Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 20
A classic story book adventure can create a fun theme for a unique wedding ceremony. Alice in Wonderland a fixture of Central Park’s landscape since 1959. A truly iconic location this beautiful bronze sculpture and the surrounding platform and structures forms a beautiful backdrop for a memory of a lifetime.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 20 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 25
The fairytale setting of Belvedere Castle makes it one of the most loved ceremony locations in all of Central Park. Situated atop Vista Rock, the second-highest natural point in the park, the castle offers vast views of both the park and the surrounding city.
Belvedere Castle offers three different locations ideal for your wedding ceremony, each with its own romantic charm. The main terrace offers wide-open views, making it the perfect backdrop for your event. If you’d prefer something more enclosed, the covered pagoda on the terrace gives you the best of both worlds, offering a small chapel-like feel with spectacular views. You can also have your ceremony on the grand staircase, which offers a tiered ceremony layout. The versatility of the castle’s ceremony locations makes it one of our favorites. It is ideal for changes in guest count and weather situations.
While the castle is smaller, its forced perspective makes it appear grand in stature, just like the castles in Disney parks. Choosing Belvedere Castle will give you the classic romantic Cinderella experience you’ve always wanted. It is also one of the most intimate settings in Central Park.
Situated towards the center of the park, Belvedere Castle is easily accessible through the West Side 81st Street entrance. All celebrants and guests will have a short one- to two-block walk into the park to reach the castle.
Belvedere Castle is handicap accessible. Because the castle is located at one of the highest points in the park, most of the walk is uphill. Also, the wheelchair-accessible path is a bit more lengthy. Seating availability at the castle varies on the ceremony setting you choose. The terrace offers some benches, the covered pagoda offers bench seating around the perimeter, and the grand staircase offers seating on the stairs. Guests can find restrooms located nearby in Delacorte Theater.
Even in the case of inclement weather, Belvedere Castle can accommodate your ceremony, all while maintaining the romance and intimacy of your fairytale wedding.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 25 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 25
Located in the heart of the park, the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is perhaps the most iconic location in Central Park. With lakeside views, rolling greenery, and beautiful architecture, Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is the largest ceremony location in the park and offers several ceremony locations. From lakeside to adjacent to the iconic fountain to the covered lower terrace, Bethesda Terrace and Fountain offers a highly memorable experience for your wedding ceremony.
Lakeside ceremonies take place on the north side of the fountain and offer a sense of wonderment to celebrants and their guests. Featuring the 20-acre lake that sits in the center of the park, dotted with row boats steered by park visitors, lakeside weddings have a painting-like feel.
The Angel of the Waters bronze fountain is the central focus point of Bethesda Terrace. The 26-foot-high neoclassical fountain faces the arcade making it enjoyable for ceremonies in front of the fountain and covered terrace ceremonies. In the summer, the pool surrounding the statue is filled with aquatic plants, adding an extra bit of greenery to your ceremony backdrop. The two grand staircases flank the arcade and can easily be used as a natural entrance to the ceremony.
The arcade, or lower passage, is another popular location for wedding ceremonies. This covered terrace acts as a tunnel under the upper level of the terrace that features a carriage road. It features an ornately tiled ceiling and beautiful arched columns at both ends, giving the entire space a ballroom-life feel. The lower passage also offers a natural grand staircase and aisle that can be used to create a smaller, more intimate chapel-like feel if desired.
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is by far one of our most popular locations. It has served as the backdrop in many movies and tv shows, including Made of Honor, Sex and the City, Enchanted, and Love Story. It is also the location of the famous Gossip Girl wedding between Blair and Chuck.
Found in the center of the park between the Loeb Boathouse Lakeside Restaurant on the East and Cherry Hill on the West, the terrace itself forms the Northern end of the Central Park Mall overlooking the Ramble. It can easily be accessed using the 72nd Street entrance on both the East and West sides of the park.
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is wheelchair accessible and features limited seating around the perimeter of the terrace. Restrooms are available at the terrace, with wheelchair-accessible restrooms available nearby at Loeb Boathouse and Mineral Springs.
With Bethesda Terrace and Fountain being one of the most popular attractions in Central Park, it sees significant foot traffic. Couples that choose this ceremony location find that all park visitors are very respectful when it comes to offering space to celebrants and their guests. If you’re looking for a ceremony without other guests around, there are plenty of options in the park, such as Wagner Cove and Belvedere Castle.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 25 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 25
Bow Bridge is a perfect option if you're looking for a truly iconic ceremony location. Exchange your vows standing on this grand, sweeping bridge, or choose from two different locations adjacent to the bridge. Each of these ceremony locations provides majestic views across the lake and into the park.
Central Park is filled with many bridges, with no two bridges being the same. Bow Bridge is by far the most popular in the park as it serves as the main bridge for the park, connecting the Ramble to Cherry Hill. The bridge stretches across the lake and is commonly used in films and TV, including Made of Honor, Enchanted, and Spider Man 3, as a romantic rendezvous point.
Bow Bridge is named after the bridge’s graceful arch, reminiscent of an archer’s bow. The Victorian-era design adds that extra romantic touch to your ceremony. The aerial views of the park and bridge are breathtaking, making Bow Bridge ideal for photography. The nearby Loeb Boathouse Restaurant is an excellent option for an after-ceremony celebration.
The bridge is just a short walk into the park from the West 72nd entrance. Bow Bridge is a high-traffic area as the park's main bridge, with plenty of park visitors. Our celebrants find that park visitors are respectful in giving them the space to celebrate their special moment. If you want a more intimate ceremony, consider Wagner Cove, Ladies Pavillion, Gapstow Bridge, or Harlem Meer for your ceremony.
Wheelchair accessibility is available for Bow Bridge. The accessible route from The Ramble is a bit longer, while there is a bit of a slope to manage from Cherry Hill. Restrooms for celebrants and guests are located nearby at Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, with handicap-accessible restrooms available in Mineral Springs and at Delacorte Theater.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 25 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 20
A beautiful location with elevated views overlooking the Bethesda fountain area offering intimacy at the heart of Central Park. Cedars by the Lake has a paved landing surrounded by benches and large cedar trees creating a magical environment ideal for a small ceremony.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 20 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 100
Cherry Hill is one of our most sought after Central Park locations with truly stunning views of the rowboat-dotted lake, the famous Bow Bridge, and the New York City skyline. The gently sloping lawn sprinkled with flowering trees creates an intimate ceremony setting for small and large ceremonies alike. Celebrants can choose from various ceremony layouts that provide viewing points for guests.
Cherry Hill gets its name from the Yoshino cherry trees covering the hillside. These mature cherry trees create a jaw-dropping background of white and soft pink blooms in the spring. Additionally, the hill is home to a variety of other trees that contribute to the beautiful natural feel of the location that contrasts against the city. In the summer and fall, these trees can provide light coverage in the case of a drizzle or light rain.
The Cherry Hill Fountain sits in the center of the carriage concourse at the top of the hill. This elaborate 14-foot fountain is made of a large stone base topped with saucers for birds to drink from and eight globes, adding that touch of uniqueness to the space.
Cherry Hill is a multifaceted space offering the best of Central Park within close proximity. Celebrants can have an intimate affair and can easily accommodate up to 100 guests, making it a popular choice for larger ceremonies. While some benches are available on the hill, they may be a short distance from the ceremony location.
With just a short walk from the West 72nd Entrance, Cherry Hill is a popular ceremony location. It is wheelchair accessible. If celebrants and guests wish, Cherry Hill is also accessible via carriage and pedicabs. Restrooms are available at nearby Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, as well as at Mineral Springs (wheelchair accessible).
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 100 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 100
The Conservatory’s enchanting English garden will give you the romantic ceremony of your dreams with its natural flowing garden technique. With the mix of concentric planting beds, shrubs, and trees, you’ll get a Secret Garden vibe that creates the perfect classic English garden for your ceremony.
Like the other Conservatory Gardens, the English Garden offers several possible ceremony locations. One of the most popular ceremony locations is under the majestic willow trees covering the center slate walkway, positioning celebrants and guests to overlook the water lily pool. The natural designs of the English garden also offer celebrants a grand entrance flow from at least two different locations.
At one end of the water lily pool is the Burnett Fountain, featuring two figures reminiscent of the main characters of Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Surrounding the fountain are five seasonal beds featuring spring bulbs, followed by annual flower displays, with a slope of woodland plants lining the western edge of the garden. The English Garden is also home to many flowering trees, in bloom at different times of the year, including magnolia and lilac trees.
The Central Park Conservatory manages and takes care of the six-acre Conservatory Gardens and the rest of the park. The Conservatory Garden is split into three separate gardens, each with its own style. The northern garden is the French Garden, the center garden is the Italian Garden, and the southern garden is the English Garden. This breathtaking garden is the jewel of Central Park and boasts a beautiful, grand entrance through the ornate Vanderbilt Gate.
The Conservatory Garden’s English Garden can be found on the northeastern end of Central Park. Away from the popular attractions of Central Park, the English Garden sees less foot traffic than other ceremony locations throughout the park. Garden visitors are respectful of celebrants and their guests, respectfully giving them space to enjoy this moment of a lifetime. If seating is required, bench seating is available throughout the garden close to the recommended ceremony locations. The English Garden is wheelchair accessible, with restrooms available near the entrance of the Conservatory Garden.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 100 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 100
Give your wedding ceremony a French flair as you exchange your vows with the parterre of the Conservatory Garden’s French Garden around you. The low shrubs in embroidery-like patterns are complemented by one of the largest floral displays in the Conservatory Gardens, helping turn your ceremony into the Parisian affair of your dreams.
The slate walkways throughout the French Garden offer an array of ceremony locations. One popular option is to position your ceremony to feature the center fountain and reflection pool featuring the Three Dancing Maidens. Or, if you’d prefer a more natural backdrop to punctuate this special memory, you can opt to face the outer perimeter that overlooks the garden and the large hedge surrounding it.
The six-acre Conservatory Gardens is the jewel of Central Park, with some of the most breathtaking gardens in the park. The Central Park Conservatory oversees the gardens as well as the entire park. The Conservatory Gardens is split into three smaller gardens, each with its own style: the French Garden in the North, the center Italian Garden, and the English Garden in the South. The ornate Vanderbilt gate gives the gardens a grand entrance. Celebrants and their guests will first enter the lovely Italian Garden before entering the French Garden in the north.
The French Garden boasts an in-the-round design, complete with large slate walkways lined with germander grown in ornate patterns throughout the garden. The garden is also home to spectacular floral displays that vary with the season, with tulips in the Spring and Korean chrysanthemums in the Fall. The entire French Garden is ensconced within an ellipse of Japanese holly.
The Conservatory Garden’s French Garden is situated on the Northeastern end of Central Park. This means significantly less foot traffic than the more popular attractions within the park. While there are some visitors in the garden, we find that they are respectful, giving celebrants and their guests space to celebrate their special moment. The French Garden is wheelchair accessible and has several benches placed within the garden. Your ceremony can be situated near these benches to provide seating for those who require it. The French Gardens also offers easy access to restrooms for celebrants and guests.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 100 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 100
The Italianate Garden is an excellent choice for a classic garden ceremony, with its large lawn, yew hedges, allées, fountain, and wisteria pergola. The grand space offers celebrants several options for their ceremony, from next to the fountain to the many walkways throughout the lawn. However, our most sought-after ceremony location is within the pergola itself.
In this desired ceremony location, celebrants stand within the raised pergola with their guests around them in a U-shape. The pergola itself is covered in mature wisteria, which blooms in the summer and fall. Standing within the pergola, the ceremony's backdrop is the Italian Garden’s majestic fountain, sweeping lawn, and ornate Vanderbilt gate.
The garden has all of the hallmark features of a classic Italian garden. Yew hedges surround the garden with two exquisite allées of spring-blooming pink and white crabapple trees bordering each side. At the western end of the lawn is the simple 12-foot high jet fountain, backed by tiered hedges and stairs leading to the wisteria pergola.
The Italianate Center Garden is part of the six-acre Conservatory Gardens. These quiet gardens are some of the most breathtaking in the park. The Central Park Conservatory is responsible for overseeing and maintaining this jewel and the rest of the park. The Conservatory Gardens is split into three smaller gardens, each with its own style: the northern French Garden, the Italianate Center Garden, and the southern English Garden. Park guests directly enter the Italianate Center Garden through the grand entrance created by the Vanderbilt gate.
Situated on the Northeastern end of Central Park, the Conservatory Garden’s Italianate Center Garden sees much less foot traffic than other popular attractions in the center of the park. Celebrants have found that garden visitors are respectful in giving them space to enjoy and celebrate their special moment. The back wall of the wisteria pergola offers bench seating, so there is plenty of seating for those guests that require it during the ceremony. The mature wisteria also offers some coverage during light rain during the summer and fall seasons. Additionally, the Conservatory Garden is wheelchair accessible and offers easy access to restrooms for celebrants and guests.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 100 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 50
Escape the hustle and bustle of the city with this whimsical Central Park ceremony location. Cop Cot provides a rustic wooden structure that creates a romantic environment perfect for an intimate ceremony. Ceremonies are possible inside and outside the wooden structure, depending upon your guest count and desired ceremony feel.
Meaning “little cottage on the crest of the hill” in Scottish, Cop Cot stays true to its name. Sitting atop a large outcrop, Cop Cot offers an array of views of both the park and the city skyline. The beautiful, round structure is made of natural wooden tree trunks and branches with a slate floor. The overall look and feel of Cop Cot constantly evolve through the seasons as the roof gets overgrown with vines and branches, making it incredibly romantic. Surrounded by trees, Cop Cot offers a shady and relatively private space for your ceremony.
Easily one of our most accessible locations, you can find Cop Cot in the center of the foot of the park near the Artists’ Gate at 6th Avenue and Central Park South. Getting to the ceremony site is a short walk from the park's perimeter. Cop Cot is wheelchair accessible, but keep in mind that it is located atop a hill. The private nature of the space also means that restrooms are a short walk away near Hecksher Playground.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 50 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 25
The bridge offers postcard views of the surrounding cityscape. Facing south, you can see the famed Plaza Hotel and distinctive New York skyscrapers rising from above the Park's trees. Look southward in the winter and you'll see Wollman Rink's twirling skaters; in the warmer months you'll see the colorful amusements of Victorian Gardens.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 25 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 100
The Great Hill is an open hilltop meadow with picnic tables, a soft surface oval path, and lawn under a ring of stately trees. Now, the Great Hill is the site of picnics, lawn games, running or race walking, concerts, and much more. The Great Hill is the third highest point in Central Park, making it a decadent location for ceremonies.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 100 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 100
Central Park designers Olmsted and Vaux named this man-made water body “the Meer” – Dutch for “lake.” Harlem Meer is a beautiful enclave ensconced in trees overlooking the lake.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 100 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 25
The antique, Victorian-styled Ladies Pavilion provides a stunning backdrop for your intimate Central Park wedding ceremony. Nestled amidst the trees next to The Lake at Hernshead, the pavilion is one of the most sought-after ceremony locations in the park.
Located off the main path, Ladies Pavilion is one of the park’s incredibly intimate ceremony sites. The pavilion's open design allows celebrants to stand in the pavilion with guests alongside the pavilion railing. Alternatively, celebrants and all guests may stand within the 9 by 15-foot pavilion.
Ladies Pavilion is a charming example of 19th Century American decorative arts. The main structure of the pavilion boasts a beautiful Victorian design crafted in cast iron painted light gray with gold-leaf accents. The pavilion is topped with a gray slate roof and a crown of more intricate ironwork. Meanwhile, the pavilion's floor is stone, helping keep the space cool in the summers.
Positioned next to the lake, the Ladies Pavilion provides grand water views with the New York City skyline in the background. You can also get post-ceremony photos on the neighboring granite rock, a popular spot for photoshoots in the park. The pavilion is also surrounded by flowering trees, shrubs, herbs, and aquatic flora, with blooms continuously changing with the seasons.
The Ladies Pavilion is located on the park's West Side, between the 72nd Street and 77th Street entrances. Entering the park through the West 77th Street entrance, the pavilion is a short block’s walk. While the site is wheelchair accessible, there is a moderate-to-steep slope to access the pavilion. The nearest available restrooms require a walk to Delacorte Theater or Mineral Springs.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 25 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 25
Experience a quiet, romantic English garden ceremony in the heart of the bustling city at Shakespeare Garden. Filled with lovely stone staircases and intertwining walking paths lined with shrubs, large trees, and rustic railings, the entire garden has a magical feel.
Nestled on a gradual hillside, with the famous Belvedere Castle just a few steps uphill, the unique and charming Shakespeare Garden is the perfect setting for an intimate ceremony. The space offers several well-suited locations for your ceremony, positioning celebrants in front of the lush flower beds and handmade wooden fence. Depending on the desired position, attendees will be on the path looking up or down at the celebrants.
The densely planted garden beds are filled with the plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays, poems, and sonnets. The garden’s color and aroma transform throughout the year, with different plant species blooming each season. The exact blooms will vary depending on the time of year and may include daffodils, tulips, lilies, crocuses, black-eyed Susans, roses, hellebores, and many others. You’ll also find several bronze plaques with quotes from the famous English poet and playwright’s works throughout the garden.
Tucked away on the Upper West Side of Central Park, Shakespeare Garden is one of the park's quieter and more intimate areas. The garden is easily accessible through various access points. It is only about a block’s walk from the park’s west side 79th Street access point.
Shakespeare Garden is handicap accessible. However, bear in mind that the garden is on a hillside. Due to the nature of the location, most of the walk to the garden is uphill, and guests will be standing at an angle. You will find limited seating in Shakespeare Garden. However, most of the available benches in the garden are in different nooks from the ceremony locations. Restrooms are available a short walk away at either Delacorte Theater or Ramble (mid-park).
In the case of inclement weather, the wooded nature of Shakespeare Garden provides limited coverage. It is recommended to have an alternative location for inclement weather.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 25 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 80
Summit Rock is the highest natural elevation in Central Park. Located at Central Park West, Summit Rock is where you can view the city below and even catch a glimpse of New Jersey on the Rock’s western side. Summit Rock is an ideal location for ceremonies.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 80 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 80
With its grassy banks, weeping willows, and rushing waterfall, the Pool is one of the most idyllic spots in the Park. Plan an event at the Pool and South Lawn in Central Park. Ensconced in natural beauty, this is an utterly romantic location for a ceremony.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 80 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 20
Like all of the other water bodies in Central Park, Turtle Pond is man-made, filled with New York City drinking water. It is the home to five species of turtles who live in the Pond year round. It is said that many of these turtles started out as pets in city apartments, but eventually outgrew their urban accommodations, and were brought to the Park by their former owners. The most common species in Turtle Pond is the Red-Eared Slider, which you can identify by the small red spots around their ears. They love basking in the sun on flat logs or rocks, which makes the base of Vista Rock the perfect spot for their sun bathing activities. When the sliders are provoked, they quickly slide back into the cool waters of the Pond. Turtle Pond has the distinction of being the most recent water body added to the Park’s design.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 20 People
Outdoor Venue
| Maximum Capacity: 25
Perhaps the most romantic spot in all of Central Park, Wagner Cove is perfect for a very small, intimate ceremony. Sitting at the water’s edge, the small rustic shelter is surrounded by trees, flowers, and slate rocks. Wagner Cove is a secluded area off the main path, with a beautiful stairway down to the cove.
Celebrants often stand within or in front of the wooden structure with their officiant and their guests in the adjacent small space. Once used as a dock for rowboats, the structure overhangs the water, giving a dazzling view of the lake that reflects the surrounding foliage. The L-shape path and staircase down to the cove provide a natural grand entrance for celebrants if they choose.
In the summer, Wagner Cove is often cooler than other parts of the park due to the large trees surrounding it. These same trees provide a splash of color in the fall, creating a truly romantic setting for your ceremony.
Wagner Cove is nestled between Strawberry Fields and Cherry Hill. The cove is easily accessible using the park’s West 72nd Street Entrance. Despite being steps away from iconic locations like Cherry Hill and Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Cherry Hill is very private and has minimal foot traffic as it is only accessible by one small path and by rowboat.
Guests and celebrants will walk down the staircase to the cove for the ceremony. Seating and coverage in the case of inclement weather are limited to the two small benches within the wooden structure. Restrooms can be found nearby at both Bethesda Terrace and Fountain and at Mineral Springs.
Supported Layouts and Capacities
Reception
Capacity: 25 People
