Photography courtesy of Flowers by Richard Salmone on New York’s Upper East Side.

The following slide show, prepared by my young colleague Noemie, includes photos of most of my couples. And, the couple at the beginning of this post is Rebekah and Matthew, a lovely bride and groom from Edmonton, Alberta. With the historic blizzard of the past week, they rearranged their simple flight to NYC, flying instead to Toronto and taking the “Maple Leaf” Amtrak down to the City. Their journey was over 30 hours in length. Meanwhile, their dedicated officiant (that would be me!), made her way from Budapest, Hungary to Prague, Czech Republic, to NYC’s Upper East Side. We had a lovely, sweet romantic ceremony on the Gapstow Bridge in Central Park. Many tourists stopped by to watch and savor the romance, on a sparkling winter’s day. So Congratulations, one and all. Peace and all good things in 2011!

All Souls provides their Sanctuary and Chapel for rental for marriages and union ceremonies at a very affordable price. They also provide options to secure the organist and other staff members. However, couples are allowed to bring other clergy to the church to perform their ceremonies. I, for instance, was allowed to officiate a wedding there in December.

I include photos here which don’t do it justice. It was originally constructed as a Congregational Church (a mainline Protestant denomination in New England and on the east coast). As such the architecture is simple (from the Georgia tradition, perhaps) with beautiful lighting, windows and simple chandeliers. Throughout the church are plaques of remembrance. The altar is simple as well. And perched above the pulpit, one will find the familiar mathematical symbol for infinity, a representation the life force in all–welcoming people of all faiths. As Mr. Church would say, the beautiful windows show the streams of various faiths. Many paths to one truth.

So not only is All Souls a rare option to unaffiliated couples, it is an excellent choice for all.

NYC & Co, the business and tourism organization here in the City, has reported a record number of tourists visited the Big Apple last year. I agree, based on my experience with brides and grooms, who choose New York for their destination weddings! While traditionally destination weddings have been associated with warm weather spots, NYC has become a supremely popular location for weddings of all sizes. New York is considered among the most romantic cities in the world, after all. Last year, I officiated weddings for couples from England, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Scotland, Northern Ireland, The Netherlands, and numerous American states such as Ohio, Colorado, Washington DC, Arizona, California, Texas, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia, and New Jersey! Central Park, our crown jewel, is the most popular choice for ceremonies, but the couples are only limited by their imaginations in where they’d like to be married. Over the recent New Year’s weekend, I married lovely couples from Western Canada (Gapstow Bridge, Central Park); Southern California (Rockefeller Plaza, near the famed ice rink and Christmas tree); and Texas (Cop Cot Pavilion, Central Park). To assist my destination couples, I launched a blogsite to provide ideas and photographs of wedding locations about town. Let’s see if we can break the NYC Tourism and Destination Wedding records in 2011!

Photo Above Courtesy of John Mazlish Wedding Photography

Many couples will come to me with an awkwardness about how to “handle” religious traditions and faith matters in a respectful way, to honor their parents, all the while realizing that at least at this point in their lives they do not practice. I firmly believe that as Celebrants we are uniquely qualified to guide these delicate matters with sensitivity. I attempt to reassure couples that there are elegant options that we can show respect and honor to the faith tradition(s) of their families while not calling upon the Bride and Groom to feel inauthentic about the words and rituals of the ceremony.

First, there are often ways to couch rituals in terms of cultural connections as opposed to highly religious language. This is particularly effective with respect to Jewish customs like standing below a chuppah during the ceremony or the breaking at the glass at the end of the service. Many American Jews hold closely to the cultural and historical connections of their Judaism, with being observant (or perhaps nominally observant on High Holidays). As such, the descriptions of these rituals can reflect this orientation. Likewise, there are ways to draw parallels between certain religious ceremonies within a wedding and a more secularized approach to the concept. For example, a Jewish couple will include the signing of a Ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract, as part of a religious service, but a ceremonial signing of the marriage license can certainly resemble this kind of ritual. The familiar Christian unity candle can be referenced by leaning on the universal symbolism of light as a sign of goodness—and Godliness. I have been delighted how a number of my clever couples have used their wedding programs, which are often a rudimentary listing of the bridal party and order of the ceremony, to provide creative explanations of rituals or objects we are including in the wedding. I think this is particularly helpful for those who may be unfamiliar with a faith tradition.

Another beautiful way to negotiate this potentially ticklish situation is to involve an honored guest who is practicing the faith to lead that portion of the ceremony. It will most certainly provide a great deal of satisfaction on their part, without the bride or groom feeling as if they are overly stating their current commitments. In a recent ceremony joining a non-practicing Jewish groom and his non-practicing Protestant bride, the groom asked his beloved Grandfather, who observed, to read the traditional 7 Jewish blessings at the end of the ceremony. The Grandfather (who is now among my all-time favorite wedding guests) read the tradition blessings in Hebrew, followed by a modernized version blessings in English. What could be more inclusive than this?

At the end of the day, the goal of any wedding is to underscore the values and ideals that are shared between the couple and among the guests—but there are so many ways to do that with creativity, style, respect, and flourish, honoring the past and recognizing that the couple, as a new family, will have ideas and customs all their own.

As the High Line languished, there were political factions advanced options for the rail artery that once served the City.  While there were some who wanted it demolished, others argued for its restoration as a working rail line.  But led by two young New Yorkers, an organization—Friends of the High Line—argued for an innovative public space.  A competition was held to select a vision for the park, and a plan devised by two New York City design firms combined an open, elevated public space that retained its industrial feel. Great attention was paid to allowing natural plant growth to continue decorating the space.  The High Line meanders over the course of numerous blocks, with plenty of little alcoves where a private wedding could be held, no doubt engaging passers-by.  As is evidenced by the photos, the High Line is a striking venue for either a ceremony or post wedding portraits, conveying the intersection of natural beauty and commerce in the Big Apple.

My first experience with an HK Hotel was last winter when I officiated the marriage of Gordon and Anne, a fabulous couple from Scotland. The wedding was held on their top floor terrace area, and couldn’t have been any sweeter. At the time the event coordinator for the Library was Jayla Hughes. I was impressed by professionalism and warm personality, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that she had received a promotion to serve as the Director of Sales at the Hotel Giraffe, another HK Hotel. The Hotel Giraffe is a stylized, chic spot at 365 Park Avenue (at 26th street). The art deco inspired hotel is a stone’s throw away from many NYC attractions including the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, Macy’s at Herald Square, and New York’s famous “boulevards” including Park, Madison and Fifth Avenues. It is in close proximity to cultural stops ranging from the fashionable Gramercy Park, the NY Public Library, MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), and the International Center for Photography. Finally, the Hotel Giraffe is a stone’s throw from many of New York’s excellent restaurants such as Eleven Madison, Tabla, Union Square Café, and Gramercy Tavern. The list goes on and on.

This hotel will gladly host your wedding ceremony, rehearsal dinner, or guest accommodations. Hotel Giraffe has put together affordable wedding packages that offer space for a NYC wedding (along with set up and breakdown), a well-appointed reception, and guest stays in the hotel. Site selections include their roof-top garden and the piano suite penthouse. If you are looking for a place for your wedding or simply a wonderful place to stay on your visit to The Big Apple—or maybe just a nice spot to enjoy a cocktail, head to the Hotel Giraffe and wait to pleasantly surprised….again and again!

Interested in learning more? Contact Emily White, Sales Manager at the Hotel Giraffe at 212.894.0494 or by email at emily@hotelgiraffe.com. Enjoy!

We met at the beautiful Wave Hill garden up in Riverdale, a section of the Bronx. The setting is truly stunning. This garden is set on the edge of the might Hudson River. It was peak autumn leaving season. The day was clear as a bell. The couple dressed in ghoulish wedding costumes from Tim Burton films. I, of course, was the Queen of Hearts. We tucked ourselves away in a small garden and had a private ceremony with the bride’s brother.

The wedding went smoothly, with some passers-by stopping to view the spectacle. All were generous with smiles and good wishes. One of the garden volunteers even agreed to be a witness. I must admit, that I was a bit nervous about the wedding plan. Wave Hill is a somewhat conservative location. Unlike Central Park where “everything goes,” Wave Hill doesn’t normally host off-beat events. But everything turned out perfectly.

What did I learn from this couple? Seize the Day! Have courage! Although we need to roll with the punches, assume things will turn out as we hope. And, finally…..pursue the wedding of your dreams and don’t worry about meeting the expectations of others.

Elsa and Al