Secret Wedding Locations in New York City

The city that never sleeps, right? New York is always alive, always on the move, and always at a breakneck pace. But, as New York's hustle and bustle goes whizzing by, if you slow down, you might see some small, secret spaces. These are places where you can breathe, and enjoy nature. Of course, there are many spots in public parks where you can experience this calm, but Rev Shari has a few secret locations up the billowing sleeve of her minister's robe.

Kayaking dock in Brooklyn In this location, you have lovely wild gardens, expansive green lawns, and the opportunity to kayak. I can't say too much about it...it's a secret! This location is not free, but it is affordable. You provide your own catering, or you head off to any of a number of wonderful nearby restaurants. Appropriate for small groups or elopements.

Yacht club on City Island (Bronx) You may have seen the movie shot on City Island recently--if not, I strongly recommend it. My secret location is not shown in the movie, but it offers remarkable views of the city, the Throgs Neck Bridge, and beautiful sailboats. Catering is on premises, and delicious. The chef will work with you on a menu. This venue is offbeat and shabby chic, in a nautical way. The dining room seats about 75 but would be perfect for a smaller wedding. There is even an outdoor balcony for bouquet tossing. If you want to go really nautical, you can be married ON a sailboat!

Do you want to get married on the Cyclone? On the Brooklyn Bridge? In a subway tunnel? In a hansom cab? A yellow cab? Rev Shari will work with you on any of these...but these are not-so-secret! Let's cook up a wedding that suits you, and Rev Shari will marry you up good.

A & J: Reverend Shari marries them up good in Central Park

The rain finally stopped and the sun was shining through a few puffy clouds. It was a perfect day in Central Park (if you could avoid mud puddles). The wedding was planned for the sitting area around Shakespeare's statue at the foot of The Mall (not Shakespeare's Garden much farther uptown). Rev Shari started with the well-known sonnet that begins "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" and ended with another snippet from The Bard. It was a great Central Park wedding--the bridal party, the family members, the friends, the bicyclists, the teenagers, the tourists, the baby carriage brigade...everyone was there. It was truly a good thing that Rev Shari had her trusty Happie Amp along, so that everyone could hear the service. This mini-amp travels in a small satchel and is great for large crowds or outdoor spaces. In the end, Rev Shari married them up good, with a much bigger crowd than expected!

As in all great pursuits in life, a wedding has a lot of details and many strands to be woven together. Sometimes little glitches happen. The groom waited patiently at our outdoor "altar" for his bride, his brother, his future brother-in-law...things got a little confusing. Central Park is a big place, and NYC even bigger. Even with cell phones and all the modern conveniences, things can go awry.

Did you know that Reverend Shari only books one wedding a day? Because of this, she can be flexible with last minute changes and delays. She can be a calming force in the swirl.

Best of luck to A and J, and remember: all's well that ends well.

H & M: Reverend Shari marries 'em up good with...Something Old, Something New!

H and M were a delightful couple with roots in NYC and deeper roots in Ireland. I recently married them in a Country Club setting in Douglaston, NY. Whoo boy, those two sure love each other. They each had some firm ideas that I honored in crafting the ceremony...

• Something old: We had a Loving Cup ceremony, where the couple drank mead, poured into an heirloom cup from their own keepsake crystal decanter. At my instruction, they drank to past, present and future love. It was very sweet. (Sweet, get it?) I explained the ancient Northern European tradition of drinking this fermented honey wine for a full month after the wedding--the "honey moon" phase of marriage.
  
• Something new: As the groom's niece and brother performed a Beatles song, the rings were passed from hand to hand (in a small bag, for safekeeping!) and each family member who held them could add a blessing or wish with the warmth of their hands. The song was extremely well done and a touching additon.
  
• Something delicate: We found ways to honor those who were not present by including certain prayers and readings, without destroying the joy of the day.
• Something canine: This was the first wedding for me with a Ring Barker! A very well-behaved pooch carried in the faux-rings, decked out in ribbons. Don't they say never work with children and dogs? Rev Shari is always upstaged by these cuties.

All in all, it was a very personal and very beautiful ceremony. Why have something off-the-shelf when I will work with you to make your wedding a custom fit?

Best of luck to H & M and to NG, furriest ring bearer I've seen so far.