7 New York City Hall Weddings
Have you ever walked by your local City Hall and spotted a just-married couple, all dazed and giggly? It’s such a rush, stumbling into the joy of total strangers. Last month, photographer Christine Han and I swung by Manhattan’s City Hall to chat with New York’s newest newlyweds…
Eleni and Byron
How did you first get together?
Eleni: We’ve been a couple for two and a half years, but we’ve known each other for 24 years.
Byron: We met as teenagers while crossing the street — just a chance encounter on a summer afternoon in Queens. This smiling 15-year-old made her way over and said hi.
What happened next?
Eleni: We lost touch, then met again in college through mutual friends, then life happened and we didn’t see each other again for a long time. We both got married to other people, then those marriages dissolved. Now we got a second chance at love.
Victoria and Alex
How did you choose City Hall for your wedding?
Victoria: My parents got married here. I’m a New Yorker, and Alex is too now, so it feels like a special place.
What do you enjoy about being her partner?
Alex: Seeing her smile and making her laugh — it’s the highlight of my life.
James and Chase
What did you do for your first date?
James: We met at business school in Boston, and our first date was at a place called The Beehive. When we got up at the end, the whole tablecloth fell onto the ground and everything else with it. We survived that.
Chase: Then ended up closing the bar. It was perfect.
Francisco and Ashley
When did you first cross paths?
Francisco: We were in the same first-grade classroom.
No way! How long have you been together?
Both: Fourteen years.
When did you decide to get married?
Ashley: A long time ago, but we just, you know — we have two kids! Life!
Daphne (left) and Jennifer
What do you love about each other?
Jennifer: Her patience, her empathy, her care. I lose my shit all the time — I’m the fiery one — and she keeps me calm.
Daphne: And I love her energy and life. We’ve been together for nine years. She proposed in 2023, and I proposed in 2024.
Tell me about these gorgeous outfits.
Daphne: My suit is Good American. My family works in fashion, so they designed the cape to add to my outfit.
Jennifer: Bloomingdale’s!
Teri and Jacobus
How did you meet?
Teri: It was a Monday night in 2018. I don’t usually go out on Mondays, but my friend Jack kept texting me to come out and meet his friend Jacobus.
Jacobus: We were all hanging out, eating burgers, playing pool. Then at some point, the two of us left and walked over to Tompkins Square Park. We sat on a bench and talked for three hours.
Teri: I went home and called my sister and said, ‘The most incredible thing just happened!’ It was so amazing to meet someone I could just talk to for hours.
Jacoubus: Nothing’s really changed since then. And here we are.
What makes you good partners?
Teri: He thinks about things very differently than I do, and his perspective can flip my ideas about life upside down, in a scary-but-nice way.
Jacobus: We do see things differently, but honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. If we had the same perspective, I’d be losing out on so much.
Hillary and Ben
How did you propose?
Ben: We were in Switzerland, on a trip to celebrate our tenth anniversary.
Hillary: I figured it was going to happen on that trip, because we’d been dating for so long, but I had no idea what day. So, in the moment, I really was surprised!
What do you love about each other?
Hillary: He always supports me, and loves me so much.
Ben: She lets me see the good in things — not just in her, but in everything.
Congratulations! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful days with us. And just for fun, how about this shot of our new mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji, from their own City Hall wedding?
P.S. More City Hall weddings:
* 4 City Hall weddings from 2023
* 7 City Hall weddings from 2019
* A San Francisco City Hall wedding (followed by a hike!)
* A sweet couple who got married with their toddler in tow
* And a friend who tied the knot in overalls
(Mamdani-Duwaji wedding photos by Kara McCurdy. All other photos by Christine Han for Cup of Jo.)
Tags: city hall wedding
Comments
88 commentsEleni and Byron — their love story sounds like they’re one of those couples in When Harry Met Sally. So unlikely but so romantic!
Love!!! (And how fun of a memento of/gift for a NYC wedding would this be? https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/hybrid/47-scatter-drink-icons-mlb-baseball-cap?color=104&type=STANDARD&size=One+Size&quantity=1 )
This is one of my favourite categories here on CoJ. I love, love, love seeing all these couples, eachof them with their own story, their love and, oh my, all these gorgeous and unconventional outfits!
This was truly heartwarming and uplifting in dark times, thank you! More of this content that exudes such warmth through photos, people, and their stories please! ♡
As a New yorker, this piece is adorable. I love city hall!
My cousin got married last December at SF City Hall & it was the most wonderful day! The ceremony was simple with 6 guests attending, but I planned for 30 family & friends to gather outside the building to surprise them at the exit with cheers & streamer sticks waving in the air (instead of confetti). Oh, the joy celebrating their love still makes me smile.
We got married at San Francisco City Hall 23 years ago tomorrow. I love seeing these pictures and hearing a bit about the couples. Also love those lily shoes!
Same Valerie!! But not 25 years ago. :) 7 years for us. It was the most magical wedding venue.
love love love this post
This is so hopeful and uplifting! At specially at the start of a new year. Everyone is just beautiful and shining!
All of them look so wonderful with their stories. I especially like Daphne and Jennifer – I especially like the cape!
And Jennifer’s little jacket!!
Ah all the warm fuzzy feelings! Love this!
Absolutely beautiful photos!
Love this!
Congratulations to these lovely couples! Wow Teri‘s dress, shoes, flowers—everything is gorgeous, including the bride herself!
Oh my gosh, Eleni has a tiny Greek coffee cup pin on her coat — the perfect NYC City Hall wedding accessory!
Daphne and Jennifer and their pup!!! This brought the biggest smile to my face – so much joy!
I love these sweet posts so much! And I’m OBSESSED with Daphne’s veil/cape, what a stunning addition to an already amazing look!
I really love this! I know that not all stories have happy endings, but I find it really moving and hopeful that two people feel enough love for each other to *try* to commit to them for their rest of their lives. That’s beautiful!
Absolutely adored this post. It was nourishment for the soul, sorely needed in these times. Thank you for this joy!
Eleni and Byron! I want to read more about their story… can we get a follow up post on how they reconnected, second marriage, etc??
Hillary’s dress is so beautiful. ♥️
Each couple is so beautiful I was getting overwhelmed, and then I got to Teri and Jacobius and almost had to close tab. But I’m glad I held it together for Hilary and Ben. Phew, these gorgeous people!
I got my marriage license at Manhattan’s City Hall in late Sept 2019 (maybe the 24th?) and saw a bride getting married there — she looked so familiar but I couldn’t pinpoint it. I realized a bit later that she was a CoJ reader I met once at a NYC CoJ meetup! Ha! I cannot remember her name but if that was you, hi! You looked radiant!
My husband and I got married at NY City Hall on March 1, 2013. Our three best friends came to witness and then we went to brunch at Bubby’s where they gave us free champagne and pie! Still married, with two kids, now living in another state. Do they still have the fake backdrop inside that you can take photos in front of? We got some great ones there!
They do indeed!
love this post. new yorkers dressing sharp for a city h all marriage. so cool.
So. freaking. chic.
These couples are brimming with happiness and love. It warmed my heart to see the first couple who found love a second time around after getting divorced. My divorce was just finalized a few months ago and I have been feeling quite lonely this winter season…both wanting companionship yet a bit terrified and afraid to put myself out there. I also have a 4 year old daughter and work that takes up a lot of time. It feels so foreign to be in love. But I try to remind myself that there are many forms of love in our life not just romantic love. Such as the love from a child, from a hobby, love from neighbors or even strangers <3
Sending you a ton of love!! (Sounds like you already have a lot, but one can never ever have too much <3)
I love the way you mixed this up from your usual style of people emailing in. What a fun post, and I’m sure it was so fun to interview these couples!
One of my favorite posts, just capturing people in the moment!
If anyone has gotten married at NYC City Hall lately I’d love your advice!! I would like to plan a wedding there but it seems like you can only book two weeks in advance, which would be tough for family members traveling in (we’d do a lunch or dinner after). Does anyone have any intel on how difficult it was to book a spot? Were you able to get your preferred day/time? Thank you!!
I got married at New York City hall this past November, the logistics are as follows: you can only book up to THREE weeks in advance maximum, through the City Clerk’s Project Cupid portal. Friday’s are the most difficult day to get appointments, the spots (especially afternoon spots) disappear very fast. Other days of the week is easier — we had originally wanted to get married at 1pm on a Friday, but when I logged into the portal 3 minutes after it had opened those spots were already gone. We ended up going with 1pm on Thursday (there were plenty of Thursday slots), with only our parents as witnesses, and did dinner with our wider families the following day, on the Friday. This ended up being much more relaxed! Keep in mind that you can only bring up to 4 people with you into the building anyway, so it can make sense to plan a ceremony and a dinner at different times anyway. Hope that helps!
Zohran and Rama…couple goals!
What a pick me up. My takeaway here is that New Yorkers are just more glamorous and attractive than the rest of us. All the couples are stunning (and the big wedding day smiles don’t hurt)… and the outfits, the hair, the make-up… all perfect! I want to say it is the cape that takes the cake, but then you also have Ashley’s gorgeous hair holding a toddler, the way Eleni’s dress, coat and scarf are perfect together, and the choice of pale pink vs. white shirts by James and Chase. So chic!
ALL of these couples have such great style! Thanks for the lovely post! Happy New Year!
So sweet! My husband and I eloped to Sedona to get married and I am so glad we kept our wedding between us (and the officiant and photographer and Jeep driver lol). It was so intimate and special and NO DRAMA. We promptly went back to the hotel and changed into comfortable clothes for our dinner reservations. It was perfect.
Having grownup in the bridal business, I am always so thrilled for the uniqueness of each couples wedding attire! Beautiful, all. And, The Beehive is a super fun hang. Son lives near enough that we’d go for frequent musical dining. Fun crowd.
Zohran and Rama! ❤️
Love these posts on city hall weddings!!
It seems like everyone is so beautiful on their wedding days. If only we could always have such joy and optimism radiating from our faces.
Lovely photos! Congratulations to all the couples.
I’m sorry to hijack this lovely post but please, if you are angry and in disbelief of the Minnesota killing, take to the streets on January 20. https://action.womensmarch.com/calendars/free-america-weekend/events/new https://www.freeameri.ca/ Let’s march for a better America, for democracy, for justice, for us.
Thanks for this!
I’m not usually big on weddings, but this post feels like the warm hug I didn’t know I needed right now <3
So sweet! Love all their outfits… that cape! Those flower sandals with the socks! Those dresses! So creative and elegant. Thanks for sharing a glimpse of life there!
So fun to see these photos this morning, it took me back to when we got married at City Hall in January 2023! We live in the UK and had already had our big family celebration in October, so decided to do the legal bit in New York on our honeymoon. My husband’s friend, the only person we knew in the city, acted as witness, maid of honour, and photographer. What we didn’t realise was that for the marriage to be legally recognised in the UK, we had to get a special stamp that meant queuing for hours afterwards in a grim office a long way from the excitement of those doors. We spent our first (legally) married hours surrounded by people filing for divorces (and, inexplicably, estate agent licences!). It felt like an unintentionally honest view of the reality of marriage: two minutes of glamour and romance, two hours navigating far less exciting bits, but all of it side-by-side!
Sorry about having to sit in a grim office but I love the fact that you feel it summed up the reality of marriage and carried that with you. Also love your name :)
Teri’ shoes! Gorgeous! :) (loved all the stories though)
Love every single one of these! 🩷
Everybody really has a story to tell, I love this post and the photos… i would love to hear about how your day went while you met these couples! Did you go home excited and happy? Love from Paris
Oh I was positively WACKY with delight for the rest of the day. Smiling at strangers, sending random mushy texts to everyone — I was addled! 😂
Kelsey, how wonderful!!!
So much love and hope and joy passes through that city hall. My husband and I got married there in 2010. We had about 20 family and friends in tow and then we all had lunch at Cha-An tea house on East 9th street. Perfect day!
OMG Teri’s flower shoes and stockings 🥹🫶🏽awww sooo much love in this post. Thank you for sharing 🥹🫶🏽
Teri is so cool in a way I could never hope to be!! those shoes are a work of art
So much joy and love shining through in these photos! This post made my day. There’s nothing else as fulfilling as loving deeply and being deeply loved in return.
Jennifer’s beautiful velvet dress reminded me of my mom, who wore burgundy velvet for her second (and much better!) wedding. Congratulations!
We had two very small wedding! The first was a city hall wedding in Marion County, Oregon and it was easily the best day of our lives. The weather was uncharacteristically gorgeous for April, and the judge who married us likes to marry people on his lunch break so that he can do it at a park just down the street from city hall. Everything was in bloom early that year and absolutely stunning! Our niece was crawling around in the grass with my mother-in-law’s puppy throughout the whole ceremony and we had no idea – we were just totally locked in on each other. Afterwards we all went out for burgers and tots. It was the best!
This is so lovely—everyone is just beaming. I would love to see a post (or comments) about non-religious ceremonies. My fiancé comes from a Hindu background and I’m a cafeteria Catholic midwesterner. I would like to incorporate some elements of spirituality in our wedding ceremony but neither of us consider ourselves religious. Any advice, suggestions on poems or readings? I’m stumped and wedding is 90 days away.
@kate.toronto on Instagram! I know her and she’s absolutely lovely.
Hi E H! We did a non-religious ceremony, led by my husband’s sister. I’m Irish and as part of it, we did a candle ritual that’s typical of Irish weddings. Basically, at the start each of us lit a candle separately, and his sister read this text “These three candles represent each of you and your marriage. Fire is one of the most vital elements on earth. The flames of these candles represent the foundation of love, its heat and its fragility. You will now each light your own candle. This is a reminder that in a true marriage, your individual selves will remain burning and bright as you come together as one.” Then once we had exchanged vows, we lit the third candle together and she said “Prior to this moment you each walked separate paths. Now take your individual candles and light the large candle in the centre, representing your unity in marriage. As you light your candle, you embark on a marital partnership — choosing a single path together. May the happiness of today go with you into the future as you move forward in life as a married couple.” It brought a spiritual and symbolic element to the ceremony without being religious, and people found it really meaningful.
My husband is Jewish and I’m non religious. We had a rabbi and I told him to say whatever he wants in Hebrew, but please don’t talk about god in English- lol. It satisfied my husband’s family and me! We did a lot of the traditional Jewish aspects but made them agnostic. For example, they do the 7 Blessings. We had the rabbi say them in Hebrew and then we had 7 of our closest family members (parents, stepparents, and grandparents) read a “translation” in English- but it wasn’t a translation at all. It was simply what I wanted as a blessing. Here’s a link to my entire ceremony if helpful! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zQe5RMSqb1hrult4La4FXSA0lD8QqU0opvNDX8d_tj4/edit?usp=sharing
Hi! Like Muireann, myself and my husband are Irish and had a non-religious ceremony here in Dublin. We also did the candle lighting ceremony, with the slight difference that a member of each of our families light the two separate candles, and then my husband and I lit a bigger candle together (with tapers lit from the flames of the two separate candles) after having made our vows. We had a wonderful humanist celebrant perform our ceremony – if you google ‘humanist wedding readings’ you’ll probably find lots of ideas. For our own ceremony, we had three poems read by close friends and family members: ‘Accidents of Birth’ by William Meredith, ‘Late Fragment’ by Raymond Carver, and ‘The Difficulty that is Marriage’ by Paul Durcan. Best of luck planning your ceremony, hope you have a wonderful day!
We did this reading at our wedding: From The Irrational Season By Madeleine L’Engle But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take. It is indeed a fearful gamble. Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature. To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take. If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation. It takes a lifetime to learn another person. When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.
You could incorporate some of the “saptapadi” (literal translation is seven steps) vows in English. Examples: With this step, we vow to grow in strength together. Example: With the last phera the couple prays for a life of understanding, loyalty, unity and companionship not only for themselves but also for the peace of the universe. Example (post phera/saptapadi ending): You have become mine forever. Yes, we have become partners. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me. Let us share the joys. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought and I am sound. obviously some vows can be edited to be non-religious ie removing mention of “god”
These are so lovely, I get teared up reading their stories and looking at their joyful faces 🥰
Love how happy they all look!! Also everyone is gorgeous and especially loving Victoria’s dress!
Second to loving Victoria’s dress! I can’t zoom in enough! It’s fascinating.
I love love! Thank you for that! Nos I want to know about all their amazing outfits ♥️
Love this post! I feel like we always need something dazzling in dreary January and these couples, their love, and their outfits (!) were it! Congrats all! ❤️
The fashion! The joy! The love!!!! Wishing the best for all these beautiful newlyweds
I always love reading about NYC City Hall weddings. They are beautiful in their simplicity and messages! I particularly loved reading about Daphne and Jennifer. I too am the fiery one in my marriage and SO appreciate the calm, soothing energy from my husband. What a lovely balance. Congrats to all! HNY!!
This was lovely
The Beehive! Such a fun place. And really excited about your new NYC mayor!
Luv all the stories, the clothing styles, the photos and luv the L❤️VE! Congrats to All! ✨🥂🍾✨
so many great outfits!!
I needed this today. It’s been a rough news day (week, month, year), and this is joyful and heartwarming. Thanks
New Yorkers are the ne plus ultra of style and creative expression. These folks are so inspiring and endearing. May their unions prosper and their sartorial flair forever flourish!
Thank you for these much needed glimmers!
I am often nearby and always congratulate the newlyweds and say how being (happily) married is the best—twice the joy and half the work!
Ooo how lovely! I love a city hall wedding, they are incredibly chic and special and all these couples are so stylish and sweet. Perhaps I’m biased as we are coming up on our one year anniversary of our own city hall wedding where we live in Canada and it was just the most beautiful day. You wouldn’t think signing a legal document would be romantic, but somehow it totally is! I really think that being a wedding officiant for city hall must be one of the greatest privileges to have, maybe as my next career?
I love a City Hall wedding. I’m a California notary and when I have to do things with my commission it is the same office at City Hall as marriages. San Francisco City Hall is gorgeous and there is nothing better than seeing all the different couples celebrating.
So fun! What a great idea for a post, COJ team! Maybe it could be a series? (Fun couple interviews never get old!) The NYC city hall is such a quintessentially New York place for a wedding and these couples sound wonderful. Love the Mamdani wedding photos, too!
https://cupofjo.com/2023/05/30/4-new-york-city-hall-weddings/ here’s another one from a few years ago
Is there anything more chic than a city hall wedding? I say this 20 years after my big beautiful desitnation wedding. Just something so lovely and personal about a couple standing squarely in the simplicity of their love and union.