement weather like rain or snow or because of unexpected construction, there are lots of reasons to consider booking a venue for your intimate New York wedding.

Micro-Wedding Planning with a Venue in NYC

Many of the cozier venues in New York, Brooklyn, Queens, and beyond have opened themselves to micro-wedding packages. It’s an excellent solution for couples who want to have a more traditional wedding experience with a much smaller guest count—looking to intimate NYC wedding venues to decide if this may be a good option for you.

One of the best parts about hosting your micro-wedding at a venue is that the staff can help you with details you may not have even considered. Many venues have a wedding coordinator and can support your needs on the day of your celebration.

Choosing to Host Your Celebration at a Wedding Venue

Another reason to consider booking a full-on wedding venue for your intimate NYC micro-wedding is because of the access that having a venue can grant you. There are so many gorgeous rooftops and views that New York wedding venues have to offer. You may find a space that suits your needs perfectly and gives you access to a few you wouldn’t otherwise have on your wedding day.

Great Micro-Wedding Venues in New York City

There are so many beautiful venues in New York City that will host micro-weddings. Dependent on local restrictions, it’s essential to choose a space that suits your needs and makes guests feel comfortable. Looking into intimate areas with indoor and outdoor options is excellent for couples looking for a stress-free event. Here are just a few of our micro-wedding location recommendations in NYC.

• MyMoon in Brooklyn
• 74Wythe
• Box House Hotel
• Ravel Hotel
• Brooklyn Grange
• Loft 172
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• The Castle by Marlow Events
• RE:GEN:CY
• Sunday in Brooklyn
• The Green Building
• River Café

Gorgeous Micro-Wedding Inspiration: Eliza & Danny at the River Café

Venue for an Indoor/Outdoor Celebration Based on Guidelines

As mentioned before, booking a venue is always a superb micro-wedding option. It may give you more peace of mind to plan an intimate wedding at a New York City wedding venue. Having the opportunity of indoor and outdoor celebration space based on local guidelines can give you lots of comfort leading up to the day.

As we all know, the weather is unpredictable, and if you’re planning a big Central Park wedding, you may be out of luck if it’s a rainy week. However, we’ve also photographed some magical micro-weddings in the rain in New York.

Host an NYC Elopement or Micro-Wedding in a Public Space

Many couples in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and beyond are choosing to have their micro-wedding celebration take place in a public park. Central Park and Prospect Park are two trendy locations. Brooklyn Bridge is packed to the brim on weekends with micro-weddings as well. With all that said, there are many considerations when planning your public micro-wedding.

Check Whether You Need a Wedding Permit for Your Location

Firstly, you should check on any required permits needed for the space you want to use. The last thing you want is to have planned a beautiful celebration and then get kicked out of the area you’re trying to have your celebration. Make sure to look into wedding permits in New York City and photography permits for the areas in which you wish to get married.

Photography Permits and Event Permits for NYC Locations

For example, the Conservatory Garden in Central Park has strict permit rules for couples to follow. Many Central Park areas require a permit to get married, and you don’t want to show up to the place where someone will show up shortly after you with the correct paperwork and kick you out. Always do this research on permits well in advance of your wedding, so you can make alternative arrangements if necessary.

Check with your New York wedding photographer, as well, to make sure that you are all squared away with photography privates together. Your chosen location may require a photography permit, which is something to factor into your micro-wedding budget.

Stunning Elopement: Juleesia & Adnan’s Conservatory Garden Celebration

Limit Your Guest Count for Micro-Weddings in Public Places

Many public spaces in New York City have limited gas counts with her without a permit. You can’t show up in front of Jane’s Carousel in dumbo, for example, with a massive guest count and expect everything to go smoothly without proper paperwork. Make sure to check on the appropriate number of guests for the area you want to get married.

Most micro-weddings are under 50 guests, hence the term micro-wedding. But if you plan to bring 50 people to a public space, make sure that you are all set when it comes to the appropriate permissions. Consider inviting just your nearest and dearest for your small wedding in the city.

Micro-Wedding Location Ideas in NYC

One of the beautiful things about living in New York City is the number of spectacular locations. In terms of where to take photos, this is an excellent list of areas to consider for larger weddings and small weddings. Whether you’re just taking wedding photos in these spots or hosting your smaller guest list for a ceremony, take a look at these places to get married in NYC.

• Prospect Park
• Bethesda Terrace in Central Park
• Conservatory Garden
• Wagner Cove in Central Park
• Bow Bridge
• Cherry Hill
• Brooklyn Bridge Park Waterfront
• Pier A at Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Pebble Beach
• Gantry Plaza State Park
• Marsha P Johnson State Park
• Domino Park

Finding Inspiration: Stefan & Bridget’s Prospect Park Micro-Wedding

Hosting a Micro-Wedding in a Family Backyard or Private Property in New York State

Another alternative is to host your micro-wedding on private property. Some couples are lucky enough to have family or family friends that live in or out of the city. Having a backyard micro-wedding in Brooklyn or upstate New York is an excellent option for your love story. Just remember a few things when it comes to hosting a micro-wedding in the backyard in New York.

Check on Any Necessary Permits and Requirements

Various locales and neighborhoods will have specific requirements to host an event of certain scales. Make sure to check whether you need any particular permits or if there are requirements you must follow to host your local event. The last thing you’ll want to do is skip out on these steps and encounter a problem during your small wedding.

Adhere to Noise Ordinances in Your Area

Many neighborhoods have strict noise ordinances. If you’re planning to have 50 people gather in the backyard, be sure that things don’t get too loud after a certain point in the evening. Be sure to double-check what the rules for noise ordinances are in the place you hope to get married.

Plus, check with all the neighbors to make sure they are comfortable and ok with the celebration taking place. The last thing you want is for someone to complain about a wedding they had no idea about in the first place.

Get Inspired: Timeless Backyard Wedding in Massapequa, Long Island NY

What Vendors Do You Need to Book for an Intimate Wedding?

You may be wondering which vendors are essential to book for your micro-wedding day. In New York, many vendors have adjusted their packages to suit the needs of micro-weddings as well. When it comes to choosing micro-wedding vendors in NYC, let us know if you have any trouble. We always have recommendations for vendors who might fit your needs.

As NYC micro-wedding photographers love working with great teams of people in New York. It’s also important to us that your experience is seamless, and many of our recommendations can help make that happen. Let’s go over some of the most important vendors to book for your intimate wedding in NYC.

Micro-Wedding Photography Packages in NYC

One of the most magical parts about having a micro-wedding is the freedom to take so many pictures. You can document your wedding day but the New York City hello and photographer, like us, in any way you want. We’ve had couples who have decided to spend the majority of their micro-wedding taking photos.

We have also had couples who only want the ceremony and family photos captured. Think about what is most important to you in your New York City micro-wedding photography package.

New York Wedding Photographers Capturing Intimate Moments

As wedding photographers in Beacon, Manhattan, and beyond, accessibility is a significant part of our business. We have put together micro-wedding packages that offer photography for marrying couples and videography options. Having videography for your elopement can bring those memories to life. We offer a highlight reel option that takes clips of the best moments of the day and put them into a video format.

Single-Angle Video Coverage for Your New York Wedding Ceremony

We offer a single angle video from the ceremony for couples who are also looking to document their wedding and send it to family and friends. You’ll have small microphones in your suit or dress and have the audio capture. One of the biggest complaints we’ve heard about zoom weddings and cell phone wedding videos is that people can’t hear the couples. That’s why we’ve created this option for couples who want high-quality documentation of their wedding video forever.

NYC Micro-Wedding Photographer & Videographer for Elopements

Both photography and videography can be necessary on an elopement day. It depends on what is essential to you to cover. Some couples just want still photography micro-wedding packages in New York, which is fantastic. We love when couples put a significant focus on the photography opportunities during their wedding day celebration. But we also want to make sure that if they are looking for emotional wedding videography for an elopement, we offer that service.

Customized Packages for Small Weddings in NYC

Another essential consideration for micro-wedding photographers in NYC is that you can customize packages with us. Having bespoke micro-wedding packages is important to us because every wedding day is different. Since micro-weddings’ format is non-traditional in itself, we want to make sure that we are meeting our couples’ needs and not trying to fit them into a box they don’t quite need.

Delivering a Photo Gallery After Your Celebration

After the wedding, we always send a sneak peek to our couples. We want them to have beautiful photos to share with family and friends almost immediately. The sneak peek will arrive in our couple’s inbox within 24 to 48 hours. The final, high-res gallery of images will be sent to you within about 3 to 4 weeks of the wedding date. This turnaround time varies depending on the season, but that is the typical timeframe for receiving micro-wedding photos.

Do Wedding Photos Get Any Retouching?

It’s essential for us not to do any significant retouching on your wedding photos. After all, we want you to look like yourself on your wedding day! We keep the editing on your pictures to lighting, color, cropping, and global adjustments. We do not retouch faces or bodies because you should look like yourself on the big day.

Should You Do Micro-Wedding Videography?

Micro-wedding videography can be an expense that people don’t always want to pay. They think that such an intimate wedding may not need a video attached to it. It’s up to you on what you value, but that’s the reason we have made micro-wedding videography an affordable wedding expense. Having accessibility for our couples is vital to us. We want to make sure that we can give it to you if you care about a certain kind of coverage.

Hybrid Photo & Video Coverage

Our style of wedding videography for intimate occasions is hybrid photography & videography coverage. This allows you to have a complete wedding photography and videography team condensed into two people. While we’re shooting photos throughout your cozy celebration, we are also taking video clips.

Instead of having a long, drawn-out video with clips from the big day, we condense the wedding into a short highlight reel video. This gives you the ability to have a wedding video at your internet celebration without hiring a separate team altogether.

Officiants for a New York Micro-Wedding

You’ll need an officiant to make sure that everything is all set for your wedding. When you are tying the knot, somebody needs to tie it with you! Grabbing an officiant for a New York City micro-wedding is a great idea. You could have a family member or friend officiate the wedding, but sometimes it can be fun just to leave it to the professionals. It’s up to you how you want your ceremony to go.

Amazing Officiants in NYC

There’s so much love to give to the incredible wedding officiants of New York City! We’ve listed a few recommendations here to start searching for the right person to tie the knot.

• Once Upon a Vow
• The Vow Whisperer
• Weddings by Larissa
• Rev Annie NYC
• Rev Samora

Makeup and Hair for Elopements

Even though micro-weddings are on a smaller scale, it’s still fun to get hair and makeup done. If you plan to get your hair and makeup done on your micro-wedding day, there are plenty of artists in New York City who can accommodate micro-wedding packages. Check with makeup artists that you love to see what their offerings are.

Many couples like to keep it simple when it comes to their micro-wedding hair and makeup. But the most beautiful thing about having a micro-wedding is: you can do whatever the heck you want! You can go big with hair and makeup or keep it simple. It’s totally in your hands. Work with your makeup artist to decide on the look that is best for you.

Makeup Artist Recommendations in New York

We have so many recommendations for excellent makeup vendors in NYC. There are almost too many to count! We’ve put together a small list of a few recommended MUAs to get you started with your micro-wedding planning process.

• Curled & Contoured
• Christina Delfino
• Melanie Makeup Artistry

Florists for Micro-Weddings in NYC

Florists are a big part of micro-weddings in New York City. There are so many talented floral designers in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and beyond. Look into what florals you’ll need for your big day. Even for an intimate wedding, it’s nice to have a bouquet. Some couples even go all out and add an arch into their floral design. Even though the wedding is small, they reallocate the budget towards decor and florals.

Florist Recommendations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Beyond

We’ve been obsessed with the work of so many amazing, talented florists in New York. There are plenty of floral designers to recommend! We’ve listed a few recommendations here to help get you started on your planning process.

• Rosehip Floral
• Olivia Howard Designs
• Stems Brooklyn
• A Petal to Peddle

Should You Get a Band/Musician for an Elopement?

We’ve had couples who are eloping we’re planning New York City micro-weddings and end up hiring music as well. Although it may not be a wedding DJ and dance floor, having music to accompany the day’s special moments makes a big difference.

For example, at Katie and Matt’s Central Park elopement at Bethesda Terrace (below), they hired a violinist to play music before, during, and after their intimate ceremony with family. It’s a great option to add just a little more romance to your Manhattan micro-wedding.

Do You Need to Hire a Planner for a Micro-Wedding?

This is a significant question for couples who are planning intimate occasions. While they’re not quite the same as larger weddings, many micro-weddings have a lot of production that goes into them. Using a planner can help keep your event stress-free, but it’s up to you on how much you want to get done.

Wedding Planner Recommendations in New York

Many planners have started offering the opportunity for small event planning, planning consulting, and more. We’ve put together a list of wedding planner recommendations in NYC to get you started on this journey.

• Simply Styled Events
• Modern Rebel
• Color Pop Events
• The Productionista
• Clover & Ivy Events
• Poppy and Lynn

What to Wear to Your New York Micro-Wedding

You have so much freedom when it comes to what to wear to your New York micro-wedding. It’s totally up to you how you dress for any wedding day. When it comes to micro-weddings, you may be thinking about how easy it is to walk in your dress if you plan to take pictures in various locations. You may also be thinking about what the weather permits and how you dress comfortably for an elopement.

There are so many wedding dress boutiques in New York City to choose from. Many of them have specific recommendations for people who are having guerrilla micro-weddings. Check with boutiques in your neighborhood to see what suits your style. There are also a ton of accessories to consider for your micro-wedding or elopement.

NYC Bridal Boutiques for Beautiful Elopement Outfits

There are plenty of places to buy wedding dresses in the city. From Kleinfeld’s to the top dress stores, it’s hard to resist looking at the pretty dresses. We love supporting local bridal businesses, so we’ve put together a small list of bridal boutiques in NYC to check out:

• Loulette Bride
• Schone Bride
• VeKa Bridal
• Pantora Bridal
• The White Gown
• Lovely Bride

Bridal Accessories Ideas for Intimate Celebration

• Jade Oi Studio
• Hushed Commotion
• Twigs & Honey

What Do You Officially Need to Get Married in NY?

When it comes time to get married in New York City, there are a few things that you may need. Making it official when you tie the knot is super important. Your officiant should be able to guide you through the whole process when it comes to obtaining necessary paperwork.

Obtain Your New York Marriage License

You’ll need your marriage license to officially say “I do.” In New York, you must acquire your marriage license at least 24 hours before the wedding day. That’s crucial to be able to get married legally. It must be an exact 24 hours, so you can’t get your marriage license at 4:30 pm the day before and get married at 9 am the next day. You may also be working within the timeframe that project cupid NYC lays out for you based on when you plan to get married.

Cutting Costs By Hosting a Small Celebration

One of the big draws of having a micro-wedding is that you cut down on many of your costs. You can save money on much of the catering, alcohol, and other costs associated with throwing a wedding. Some couples use this as an opportunity to save money to put towards other endeavors. For others, to use this break in the budget as an opportunity to splurge.

Prioritizing Your Budget Items While Micro-Wedding Planning

Figuring out what is most important to you is key to allocating your micro-wedding budget in New York City. It’s your call on what you want to spend. Make sure that the vendors you reach out to are aware of your budget upfront. Many people want to work with couples to ensure that their micro-wedding dreams come to life.

Other Ways to Cut Down on Event Costs with an NYC Micro-Wedding

One way to potentially cut wedding planning costs is to host your wedding on a weekday. These days, weekday micro-weddings are becoming more and more popular. It’s a lot easier for these small occasions to host your event on a Thursday, Friday, or Monday. If you’re planning on booking a venue for the celebration, you’ll find more availability on these days as well.

Consider hosting a brunch wedding instead of dinner to save on meal costs. If you want to have the full sit-down reception, hosting brunch might be the right fit. Breakfast and brunch foods often cost less for catering purposes – plus, they’re delicious!

Planning Out the Vision for Your Micro-Wedding

It’s essential to create a mood board for your micro-wedding vision. That way, your vendors will know exactly what you’re looking for. This is especially helpful for florists and makeup artists. If you set your expectations, they can work with you to try and achieve similar results within your budget. Having consultation calls with all of your vendors is crucial to making your micro-wedding go smoothly.

Celebrating Your NYC Micro-Wedding After the Ceremony

After the wedding ceremony, it’s up to you how you want to celebrate! Some couples will have a sit-down meal for the reception. Others will celebrate with champagne and wedding cake. Depending on the number of guests and the location you choose, your options are wide open. We’ve seen couples give out small cupcakes in lieu of cake, while others opt for the full multi-course sit-down meal.

Serving Micro-Weddings in the Northeast

Even if you’re planning to get married outside of New York City, we’re here to help. We love photographing intimate weddings all through the northeast. While we are Beacon-based photographers, we love to travel. Whether it’s for upstate New York, long island, New Jersey, let us know what you’re thinking of hosting your wedding celebration.

Hosting an Intimate Gathering Outside of NYC

Hosting your elopement or micro-wedding outside of New York City also opens up options as to where you should celebrate. There are beautiful state parks in the surrounding areas in the tri-state area. If nature and hiking are super important to you as a couple, getting married at Brooklyn Bridge might not be the best choice. Reach out and let us know what you’re thinking, and we can brainstorm incredible elopement locations outside of New York City.

Get Inspired: Molly & Alex’s Beautiful Backyard Wedding in White Plains, NY

Booking NYC Micro-Wedding Photography Packages

When it comes to celebrating micro-weddings, there’s so much to consider when planning. Reach out and let us know what your NYC micro-wedding photography budget is. We want to make sure we can help you achieve the best and most comfortable option to suit your needs. As affordable wedding photographers in New York City, we want to give accessibility to all types of wedding days. Let us know what you’re thinking, whether it’s just New York micro-wedding photography or a hybrid Photo & Video team.