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Sonja & Markus

Elopement in New York

A wedding ceremony in Central Park, wedding photos in Manhattan and Brooklyn - and all in black and white

19 October 2020 | Dirk Weber | Weddings

On the road with a wedding in New York - we accompany Sonja and Markus on their elopement in the exciting metropolis. Breathtaking wedding photos in Manhattan, a wedding ceremony in Central Park, a walk through the city streets and evening atmosphere in Brooklyn. Let's dive into the pulsating atmosphere of New York - the city that never sleeps.

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When you're sitting at home in Lockdown at Corona time, you first notice what you did before the pandemic and what you thought was normal. It was "back then" in October 2017 when Sonja & Markus - two very dear people from Stuttgart - had organised an elopement for Saja in New York. Unfortunately, I had a wedding in Ireland in my calendar two days before and would have loved to come along. But Ireland is much closer than New York and so it worked out after all - as second shooter and best man. Wedding in New York - here we come!

Saja had arranged to meet Sonja and Markus at Frankfurt airport to fly together. For me, it was straight from the wedding in the west of Ireland back to Dublin, and there I boarded the plane without taking a breather. And in fact, the flights could be arranged so that we landed almost simultaneously in Newark, New Jersey.

Wedding photos in New York City - with wedding ceremony in Central Park and impressions from Manhattan, Brooklyn and Coney Island

Wedding photos in Manhattan

One thing you definitely have to bring along for a wedding in New York - be good on your feet. After getting ready at the hotel, we went all over Manhattan. One of our destinations was the "Top of the Rock" - the observation deck on top of Rockefeller Center. From there you have the best view over the city - under the open sky and with the landmarks within reach. We were happy to put up with the light drizzle.

Wedding with a TV crew: At the same time, a report about the Weddingplanner was being filmed. This meant that for about half the time we were accompanied by a camera team of three. This is a special challenge for wedding photography. Unlike the experienced wedding filmmakers, the TV teams take up a bit more space and as a photographer you have to look for your angles and get closer more often.

Wedding ceremony in Central Park

Finally, the wedding took place in a small pavilion in Central Park. In the middle of the city, but still quiet and secluded, the two said "I do" - officially and legally with a celebrant from the city of New York and the wedding photographer as witnesses. Apart from us and the film crew, there were no other guests - a real elopement in New York.

Wagner Cove in Central Park is an official New York City wedding location. The small pavilion is located on the edge of the typical paths through the park, so a wedding ceremony is relatively undisturbed. There is also so much greenery around that it is easy to forget that you are in a cosmopolitan city - which is a shame, especially for photographs.

With the Subway to the wedding photos

The newlyweds continued their journey through the city - partly on foot, partly on the Subway. In between, there were many more opportunities to take photos - there is no shortage of suitable spots in New York. The way through the city became a voyage of discovery - in search of light and motifs.

Wedding photos deep down in the subway - at the stop or in the train itself - and in the streets of Manhattan. In the meantime, we are travelling without a film crew and are therefore more flexible.

Wedding finale in Brooklyn

Few places in New York have more charm than Brooklyn. Especially DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge) has developed incredibly in the last 10 years. The former industrial area has become a hip district, which shows its best side especially in the evening light. So we took many more photos there before we could take the last photos on the Brooklyn Bridge until nightfall. A wedding finale where New York shows itself from its best side.

Second Shooter and everything in black and white - what's that about?

Of course, they didn't just get black and white photos. And of course there were many more close-up photos, more moments, more photos that tell a story. You can find more photos of this wedding reportage in New York at Saja's - because she was the wedding photographer. I was just a second shooter, contributing perspectives, navigating the city, getting coffee (and drinking more coffee). And that's why I was allowed to mess around a bit with the editing and edited everything in black and white. That's it.

Of course, we continued to visit New York in the following days - without taking any wedding photos though. Our way led us to Coney Island, among other places. We were a little sad not to have had the bride and groom with us here. The beach area in Brooklyn has a special, somewhat morbid charm that would certainly have been interesting for wedding photos.

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A wedding abroad works best with professional support. Erol Inanc from echtNewYork was responsible for the planning. Erol comes from Munich and has been a travel guide and wedding planner in New York since 2005. The organisation of the wedding licence of the Celebrant of the City of New York as well as the later procurement of the international marriage certificate were also part of his tasks. Saja Seus, wedding photographer from Frankfurt, provided the perfect wedding photos.