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The Wednesday Blog

Perfect Backdrops for your NYC City Hall Wedding

Having a city hall wedding does not mean you cannot have fantastic photos with beautiful backdrops. If you’re getting married in Manhattan City Hall, you might be surprised by the range of places nearby where you can get amazing backgrounds. Read on for some great places for your NYC City Hall wedding photos.

Black and white image of the newlyweds descending from NYC City Hall. Editorial elopement image by Jenny Fu Studio
Editorial image of the happy couple with a photo of city hall in the background. NYC City Hall wedding photos image by Jenny Fu Studio

City Hall

In case you didn’t know, the actual city hall wedding ceremony doesn’t take place inside city hall. Instead, it happens in The Office of the City Clerk – NYC Marriage Bureau at 141 Worth Street. For wedding photos, you can go to city hall, which has an exterior facade reflecting French Renaissance architecture, with huge columns and a long flight of steps. It’s about a ten-minute walk from the Marriage Bureau. Most couples take their NYC City Hall wedding photos here, as this classic architecture is timeless.

Soho and the Lower East Side

If you’re a couple who’s more on the creative side, why not explore the streets of New York? NYC has many talented artists, as you can see in their street art. You can head over to Soho or the Lower East Side, which are only about a five to six minutes walk, for amazing graffiti that will surely make for epic wedding backdrops!

The couple is going up the stairs from a subway station. NYC City Hall wedding photos image by Jenny Fu Studio
Black and white photo of the couple walking from a subway station. NYC City Hall wedding photos image by Jenny Fu Studio

Subway Station

Another iconic New York wedding backdrop is the subway! Walk to nearby subway stations, such as Centre St/Chambers St, Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall, Broadway/Worth St, or Broadway/Thomas St. You can also try shooting inside the train. How romantic that would be!

Tribeca

Tribeca has old industrial buildings, cobblestone streets, red-brick commercial buildings, trendy boutiques, and restaurants. About ten minutes from the City Clerk’s Office on foot, Tribeca is a favorite place for wedding photographers to take their couples for some classic NYC City Hall wedding photos.

Editorial image of the newlyweds walking in Chinatown. NYC City Hall wedding photos image by Jenny Fu Studio
Editorial image of the newlyweds in front of a graffiti in New York. Image by Jenny Fu Studio

Chinatown

Just a five-minute walk is Manhattan’s Chinatown. This place does not only give you great backdrops but also good food! Tourists and locals flock to Chinatown for yummy dim sum, hand-pulled noodles, dumplings, buns, bubble teas, and much more. And it’s also a cool place to shop and discover hidden gems in the city.

The couple is sitting outside Amano Cafe in New York. NYC City Hall wedding photos image by Jenny Fu Studio
Editorial photo of the newlyweds walking in West Village. NYC City Hall wedding photos image by Jenny Fu Studio

West Village

If you want to go a little farther for more iconic New York backdrops, hop on a taxi cab and go to West Village, which is about a 15-minute ride. Once you’re there, you’ll feel just like you’re in a New York movie! Imagine ivy-covered buildings and houses coated in brownstones. So why don’t you sit on a stoop and pose your heart away? This gorgeous neighborhood is the perfect place for your NYC City Hall wedding photos.

Black and white image of the couple kissing at Brooklyn Bridge Park. NYC City Hall wedding photos image by Jenny Fu Studio
The newlyweds are standing in Brooklyn Bridge Park with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. Image by Jenny Fu Studio

Brooklyn Bridge Park

This park is famous for city hall wedding couples. Get perfect NYC City Hall wedding photos with the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, downtown skyscrapers, and the best view of the Manhattan skyline in the background. You can get many NY backdrops only a 10-minute cab ride from the Marriage Bureau. Brooklyn Bridge Park is also next to DUMBO, where you can get more street art, cobblestone streets, trendy cafés, and high-end restaurants as backdrops.