UPDATE 2020! Mary has relocated to Toronto, Canada. You can find information about Canadian weddings at ElopeToronto.com I'm keeping this blog because I've been told it's very helpful for couples in New York! If you need a wedding officiant in New York or Toronto, email me at MaryBeaty (at) gmail (dot) com, and I'll try to help. Best wishes! Stay safe!

Tuesday

A New York Wedding - About Us

[UPDATE 2020:  Mary has relocated to Canada, and can be reached at ElopeToronto.com]

Mary has married over 500 couples in New York City, and many weddings were romantic 'elopements' - couples who decided to have a small wedding ceremony with family or friends, or just by themselves. Mary specializes in civil, non-denominational weddings that are simple and meaningful. I also represent other civil chaplains, who all conduct simple, non-religious weddings in the same manner and style.

International weddings: New York is the the crossroads of the world: many couples who choose a New York City wedding are international, so some weddings are in translation or may include cross-cultural elements. New York allows couples from any country to be legally married at any location - not just City Hall or a chapel or church or mosque or synagogue - so we often conduct ceremonies in Central Park, or on the Brooklyn Bridge, or Coney Island, in small restaurants, art galleries, hotel rooms, or other unusual venues which provide a unique, romantic setting.

Elopements: Eloping is simply the term used for a private wedding, where a couple has a small, intimate wedding, often in a destination different from their usual home address. Sometimes a close friend or family member serves as a witness, and then the couple has an 'at home' or wedding celebration at a later date. (Technically, you can 'elope' at home - we can come to your home or apartment and marry you in a quiet civil ceremony, and you can then zip away to an exotic destination, or simply go out to dinner, in your newly married state. That's a 'home honeymoon').