Even if you love winter, chances are you don’t enjoy frozen toes so if you’re eloping in NYC, Boston, or someplace chilly during the Fall and Winter months, it’s time to prepare accordingly.

Trust us when we say that if you are not properly dressed, not only will you suffer the consequences but your photos will show how miserable you feel. This defeats all the work you put into your NYC winter elopement so get cozy and read on.

Eloping in New York City with fun and modern wedding officiants, Once Upon A Vow, is electric! Anyone who has ever eloped in New York City can tell you that there is an unmatched energy in this city. Whether you’re a born and bred New Yorker, visiting from another state, or an international tourist, getting married in NYC is unlike anything you have ever or will ever experience. PERIOD.

A friend or family member asked you to officiate their wedding ceremony and now you’re doing your due diligence by figuring out next steps to legally pronounce them married! Pat yourselves on the back for being an epic friend.

First things first, in NYC, you’ll need to obtain a one-day marriage officiant license in order to legally officiate a wedding ceremony. You don’t need to live in NYC or New York State, but you do need to be at least 18 years old. If your loved one is getting married in the five boroughs (Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, or Staten Island), you’ll submit the application, either via mail or in-person, to the Manhattan City Clerk’s Office.

As we celebrate our 10-year small business anniversary, we are also celebrating the official launch of our sibling business, Ever After and Always.

While Once Upon A Vow focused solely on joyful, love-filled weddings for a whole decade now, Ever After and Always will celebrate the fullness of this human experience for all life’s milestones and transitions. From bebe blessings aka baby naming ceremonies to end-of-life celebrations and everything in between, we’re honoring the expansiveness of our shared humanity.

Regardless of what’s happening in the stars, we believe that wedding days are powerful days to manifest whatever your hearts desire. We believe that wedding days are filled with intention. After all, you planned all the details! That love-filled intentionality creates an energetic opportunity to manifest your wildest dreams and deepest desires. 

While the Boston Public Library is known for their luxury weddings and gala events, they created an accessible microwedding experience that’s perfect for these financially turbulent times. Their 1-hour ceremony experience was a hit ever since they launched during the summer of 2022 and it’s only growing in popularity!

Instead of getting married at City Hall, many Bostonians are choosing this affordable yet iconic option. For $200, you, your partner, your officiant, photographer, and 12 guests have access to the Guastavino Room.

Are NYC parks the new IT place to tie the knot?! We definitely think so. NYC parks have been THE outdoor wedding ceremony destination all year long for as long as we’ve officiated ceremonies and it’s only grown in popularity since COVID! But how do you do it? Can you just show up and get married or do you need a park permit?

Well, that all depends on where you’re getting married, what time of year, and how many people will be attending. For example, Central Park is the most popular NYC park to get married in especially during spring and fall seasons so if you want to get married in one of their iconic locations like Ladies Pavilion or Cop Cot, you’ll definitely need a park permit regardless of how many people will be joining you.

Carroll Hall is a one-of-a-kind wedding venue in our beloved Brooklyn, offering a rare blend of nature and sustainable design that will blow your mind at every turn. From their colorful mosaic murals to their secret garden treehouse, you’ll wonder if you’re even in Brooklyn anymore. A microwedding at Carroll Hall offers couples the perfect blend of intimacy and style without compromising on the full experience of a beautifully curated wedding.

Renewing your vows is not only a sign of recommitment but a moment to reflect on your lives with a bit of pride and a whole lotta love. Whether you plan a vow renewal alongside your community or choose an intimate adventure, just the two of you, your vow renewal will be this magical moment set in the middle of your busy lives that you’ll treasure.

At Once Upon a Vow, we believe that love is for everyone, regardless of income, background, or identity. We understand that wedding ceremonies are a deeply personal and meaningful experience but for many, the cost can be a barrier.

As part of our mission to make love and commitment accessible to all, we are proud to offer Sliding Scale Wedding Officiant Services for couples who identify as part of marginalized communities.

Now that you’re thinking of your wedding ceremony, it’s time to choose the right wedding officiant for your wedding day! This will be one of the most important decisions you’ll make while planning your wedding. Your officiant sets the tone for the ceremony and the rest of the day, playing a crucial role in making your day a beautifully memorable one. Whether you’re planning a large celebration or an intimate elopement, your officiant’s personality, style, and approach to your ceremony will impact your entire wedding experience.

The wedding world is full of moving wedding ceremony readings to include in your own wedding ceremony. You’ve likely searched for something that fits your personalities and come across a lot of classics. Since you found your way here, we wanted to shine a light on some of our favorite pop culture monologues that would make incredible wedding ceremony readings.

We, at Once Upon A Vow, are pleased to announce that we have been selected as a 2025 ­­winner of The Knot Best of Weddings and Wedding Wire Couple’s Choice Awards. This marks the ninth consecutive year that Once Upon A Vow has been named as The Knot Best of Weddings and Wedding Wire Couple’s Choice award winner. YAY!!! This accolade represents the top local NYC and Boston wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples on The Knot and Wedding Wire, all-in-one wedding planning resource websites offering a comprehensive suite of digital tools to help couples throughout their planning journey. 

At Once Upon A Vow, we’re all about CHOICE. We fundamentally believe that we all possess free will and we value our ability to make our own decisions. We heavily credit our American identity for this; of course, as you can imagine, the rolling back of our rights in the U.S. as well as the political ick and general mid vibes over the past 10 years has had us feeling all kinds of conflicted and demoralized.

Amelia and Brax were visiting their favorite city of all time, New York City, all the way from their hometowns in Utah during their favorite time of the year, Christmas. They wanted to experience the holiday magic of this city and made the spontaneous decision to get married while they were in town!

Given the whirlwind decision to say “I DO,” they chose our no-frills, strictly legal Delivered Love ceremony experience. This is truly a marriage license signing with a sweet and simple non-personalized civil ceremony that includes vows and a ring exchange. It was exactly what they were hoping for!

Like many of you, we are concerned (to say the least) about the chaos that will undoubtedly ensue when Trump takes office. AGAIN! We are especially concerned for our undocumented immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities. We, at Once Upon a Vow, stand with every single one of you who are trying to figure out how to best brace for this impending future.

Because of the outright threat to marginalized communities, especially immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities, we are sharing a few recommendations to help guide you. Fair warning, it’s a lot of paperwork.

If you’re worried about what the next administration has in store for you and your partner, it may be time to legally get married. To support immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities, we are offering free marriage license signings and a 20% discount for elopement ceremonies in Boston, New York City, and New Jersey.

If you don’t want your wedding ceremony to be this boring, uncomfortable, stiff experience that you have to get through, you’ll prioritize your wedding ceremony. If you do want a wedding ceremony that feels genuine to you, you’ll find a wedding officiant that tells your story with the warmth of a good friend. If you want a wedding ceremony that makes you feel comfortable even if the thought of being the center of attention makes you uncomfortable, you’ll choose a wedding officiant who gets you.

Elena and Katie was the last couple of ours who had to postpone due to COVID. They were supposed to get married in December 2022 but when they got sick right before their original wedding date, they made the difficult decision to reschedule. While they planned on inviting a few guests, they decided that they’d rather elope - just them, their officiant, and photographer.

They chose our fully-personalized Candid Love elopement experience that included a personalized wedding ceremony and 2-hours of documentary-style photography. They wanted to feel connected to one another, present in this long-awaited moment, reminisce on their journey, and manifest a brilliant future.