We are from Co. Roscommon, in the middle of Ireland. I (Kathryn) am a secondary school German teacher and Mary works in Health Promotion. We have been together almost 12 years and have a little boy — well, actually he's our four-legged boy — our perfect pooch! We have a wonderful life together, traveling and living life to its fullest. We are so lucky to have each other.

We LOVE NYC and we LOVE Central Park. We got engaged in New York and it just made perfect sense to get married in one of our favourite places in the world.

I wore a beautiful blush-baby pink coat with faux fur over a blush pink dress. It was so cold (we were married on December 26th), and we were expecting the worst, so I had lots of layers on underneath! My shoes were by Irregular Choice, and I have to say, they got A LOT of attention on the day and are still grabbing people's attention when they see our beautiful wedding photos.

Mary wore a contrasting baby blue/pale grey coat and faux fur over a Ralph Lauren short white dress. Mary also had extra layers on to keep the chilly Manhattan air away! We were very lucky as the sun shone on us on our special day — it was still cold but couldn't have been nicer! Comfort was of utmost importance so we made sure what we were wearing was pretty but also easy to get around in.

The most special element was the fact that we got married in Central Park. That's where our wedding journey started after getting engaged there in 2014. NYC holds a very special place in both our hearts, and so it felt absolutely right to have our most special day there.

We splurged on the flights from Ireland! We kept everything else simple — we are not into big fuss — but I did spend a little extra on my fab shoes from Irregular Choice. They were real head-turners!

We didn't have any guests, it was just the two of us. We used the money we would have spent on a larger wedding on having a mini-moon in NYC!

Our celebrant and our photographer were definitely worth the investment! Karla (Once Upon A Vow) and Kate (Kate Alison Photography) were just amazing. As it was just the two of us, and even though we were really excited about our big day, there was a little hint of loneliness as our friends weren't there to be a part of it. However, Karla, Kate, and Olivia were so chilled out, relaxed, and such fun that it made us feel like we had some very special people there to share the event with.

Our advice for other couples is to please just be relaxed and enjoy planning together! Start on time so that you are not panicking and rushing as the day draws closer. Honestly, if we can arrange it from Ireland, then turn up in NYC and have the most fantastic day of our lives without any problems, then anyone can!

Words by Kathryn, one of the brides, as told by Amber Marlow. Photos by Kate Alison.

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography officiant karla and brides holding hands by lake

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography kathryn and mary in coats ceremony

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography brides by lake for ceremony

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography kathryn and mary’s shoes during ceremony

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography exchanging rings

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography couple and officiant under log shelter by river for ceremony

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography couple smiling excitedly ceremony

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography ceremony kiss

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography rock with inlaid plaque reading “Wagner Cove”

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography kathryn and mary walking arm in arm down park path

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography hug on path with barren bushes

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography embrace

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography couple on bridge over lake

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography brides holding hands by lake, bridge in background

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography hug in brick courtyard

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography kathryn and mary walking up steps

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography couple holding hands walking on path

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography embrace on bench

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography embrace on stone path

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography hands with wedding bands

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography brides sitting on low step smiling

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography embrace with fountain in background

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography kiss on low step by fountain

queer irish central park winter elopement kate alison photography kathryn and mary holding ring box with their rings, “I do” written in box lid

VENDORS

Photography | Kate Alison Photography

Officiant | Once Upon A Vow

Kathryn’s Shoes | Irregular Choice

Mary’s Dress | Ralph Lauren

KATE ALISON PHOTOGRAPHY

Kate Alison is a Brooklyn based wedding and elopement photographer who specializes in documenting the passionate and personal moments between creatively colorful couples. She learned about making candid, genuine photo magic when working at Disneyland. She loves working with diverse couples who believe love is love, and in her spare time traveling with her wife and their dog, and hitting up happy hour around NYC.