{"id":204582,"date":"2026-04-21T11:14:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T11:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/204582\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T11:14:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T11:14:11","slug":"how-to-plan-a-city-hall-wedding-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/204582\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Plan a City Hall Wedding in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n Illustration: Lauren Tamaki\n <\/p>\n

One of the great joys of living in the city is that for $60, and with a witness on hand, you can say \u201cI do\u201d alongside fellow New Yorkers of all stripes at the City Clerk\u2019s office (which is where the nuptials actually happen \u2014 no one can get married in City Hall proper). Editor Jeremy Rellosa spoke to couples about the easiest times to get an appointment, the best places for taking pictures, and where to make a Champagne toast afterward.<\/p>\n

You can get one online via Project Cupid (nyc.gov\/cupid), the city\u2019s booking portal, or you can set up a time to obtain it in person ($35 plus a $25 administrative fee). You must have the license in your possession for 24 hours before a ceremony can be conducted, and it\u2019s valid for 60 days (180 for active-duty military).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Appointments open up online three weeks in advance on Mondays at 9 a.m. If you want a Friday ceremony, you\u2019ll have to snag a spot right away, as did HR director Julia Ma, who married her husband, account executive Max Ma, last spring. \u201cWhen I checked a few hours later, all the other time spots for Friday morning were already booked,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Publicist Kaitlin Phillips made an appointment and got married in under a week in 2023. \u201cWe decided on a Friday, I got a license appointment for that Monday, and we got married that Wednesday, on the anniversary of our first date,\u201d Phillips says.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Your witness can be anyone, so long as they\u2019re 18 or older. There are photographers who specialize in City Hall weddings, like Meredith Morris (meredithmorrisphoto.com<\/a>), who shot attorney Bailey Zugan\u2019s wedding this past winter and told her and her now-husband, assistant DA Cole McKee, what to expect on the day of the appointment \u201cdown to the hour.\u201d If you prefer film, Ma recommends Leila Jacue and David Leon of L&L Style Photo (llstylephoto.com<\/a>) for a laid-back, candid digital-film shoot. Marketer Noa Gutterman, who married sales manager Lauren Lewis in 2023, says Lucie Bulois of Lucie B. Photo (luciebphoto.com<\/a>) was great for the \u201cfilm-inspired street photography\u201d style she sought.<\/p>\n

When you exit the building after the ceremony, you\u2019ll often find a freelance photographer or two taking portraits in front of the tall, patinated copper doors.<\/p>\n

On rare occasions, you might get a surprise one, as did writer Molly McGhee, who says she and her spouse, audio engineer Matt Cruz, were approached by Mayor Mamdani\u2019s office as they were filling out paperwork. \u201cThey asked us if we would be open to being married by Zohran, and we said \u2018yes.\u2019\u201d For most marriages, the officiants are City Clerk staff.<\/p>\n

There are long couches in the main hall and a smaller one in the vestibule where you wait for your ceremony.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

McGhee, who was looking to book a lunch for her 12-person party at noon, highly recommends Nonna Dora\u2019s<\/a> (200 Church St.), while artist Haley Darya Parsa, who married her high-school sweetheart, musician Jonah Smith, in 2023, suggests Walker\u2019s<\/a> (16 N. Moore St.) for a more casual vibe. Or just go to The Odeon<\/a> (145 W. Broadway), an always classic for dinner, or Chambers<\/a> (94 Chambers St.), one of New York chief restaurant critic Matthew Schneier\u2019s top-43 restaurants <\/a>in the city, which has a Champagne list fit for the festivities.<\/p>\n

Illustrations by Lauren Tamaki<\/p>\n

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