Welcome to caketalk. Your blog for all things love, weddings, and New York
Where to Elope on LA's East Side: Arts District, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and the LA River
How to elope on LA's east side, the Arts District, Silver Lake, Echo Park, DTLA, and the LA River in Frogtown. The neighborhoods, the light, and the spots that photograph like a film set.
Where to Elope in Hollywood and the LA Hills: Views, the Sign, and Golden Hour
How to elope in Hollywood, Griffith Park, Mulholland, and Lake Hollywood for the cinematic LA wedding, including the cleanest Hollywood Sign sightline and what's actually allowed at Griffith Observatory.
Where to Elope on the Malibu Coast: PCH Beaches, Bluffs, and the Inland Alternative
How to elope on the Malibu coast and the PCH, including the truth about El Matador and Point Dume permits, where you can actually hold a ceremony, and where to shoot the photos. A practical 2026 guide.
Getting Married at Manhattan City Hall: A Step-by-Step Guide (and Why Some Couples Choose Cakewalk Instead)
Manhattan City Hall is one of the most popular places to get married in New York City, but the process can feel confusing—especially for international couples. From applying for your marriage license through Project Cupid, to scheduling your ceremony, to understanding how apostilles work for foreign recognition, this guide covers it all. We’ll walk you step by step through what documents to bring, what fees to expect, and how the ceremony itself unfolds. And if you’re considering alternatives, we’ll also show how a Cakewalk wedding compares: more guests, more customization, and iconic NYC backdrops. Whether you’re a local couple or traveling from abroad, here’s everything you need to know about getting married at Manhattan City Hall.
Where to Elope in Venice, CA: Canals, Boardwalk, and Beach Ceremonies
A real guide to eloping in Venice, California. The canals (no permit needed), the beach, the boardwalk, and the quieter Marina alternative, plus how to plan a small ceremony without the stress.
How Much Does It Cost to Elope in Los Angeles? The Real 2026 Breakdown
The average American wedding costs around $35,000. Eloping in LA costs a fraction of that. Here's the honest 2026 breakdown: marriage license, officiant, photographer, permits, and what you'll actually pay to elope in Los Angeles.
Where to Elope in Los Angeles: The 4 Best Areas and What Each One Is Actually Like
A real guide to where to elope in Los Angeles, broken down by the four areas that actually work: Venice, Hollywood, the Pacific Coast, and the East Side. What each one feels like, what it costs, and how to plan it.
How Much Does It Cost to Elope in NYC? The Real 2026 Breakdown
The average wedding in America costs $35,000. The average Cakewalk elopement is $5,200. Here's exactly what it costs to elope in NYC in 2026, with a full price breakdown including base price, license fee, permits, add-ons, and what you'll actually pay.
Cakewalk in the News
Cakewalk Weddings has been featured in The New York Post, Gothamist, USA Today, and Martha Stewart Weddings for its modern approach to elopements and small New York City ceremonies. From budget-conscious alternatives to commentary on family dynamics and wedding trends, Cakewalk founder Lia Seremetis contributes to national conversations about how couples are redefining what a wedding can look like.
Rain Plan Wedding Locations in NYC (That Don’t Require a Permit)
Rain happens — but your wedding can still be amazing. This guide covers NYC’s best backup wedding locations for rain, all of which are covered, beautiful, and don’t require a permit. Cakewalk-tested, couple-approved.
What Day-Of Coordination Looks Like at Cakewalk: White-Glove Support for Small NYC Weddings
Cakewalk’s version of Day-Of Coordination is white-glove support designed specifically for elopements and tiny NYC weddings. Your officiant — who also creates and leads your ceremony — manages logistics, timing, permits, guests, rings, travel updates, and the marriage license process so your day feels effortless and elegant. It’s a modern alternative to traditional wedding coordination and perfect for couples seeking a City Hall–style experience with more beauty, personalization, and hands-on care.
Brooklyn Bridge Elopement: The Ultimate NYC Wedding Moment
Sjaan and Megan traveled from Australia to New York for a sunrise elopement on the Brooklyn Bridge — a quiet, cinematic moment above the city. See how Cakewalk planned their effortless ceremony with an NYC officiant, editorial-style photos, and the skyline as their backdrop.
What It’s Like to Get Married at Housing Works Bookstore
Tucked inside one of New York City’s most beloved bookstores, a Housing Works wedding feels intimate, cinematic, and quietly iconic. Couples exchange vows surrounded by shelves of the greatest love stories ever written, just before the doors open and the city starts to hum. It’s a ceremony that feels deeply personal, visually stunning, and unmistakably New York, followed by wandering the neighborhood for effortless, editorial-style portraits on brick-lined streets and subway platforms nearby.
Hi! I’m Lia. This is How Cakewalk Came to Be
Cakewalk was created from the belief that weddings don’t need to be louder, bigger, or more complicated to be meaningful. Often, the opposite is true.
Why Cakewalk Doesn't Manage Receptions (and What We Do Help With Instead)
Cakewalk weddings focus on delivering a seamless, beautifully coordinated one-hour ceremony. While we don’t book receptions or manage post-ceremony logistics, we happily share restaurant recommendations, help with timing, arrange transport, and extend photography if you want the next part of your day captured. Here’s how receptions fit into the Cakewalk experience.
Can We Bring Our Own Officiant? A Guide to How Cakewalk Works With Outside Officiants in NYC
Wondering if you can have a friend or family member officiate your NYC wedding? Cakewalk welcomes outside officiants, but we also provide our own officiant on-site to manage coordination, logistics, permits, and paperwork. Here’s how the roles work together — and how the one-day officiant license fits into the process.
Public vs. Private Spaces: How Cakewalk Approaches Ceremony Locations in NYC
A quick guide to how Cakewalk approaches public and private ceremony spaces in NYC. Learn why small weddings shine in iconic public locations, and how private spaces work when couples prefer them.
Everything That’s Included in a Cakewalk Wedding
A complete guide to what’s included in a Cakewalk wedding. Discover how we plan NYC elopements with curated locations, expert officiants, seamless coordination, photography, marriage license support, and meaningful add-ons.
Inside Cakewalk’s Planning Style: High-Touch Support Without the Stress
Cakewalk blends high-touch guidance with a streamlined, stress-free workflow to plan intimate NYC weddings. Learn how our curated process, intentional communication, and expert location and ceremony design keep you involved without ever overwhelming you.
Intimate + Intentional: Cakewalk’s Philosophy on NYC Elopement Guest Count
Guest count shapes everything about your NYC elopement — the location, the mood, the level of privacy, and the rhythm of your photos. Here’s how Cakewalk helps couples choose the right size group and why intimate weddings thrive in New York City.