City Hall Wedding Guide

Step 1: The marriage license

Create an NYC.ID account, then go to Project Cupid and choose the in person or the virtual license appointment. You both fill in your details: names, dates of birth, addresses, parents’ names and any previous marriages. At the end you pay the $35 fee and book your appointment.

For the virtual appointment you join a video call with a clerk. You both need to be in the same room, each with a photo ID. The clerk checks your details and emails you the license the same day. Print it, you need a paper copy at the ceremony.

If you cannot find a license appointment: this happens a lot, especially close to the date. You can get your license at any City Clerk office in the five boroughs, or at a town or city clerk anywhere in New York State, and still get married in Manhattan. Couples have found slots in Staten Island, Brooklyn and on Long Island when Manhattan was full.

Step 2: Booking the ceremony

Go back to Project Cupid and choose the in person marriage ceremony. You need both of your names and emails and the name of your witness. You do not need the license yet to book.

Ceremonies run Monday to Friday, roughly 8:30 to 11:30 am and 1 to 3:30 pm. New dates are released about three weeks ahead, on Monday mornings, usually somewhere between 8:40 and 9 am.

Fridays in Manhattan go in seconds. If you want a Friday, be at your computer before the release and keep refreshing. One couple’s best tip: practice booking on the Mondays before your release day, so you know every click. If Manhattan is gone, the Brooklyn office usually takes a few minutes longer to fill up. A Thursday in Manhattan is often easier than any Friday.

The four guest rule

Besides the two of you, you can bring four people into the building. Your witness counts. Your photographer counts. There are almost no exceptions; babies on a lap are usually fine, older children and adults are not. If you have a bigger family, plan who comes inside and meet everyone else on the steps afterwards. Some of the best photos happen out there anyway.

On the day

Bring your printed license, photo IDs for both of you, your witness and their ID. Everyone who comes in needs an ID.

Arrive about 20 to 30 minutes before your slot. This is how it goes:

1. Security check at the entrance.
2. You get a number and wait until it shows up on the screen, a bit like at the DMV.
3. You sign the paperwork with a clerk.
4. You wait in a smaller area outside the chapel.
5. The officiant calls you in. The ceremony takes a few minutes and you leave with your marriage certificate.

On a busy Friday it took one couple 40 minutes from arrival to walking out. It is quick, a little chaotic and full of other happy couples. Very New York.

Bringing your dog? Read my guide to getting married with your dog.

What to wear

Anything you love. You will see full gowns and suits next to jeans and sneakers. Keep in mind the halls are narrow and you will wait, sometimes standing. A shorter dress or a gown you can move in works well, and shoes you can stand in for an hour.

Getting ready

If you want photos of getting ready and a first look, book a hotel nearby. The Beekman is the classic choice, but its atrium needs a photography permit, so ask the hotel in writing before you book.

When you choose a room, ask for one with a big window on one side rather than a corner suite with a view. Light from one direction makes getting ready photos soft and natural. A plain room with a bright window beats a beautiful dark one.

Where I take photos after

The neighborhood is one of the most photogenic in the city, and it is all within a short walk:

• The steps of the City Clerk’s office at 141 Worth Street, right after you come out.
• City Hall Park with its fountain and trees.
• The Manhattan Municipal Building, with its huge arch and columns.
• The Brooklyn Bridge, a ten minute walk away. Go up the walkway for the classic view.
• DUMBO on the other side of the bridge, if you have an extra hour and want the skyline.

For a short session, I suggest at least an hour: photos while you wait, the ceremony, and a few outside. Two hours give you time for the bridge and the park without rushing.

Where to eat after

The streets right around the Marriage Bureau are mostly offices, so most couples take a short walk or a cab. Places couples have loved:

• The Fulton at Pier 17, with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Manhatta, high up with a view over Lower Manhattan.
• Temple Court in The Beekman, a beautiful room close by.
• The Dead Rabbit, for drinks in a classic New York bar.
• Odeon in Tribeca, relaxed and iconic.
• The River Café in DUMBO, for a special dinner with the skyline.
• Via 13, where one couple hosted 16 guests with a set menu and open bar for under $3,000.

Book early and ask for a private dinner first. Prices often go up once a venue hears the word wedding.

Brooklyn and the other boroughs

Every borough has a City Clerk office with a chapel, and the process is the same. Brooklyn’s office, in the Municipal Building next to Borough Hall, is a good alternative when Manhattan is fully booked, and it is close to Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO for photos.

Getting married from abroad

You do not need to live in New York or the United States. Plan to arrive at least three days before the ceremony so the license appointment, the 24 hour wait and jet lag fit in. Before you travel, ask your home country which documents you need to register the marriage there, often a certified copy and an apostille.

How I photograph City Hall weddings

I keep it simple and calm. I meet you before your slot, photograph the waiting, the signing and the ceremony itself, and then we walk through the neighborhood for portraits. If you have dinner plans, I can come along for the first part of the evening. Photos, film and aerials come from one person, so there is never a crowd around you.