About 2000 Lovingly Officiated Weddings by Judie L. Guild. NY Registration #77862. JudieGuild@outlook.com.
Elope, Justice of the Peace Style
Guerrilla wedding on the steps of a church
Eight hundred years ago, couples did not marry inside the church. They exchanged brief vows in the present tense at the church doors. Then they ventured inside for mass–the sermon, communion, and blessing. This lovely couple, who planned a quick weekend elopement or destination wedding from afar, did nearly the same thing. In a civil […]
MoreElegant Solemnity & Serene Smiles for this Eloping Couple
I have lots of fun with destination weddings, and I marry a lots of couples from elsewhere. But have I written lately about how much I love and appreciate my couples who live, work, and play in New York? S+S will always have a special place in the drawers of my memory files because it […]
MoreYears of walking the dogs later, couple finally elopes!
It is a common story for an officiant to learn her couple has been together for a year or two or three. It is equally common to hear a line similar to this one: “we’ve been together for many years, and we finally decided to get married.” I’ve even married a few couples who had […]
MoreA private ceremony in a public park
Before officiating this NYC wedding by the Angel of Waters’ Fountain, I noticed about four couples in their wedding finest and another four couples enjoying their “e-sessions” or engagement photo session. Since this couple was a bit wary of marrying among the crowds, we moved to a quieter spot in the shadow that nonetheless affords […]
MoreHernshead Ceremony (Central Park wedding minister)
I am delighted to present another ceremony on a rock in Central Park… This view is more familiar to my couples: J + M are standing on the huge rock by the Ladies Pavilion overlooking the Lake. Pretty.
MoreOctober Spotlight: High school sweethearts get married in NYC
Who does not like the movie Juno? Only the most cynical. Not this couple. They realized the true meaning of “to elope” –to “run away”– when they married. They returned home to announce their marriage to family and friends at an “engagement party.” From the Bride and Groom: Just wanted to say one more big […]
MoreCouple weds in North Forest Park
I married another local couple in my neighborhood recently. When couples come to me, it really is a sign that they want something a bit sweeter than the NYC Clerk’s office and nonetheless relaxed and low-key. After all, the ceremony is a gateway to official recognition of a marriage. It is a joyful and serious […]
MoreA happy ending in Grand Central
Linda and Hunter met twenty years ago in college. Together for three very intense months, youthful self-involvement and worries about marrying at such tender ages compelled each to pursue separate dreams. Both ventured onwards to enjoy mostly fabulous lives. Hunter helped raise a son, and Linda’s career paths took her to fashion, Prague, and magazine […]
MoreWorldly, international couple getting married in Tryon Park
Hi Judie I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you so very much for a lovely day. It really was perfect – we remember the ceremony as being beautiful but also we were grinning from ear to ear the whole time, which is just what we wanted – a simple, meaningful […]
MoreClouds brighten the scenery for a Wagner’s Cove ceremony
My couples have a hard time understanding why blue, sunny skies are not ideal. When it comes to weddings, if mother nature bequeaths clouds, rejoice!
MoreFrom a whimsical encounter to a wedding in the Ladies Pavilion
Quinn and Nora met in a whimsical way a few years ago in Terminal 4 at JFK airport. Nora’s beauty captured Quinn’s gaze immediately: with his heart racing, he walked over to her at a Hudson News’ store. He felt as if he had known her all his life. These words by Rumi express their […]
MoreDuring a heat wave, into the woods for the ceremony do we go
I am so glad to have met this fantastic couple who planned their NYC wedding from abroad in the U.K. Smart, relaxed, and –I know this seems commonplace, but it’s true– downright pleasant, this pair made a beautiful couple. As an added bonus, they married in the lovely Shakespeare Garden before heading to the Ramble […]
MoreA quickie in the park
A family emergency challenged J+A’s plans to wed in the Roosevelt Hotel, where I was initially going to marry them. But, in the end, the place does not matter. I don’t know any couple that ponders where they are standing (or sitting) while reciting vows to their betrothed. They came to me –North Forest Park […]
MoreSealed with a kiss after thirty years
M+T committed to one another officially thirty years after they first met abroad. When M came home from her travels, she told folks that she met “the one.” Then life interfered. The internet fostered their reunion. They planned a celebration in late May, yet life again accosted them. Fortunately, finally, nothing assailed their plans on […]
MoreA Very Joyful, Fun Elopement in NYC
I normally find it hard to choose photos to feature. I try to balance images that I like with images I think other couples might enjoy. And I do add in a few clearly showcasing the site to give future couples ideas. But this slide-show was really difficult to put together: laughter abounds.
MoreMarriage Officiant for New York Elopements
This note is to clarify my services for elopements and intimate weddings. I’ve done my best to tailor my wedding minister services to hold true to the spirit of elopements. Indeed, of the 240-300 weddings over which I officiate each year, at least a third are genuine civil ceremonies for elopements. When contrasted to other […]
MoreThe Perfect NYC Elopement: Justice of the Peace style ceremony in Fort Tryon Park
I LOVE Fort Tryon Park. I love lots of places for particular kinds of weddings and elopements. But when I officiate at Tryon, I feel at home. When eloping couples request site recommendations that do not require a permit, Tryon is always on the short list of favorites. In the past, I’ve also commented about […]
MoreMarriage Ceremony at Grand Central (Bonus: wedding photos in Tudor City Gardens)
J+J are wise. They wanted a true elopement: in fact, when the bride saw someone she knew in Grand Central, she darted back up the stairs until the groom conveyed to their friend with a little white lie and the friend left. (Yes, “for real.”) Grand Central was a natural choice: they danced for the […]
MoreSophisticated Urban Elopement: City Hall Park to Brooklyn Bridge
Why is the Brooklyn Bridge mostly devoid of crowds? It is not because the couple had a permit or due to rain or photoshop. D+D wisely decided to marry on a Thursday afternoon! I’d only recommend getting married on the Brooklyn Bridge on a weekday and only for true elopements. (Also, women who wear high […]
MoreInformal Destination Wedding in the Conservatory Gardens
Images below were taken in the lovely “Secret Garden,” which is the English styled garden in gorgeous Conservatory Gardens. Remember that a permit is mandatory here! Convocation:A+S, you kindly invited us within your protective “bubble” to memorialize the past four years and celebrate the possibilities of your future together. This ceremony will not create your […]
MoreA Baptist and an Atheist Wed
Hi Judie- A BIG thank you to you and Liam for making our day fantastic! We appreciated your friendly professionalism and your ability to roll with the punches due to the weather-related changes. We were a bit frazzled upon our rushed entrance, not being able to hail a cab in our garb and having to […]
MoreCentral Park to New York Public Library (Elopement)
” I would like to thank you from the bottom of mine and Jake’s heart for the amazing day you helped achieve on May 8th 2011. Our “special day” couldn’t have gone more perfect, and please let Liam know the photos are AMAZING! We absolutley adore them and are very happy. Your prelude and reading […]
MoreEloping at NYC Museums (winter wedding ideas)
The temperature is now dipping below thirty degrees here in NYC. In January, many days are likely to be in the teens, especially with the windshield factor. February too is typically very cold. I’ve put a bit of a moratorium of booking any weddings outside between January 2nd through February/early March. In some cases, I […]
MoreGetting married at Rockefeller Center Tree
If you are self-described fun and adventurous couple (like Annette and Jim, featured below) who always dreamed of having a small wedding at the Rockefeller Tree, then please remember that the area becomes very, very congested on weekends and in the evenings. Consider having your guerrilla style wedding on the Rockefeller Plaza in the morning, […]
MoreWedding Officiant Toolbox: Wedding Toasts
Dr. Karl Menninger: Love cures people, both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it. Shakespeare: A heaven on earth I have won by wooing thee. John Milton: Our state cannot be severed; we are one,…One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself. Hawaiian: May you never thirst again. Armenian: May […]
MoreLocal Couple Elopes
That couples from elsewhere plan a small wedding or elopement when traveling to NYC makes perfect sense: coordinating schedules and finances for guests will prove difficult. When local couples express interest in my services as their officiant for elopements (fewer than a dozen or so guests) I am especially elated: they could plan a larger […]
MoreEloping at the Cop Cot (+Gapstow Bridge)
I feel as though each niche in Central Park belongs with a certain season. Rustic shelters, such as Wagner’s Cove and the Cop Cot, are definitely more popular in the Fall. (The Gapstow Bridge, which is very nearby, looks the most beautiful in the winter after snow.)
MoreInformal NYC Elopement + Morning Light Photography
When S + D married, it was barely eight o’clock on a lovely Monday morning in October. In an interesting twist, these Las Vegas natives celebrated with all their family and friends in a larger wedding in Vegas before their NYC elopement. The park was so exceptionally quiet that they were able to get married […]
MoreCarl Schurz Park Wedding
Kim and Dustin were the third couple I married on XXX. Since their elopement plans unfolded with a few weeks to spare, they asked for wedding ceremony location ideas in Manhattan. Liam and I were delighted that they took our advice and picked a site other than Central Park, which was particularly overflowing with brides, […]
MoreWagner’s Cove Elopement
Check out these super cool images of a mid-afternoon elopement at Wagner’s Cove with glorious sun rays! And, no, folks, we neither planned for these nor would we ever guarantee them in the future… Nature is unpredictable.
MoreGetting Married Justice of the Peace Style at Turtle Pond
Philadelphia residents Nina and Richie contacted me with less than a week to spare before their elopement. They still managed to select their vows and pick a fantastic poem, which was a wonderful way to personalize their ceremony with such a limited time frame. You can read more about their elopement by visiting A Practical […]
MoreYes, I do perform religious wedding ceremonies upon request…
It is true that the “traditional vows” for both civil and (Christian) religious ceremonies are identical. Some denominations use variations, but the essence remains. The vast majority of my couples opt for a civil, humanist, or generally spiritual ceremony. Justice of the Peace style civil ceremonies are non-religious and contain generally straightforward language defining marriage. […]
MoreNotes on Destination Weddings in New York
Eloping in another city, especially one with only a twenty-four hour waiting period and no need to produce the birth certificate (a passport or US driver’s license is sufficient), is fairly easy! Unless your plane experiences a delay. With the winter weather soon emerging, please be sure to allow for two possible business days to […]
MoreWedding at the Brooklyn Bridge Park
Taken only about a week after the new Brooklyn Bridge Park opened by the dock area where the Bargemusic and Ice Cream Factory reside, this photos of a couple I married in the Spring. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of marrying another couple in the vicinity during the day — fortunately before the heavy winds […]
MoreRoosevelt Hotel Wedding
I met Ann and Joe of Nova Scotia for the first time on their wedding day. Having spoken to Ann on the phone, I knew we would get along easily. Together for years, they decided to exchange wedding vows and secure the public record (the marriage license) to make their union “official.” Given the prospect […]
MoreKaren & Steve’s Central Park Wedding Ceremony
Weddings are not just for the young. Too often officiants and photographers feature youthful brides and grooms (or brides and brides // grooms and grooms). But we can learn much from more mature relationships. Karen and Steve of Ottawa met at the gym. A few short years later, they decided to plan a destination wedding […]
MoreSnug Harbor Cultural Center (Staten Island) Wedding…
Lisaann and Wellinton married in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, which some refer to as the Staten Island Botanical Gardens. For those who prefer an indoor site, Snug Harbor also offers lovely indoor sites, including a concert hall. Having received their marriage license in the Clerk’s Office, they realized that marrying in the office was […]
More
Wedding Officiant in NYC and the Hudson Valley 