Rainy NYC Weddings are perfect! What does a homeless man sleeping on a bench in Central Park, an NYPD police escort and rainy NYC weddings have in common? Oh, just setting the stage for Nicky and Craig’s Summer ceremony. The morning started slightly uncertain because the sideways rain kept forcing us to push the start time later and later however at one point you have to just go for it –11:30am and we’ll all meet at the Ladies Pavilion in Central Park for the ceremony. It’s settled ‘rain or shine’.
As I came out of the subway, I text Sascha inquiring his whereabouts and his reply, ‘At the Ladies Pavilion. With the homeless guy sleeping in here’. It’s New York City and that part didn’t shock me however it was perplexing to walk up and find him fully wrapped in plastic from head to toe and his bike padlocked to the bench. The thought did cross my mind a few times that maybe he wasn’t breathing when we announced very loudly that a wedding was about to take place and he didn’t budge.
A few minutes later, Craig, our groom, tall, handsome fellow fully decked out in his military uniform with the Royal Guard walked up and asked about the ‘situation’ on the bench. Luckily, about 10 minutes later our sleeping beauty on the bench rode off on his 10-speed bicycle to make room for the ceremony.
However, Nicky our bride was still missing. The groom assured us she was on her way in a cab and she’d be here any minute since they selected a hotel close to the wedding site so they would not get lost. However a local tip, never ask a NYC cabbie to get you anywhere in Central Park. For some reason the park is like a black hole for the cab drivers.
After getting dropped off on the other side of the park, Nicky took matters into her own hands and flagged down a police car to escort her to the her wedding. Equipment and plastic handcuffs all over the backseat weren’t going to stop her from her wedding.
We started the ceremony at noon but look, this couple has something special. Distance and time has kept them apart due to Craig’s long deployments with the Royal Army but they continue to smile knowing they have each other. The pouring rain could have ruined the day, the sleeping fellow in the Pavillion could have been the deal breaker or even the lost cab and the police escort. In fact, any one of these things could put a bride over the edge but when Nicky finally arrived still smiling and beautiful as ever, I too fell in love with this gem of a couple.
You can see how special they are and the light and love they share in all the pictures even in the cloudy, rainy weather. It was perfect.
Elopement Team: Jackie & Sascha | The New York Elopement Team
Photography: Sascha Reinking Photography
Officiant: Jackie Rienking New York Elopement Officiant
