A small wedding. A big love story.
So, you want to elope in NYC. Not just any elopement—a day that feels completely you, but also zero stress and not a full-time planning job. The good news? You don’t have to choose between custom and easy. You can have both.
Here’s how to make a small wedding feel personal, intentional, and hands-on—without getting stuck in a Pinterest spiral or emailing 47 vendors.
1. Ditch the Wedding Playbook
Custom doesn’t mean complicated—it just means choosing things that actually matter to you.
Hate long ceremonies? Keep it short.
Love vintage vibes? Elope in an antique shop.
Obsessed with a certain cocktail? Let’s build your elopement around that bar.
When there’s no pressure to “do what’s expected”, you can actually have fun with it.
2. Choose a Location That Feels Like You
Elopements = freedom. You don’t have to book a venue 18 months out or pick from a venue’s package options.
Instead, think about:
✅ Places that mean something to you (Where did you have your first NYC date?)
✅ Spots with the best light for photos (Golden hour on a rooftop, anyone?)
✅ Unexpected locations that aren’t on every wedding blog (We have ideas… trust us.)
3. Get a Little Hands-On (And Let Someone Else Handle the Rest)
Want to handwrite your vows? Amazing. Want to pick a perfect song for your ceremony? Love it. Want to map out a cool post-ceremony plan (museum date, bar-hopping, ramen at midnight)? Hell yes.
But here’s what you don’t need to stress over:
🚫 Permits, licenses, and city logistics
🚫 Booking photographers and officiants (we already know the best ones)
🚫 Coordinating timing, pacing, and all the little moving parts
This is where Cakewalk comes in—we handle the behind-the-scenes so you can focus on the moments that matter.
4. Keep It Easy, Keep It Beautiful
The best NYC elopements are:
💡 Simple (but never boring)
💡 Intentional (without overthinking)
💡 Authentic (and not about impressing anyone but you two)
A small wedding doesn’t mean less special—it means more of what matters, less of what doesn’t.
5. Work with People Who Actually Get Small Weddings
Big wedding vendors often treat elopements like an afterthought. Cakewalk doesn’t. We specialize in intimate, deeply personal, stress-free NYC elopements—so you don’t have to explain to us why you don’t need a seating chart.