Hayley & James’ New York City wedding elopement was incredibly special and was a pleasure to capture as their wedding videographer in New York. Wedding preparations were held at Hotel Le Meridien on 57th Street, on the 28th floor with stunning views that completely blew me away when I walked in. You could see Central Park in all its glory, surrounded by the urban jungle of Manhattan. Though the weather was grey, it certainly didn’t dampen the wedding spirit as the mist and rain inadvertently added that alluring mystical element to the atmosphere. It was a picture-perfect setting for their destination wedding.
Hayley and James met for the first look just outside their hotel. It was a momentous moment and I loved how bystanders just passed by as they pottered on in the hustle and bustle of New York City life. We then met up with the rest of the wedding party; their New York wedding was an intimate number of around 30 people, all of which had come from the UK.
Hayley & James had asked me to capture them as they walked from the hotel to the wedding ceremony location for their wedding video; which was was just around the corner at the Cop Cot inside Central Park. As their wedding videographer, it was a joy to capture an array of perfect shots as they made their way down 57th Street and 6th Avenue. They not only caught the attention of bystanders but also their congratulatory well wishes that came with it.
the magic of copcot
The ceremony took place inside Cop Cot, a small wooden shelter, which was originally built in 1985 and is the largest remaining wood shelter. This beautiful wooden structure, which is sheltered amidst the trees wilderness made it the idyllic private wedding venue for their intimate wedding. Not to mention it worked a treat as the perfect setting for luxury cinematic wedding videography. Hayley & James went for personalised vows, which were beautifully exchanged between one and another. After the ceremony was complete, naturally congratulatory hugs and warm wishes flooded in from surrounding family and friends.
Being the passionate wedding videographer that I am, I had done a bit of a recce of Manhattan a few days earlier and had found the most perfect portrait spot on a crossing next to Central Park. The crossing was always on ‘Walk’, so it made it easy to safely position Hayley & James with a beautiful symmetrical shot of the towering skyscrapers in the background. (See the video for the shot; it was literally my favourite one of the day!)
the charm of the plaza
We then headed over to the renowned New York hotel, The Plaza on 5th Avenue for champagne and afternoon tea. This luxurious hotel exudes confidence, history, and timeless elegance; an eternally classic hotel in a historic Beaux-Arts building. From the moment you cross the threshold, you are instantly transported to what feels like a film set as you are inherently urged to recall at least one moment from a famous film flick. It was a truly magical setting for their reception celebrations, and some momentous wedding shots.
the details new york style
After this, we headed over to one of New York’s finest landmark’s, Rockefeller Centre.
Despite the rain and misty views, we made the best of the situation as I took some incredible wedding portrait shots inside the centre itself. One particular spot was a wall and ceiling made up of LED lights, which made the ideal cinematic and creative backdrop for Hayley and James as they shared a beautiful moment together.
For the evening celebrations, we travelled by bus with the entire party on board to Gallow Green located at the majestic McKittrick Hotel on 27th Street – a rustic Oasis style rooftop restaurant in New York, Chelsea. Hayley and James’ had booked an area with a fire pit and old train carriage with stunning evening views of a misty atmospheric cityscape. Pizza and drinks were served, and speeches followed making it the perfect ending to a perfectly magical day.
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