A Minimalist Elopement in Black at Manhattan City Hall
Jocelyn (she/her) and María (she/her) knew almost immediately that their love was meant to last a lifetime. What started as long FaceTime calls and summer adventures quickly grew into a deep connection that led them to engagement just months later. When wedding planning began to feel more about pleasing others than celebrating their bond, they chose a path that felt truer to who they are.
With only a week to prepare, they headed to the New York City Marriage Bureau for an intimate courthouse elopement. Dressed in all black with simple, personal details (a Trader Joe’s bouquet, sunglasses, and heels with a delicate bow) they celebrated their marriage surrounded by just a few loved ones and the energy of the city.
Tell us about your love story.
When María and I met, we connected instantly. It almost felt like we had known each other in another lifetime. What started as text conversations quickly turned into FaceTimes that lasted almost all day. We talked about everything you could imagine, even debating who loved cheese more (she won).
We met at the beginning of summer, so our dates were spent driving to different parks across the state, swimming in lakes, and searching for the best cookies and cream milkshake with just the right amount of cookies. Every day we spent together only confirmed what I already knew, that she was the person I was meant to love. Two months later, we started dating, and shortly after that, we were engaged.
Tell us about the moment you decided to elope. What influenced that decision?
One night, while planning our micro wedding and looking at vendors and DIY projects, we realized the wedding we were planning was to please other people, not ourselves. We are two of the simplest people who would rather spend time alone with our dogs, so why were we planning a big wedding when all we truly needed was each other?
I jokingly said, “Let’s just go to city hall and get eloped!” To my surprise, María said yes. We booked the next available appointment, called out of work, and eloped.
How did you share your decision to elope?
We decided to only tell my mom and our close friend that we were eloping. They were both fully supportive, with my mom reminding us that the only thing that mattered was the love between us.
For the rest of our family and friends, we chose to share the news while we were in line waiting to get married. We called some of them on video chat and had them join us for the process. The reactions were definitely mixed, but at the end of the day, we already had the support of the people who mattered most.
Tell us about finding your elopement outfits.
We had just one week to pull our outfits together, and the only thing we knew for sure was that we wanted to wear black. María found a romper that we had rush-shipped, and I already had a dress she loved on me.
The biggest struggle was finding my shoes. I wanted a touch of delicacy, which for me meant black heels with a bow on the back. On the day of our elopement, I also carried a white flower bouquet that I made with Trader Joe’s flowers. María’s only accessory was her sunglasses, which looked amazing on her.
Walk us through your elopement day. What were some of your favorite moments?
We woke up bright and early, spent time with our dogs, and shared coffee while my mom did our hair. One of my favorite moments was getting ready together. The intimacy of helping one another and exchanging that “let’s get married” look once we were done is something I’ll never forget.
Once we were ready, my mom, our friend, María, and I drove an hour to Manhattan City Hall. Inside, we grabbed our ticket and waited for our number to be called while our photographer captured the anticipation. The ceremony itself was about eight minutes, but they were the most memorable minutes of our lives.
Afterward, we walked around the area, stopping at spots our photographer recommended for portraits. We wrapped up the day with dinner and a long nap.
How did you find your vendors, and what was it like working with them?
We only had one vendor for our elopement, our photographer, Kaycee Cherry Photo, who we also had just one week to find. One of my friends runs an event planning business and often promotes the vendors she works with, including photographers. With our short timeline, most were already booked or unavailable. It came down to crunch time, so one night I clicked through every photographer she followed and narrowed it down to three who matched our vision. After calls with all of them, one stood out and made us feel the most comfortable with the process.
On the day of our elopement, Kaycee met us at City Hall and guided us through poses and moments since we were a bit camera shy. She constantly cheered us on and made sure we felt confident. She turned the experience into something fun and memorable.
What was the process around the legalities of your elopement?
We got our marriage license a couple of days beforehand and brought it back to City Hall on the day of our elopement. My mom was our witness, since we only needed one, and City Hall had two people conducting the ceremonies. In the end, all we needed was a license, a witness, and our love to make it happen.
Do you have advice for other couples considering eloping?
All we can say is do it. There’s nothing better than sharing such an intimate moment with your partner and the people you want there, even if it’s just the two of you. Share your love, be present in the moment, and cherish every second of it.
Photography by Kaycee Cherry Photo
Ceremony New York City Marriage Bureau
Event Planner Beyond Designs Co
