Read on for everything you need to know to plan the perfect elopement at city hall in New York City!
FIRST THINGS FIRST
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Make your ceremony appointment
Get your marriage license
Pick your dates and location
Book your photographer
As of 2023, the Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island city clerk's offices are open for wedding ceremonies. Ceremonies, which are performed on weekdays only, can occur as soon as 24 hours after a couple gets their license, and the license remains valid for 60 days.
In-person ceremony appointments are released every Monday morning at 9am EST for the week 3 weeks ahead (for example, on January 3rd, ceremony appointments dropped for the week of January 24th, and so on. I recommend booking right at 9am to make sure you get exactly the time you want, especially if you're eloping on a Friday (the most popular day of the week), a special date like 4/24/24, or a holiday like Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, etc.
You've fallen in love with an artist's work! Reach out and make sure they’re available before you book your ceremony time. They can also help plan your itinerary and suggest other vendors to get in touch with (florists, hair stylists, makeup artists, cake designers, etc) so you'll be totally ready to go once ceremony appointments are available for the date you want!
Marriage license appointments can be booked for 3 weeks ahead of time. In-person appointments for licenses are released every Monday morning at 9am EST; virtual marriage license appointments are released each Thursday morning at 9am EST. In order to book a ceremony appointment, you need to have either a marriage license number OR an upcoming appointment to get your license (they'll ask for the date of your appointment and the city that will be issuing it).
DAY-OF PROCESS
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Get inside & get your ticket
We'll meet just outside the marriage bureau and enter together; we'll all have to show I.D. and go through security, and then you'll receive your ticket (it'll have a number like C013) and be told to wait until your number is called. Hang on to your ticket; I love to photograph those!
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Fill out paperwork & pay
When your number is called, we'll go up to a clerk's station and we'll all show our I.D. again, fill out the paperwork (this is where your witness will sign) and you'll pay the $25 fee. Then we'll be told to wait again!
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Wait & take photos
This is the time we usually have a few minutes of waiting before being called for the ceremony; we can take photos around the marriage bureau (including in front of the cheesy courthouse backdrop I love) while we wait.
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Ceremony time!
You'll be called again and assigned one of the two ceremony room options by the officiant. The ceremony itself is incredibly short (about a minute if you don't exchange rings; a few seconds longer if you do) and you won't be able to recite custom vows; you'll both just say "I do." At the end of the ceremony the officiant will hand you your marriage certificate, and then we can take a couple of minutes taking photos in the room before leaving.
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Triumphant exit
You're married!! We'll take a few minutes for more photos inside the ceremony room, as well as any other photos we want throughout the marriage bureau. Then it's time to exit through that iconic (and heavy--be prepared to really push!) door for more photos, a confetti toss, and any other celebration we have planned!
*NOTE: As of April 17, 2023, the scaffolding outside the Manhattan Marriage Bureau building is GONE!!
FAQ
Is it "city hall," the "city clerk's office" or the "marriage bureau"?
I use the three terms pretty interchangeably; most of the information here refers to the Manhattan City Clerk's Office (141 Worth St, New York, NY 10013) since I shoot there the most often but a lot of it applies to the other boroughs' city clerks offices too.
First thing in the morning or at the end of the day! If you book one of the earliest appointments of the day (8:30 or 8:45am), there won't be much of a wait yet, and we'll likely be able to breeze through in about a half hour or less. The last appointment of the day is 3:45pm so I recommend booking around 3:30pm if you want an afternoon appointment; it will start to clear out after that and we'll be able to get photos without a lot of people inside the marriage bureau.
What's the best time of day to elope at city hall?
There hasn't been an officiant announcement, but as of summer 2023 it appears masks are optional for your city hall elopement!
Will we have to wear masks inside the marriage bureau?
How many guests can we have?
As of August 2023, city hall is now allowing each couple to have up to 4 guests (which means you can have a photographer + 3 other people come in with you) and a family member or friend can be your witness! Any additional family or friends can meet us outside the exit for hugs, photos and confetti.
I get this question a lot from couples eloping at city hall, and it's obviously a really personal choice, but I do have a few more general tips. Don't be afraid of wearing something colorful or unconventional! Try to avoid a long dress with a train that will drag behind you; even if we're just shooting inside the marriage bureau and a little outside the doors, the ground is DIRTY and you probably don't want to be thinking about holding up your dress or keeping it clean while we're moving around, taking/shooting on the subway, etc. Also, if it's going to be cold out, think about wearing a coat you don't mind photographed. We can take coats off for a few photos outside but I like to shoot elopement days as they happen; if it was cold and wet out, let's lean into the romance of NYC on a rainy day. And wear shoes you can walk in!
What should we wear?
How early should we arrive?
Since city hall ceremonies are by appointment now, there's no need to arrive an hour early to wait in line. I like to plan to meet up about 15 minutes before your scheduled ceremony time, but that's mostly to allow a little extra time for traffic or other delays.
What should we bring with us?
You don't need much; the city clerk's office will provide an officiant and I can be your witness! Just bring the same ID you used to get your marriage license, the $25 marriage ceremony fee (payable by credit card or money order), a sturdy folder to hold your marriage license and any other documents, and a bottle of water if you'll need it (there's none inside). Besides that, try to travel as light as possible and condense everything you're bringing to a single tote bag, if you can, so I can handle/hold it in between photo spots.
How long will we be inside the marriage bureau?
The whole process usually takes between 25 and 45 minutes. It's a lot quicker now that you can make a ceremony appointment (compared to the pre-pandemic free-for-all), but we're still likely to have some downtime while we wait, which we can use for photos!
Where else can we take photos?
Just about anywhere in the city, depending on the amount of time we have together. A few ideas: my favorite empty subway car trick; DUMBO; Central Park; champagne and cake in a hotel; walking around Chinatown/SoHo/Lower East Side, and lots more... We can figure that part out together!
What if it rains or snows?
I'll bring a couple of clear umbrellas, and hand warmers if needed, and we'll lean into the weather! If there's a downpour or blizzard in the forecast and rescheduling is an option, we'll discuss ahead of time, but if there's just a little rain or snow we'll find a few covered spots for photos and brave the weather (either with or without umbrellas) otherwise!
Who brings the confetti?
Me!
KIND WORDS
"When we decided to work with Sylvie, we did not realize the wealth of knowledge she was able to provide beyond taking incredible pictures. Sylvie was unbelievably helpful throughout the entire city hall process and provided all the tips and tricks from securing a marriage license, to booking a ceremony appointment and even what to expect the day of. We don’t think the day would have been the same without her! It was completely stress-free and effortless."
Danielle & Murphy
