Getting married near New York City

Settle the state first: a New York City license works anywhere in New York State, while New Jersey and Connecticut each need their own. Then choose among Hudson Valley river towns, Westchester estates, Long Island vineyards, the North Jersey waterfront and the Connecticut shore.

Two women, one with pale skin and one with golden brown skin, step off a silver commuter train onto a small platform beside a wide river, holding a garment bag and a small bouquet

The marriage license office

A license from the NYC City Clerk works anywhere in New York State, including the Hudson Valley, Westchester and Long Island; it costs $35, you wait 24 hours, and it is valid for 60 days (NYC311 marriage license, checked September 2026)
The Manhattan office is at 141 Worth Street, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:45 PM, by appointment (NYC311)
New Jersey needs its own license: if neither of you lives there, apply in the town where the ceremony will be, and the license works only there (NJ Department of Health)
Connecticut needs a license from the town where the ceremony will be, and you both apply in person (Connecticut Department of Public Health)

Getting there

Metro-North's Hudson Line runs to Yonkers, Tarrytown, Ossining, Croton-Harmon, Peekskill, Cold Spring, Beacon and Poughkeepsie (MTA Hudson Line)
The Harlem Line serves Westchester; the New Haven Line reaches Stamford and New Haven, and Shore Line East continues along the Connecticut shore (MTA rail map)
The Long Island Rail Road serves Nassau and Suffolk; the North Fork takes the Ronkonkoma or Montauk branch plus a local ride
NJ TRANSIT rail, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, North Bergen), PATH and NY Waterway ferries cover North Jersey (NJ TRANSIT light rail map)

Good to know

Many venues are a taxi, car or shuttle ride from the nearest station
Airports beyond JFK and LaGuardia: Newark Liberty, Westchester County near White Plains, Long Island MacArthur in Ronkonkoma, and Stewart for the mid-Hudson
Travel times change with the day and the schedule; check the timetable for your actual date
NYC Parks rules do not cover state, county or town parks, historic sites or private gardens; ask the owner

Wedding vendors in Nearby: within two hours Read the wedding guides

A wedding an hour or two from Manhattan usually means more room: a riverfront estate, a barn or a vineyard, a beach, a castle or a harbor. The Westchester tourism office lists gardens, castles, historic estates, farms and museums; Discover Long Island points to the North Fork's wine and farm country, the Hamptons, Montauk, Fire Island and the North Shore. Across the Hudson, Hudson County has waterfront restaurants, hotels and city venues in Jersey City and Hoboken.

The biggest difference is paperwork. Anywhere in New York State, a license from any NYC City Clerk office works. Once the ceremony crosses into New Jersey or Connecticut, that state's own license is the one that counts, and each has its own office, wait and fee. Knowing the state early tells you which office to book and how many days to allow before the ceremony.

White chairs set in rows on an estate lawn facing a simple wooden arch, a river and wooded hills beyond

Where couples say it

In the Hudson Valley, couples marry at riverfront event venues, historic estates, barns, farms, vineyards and gardens; in Westchester, at estates, castles, gardens and museums; on Long Island, at beaches, vineyards, farms and Gilded Age mansions; in North Jersey, at waterfront restaurants, hotels and banquet halls; and along the Connecticut shore, at oceanfront hotels, marinas and historic villages. Each owner sets its own rules; some riverside sites ask for a photography permit. Inside the five boroughs, a NYC Parks Special Event Permit is required for more than 20 people (checked September 2026).

Vendors in Nearby: within two hours

The vendor directory

A planner with a binder under one arm gestures toward open barn doors while walking a woman and a man, she with light skin and he with deep brown skin, through an empty timber barn with long farm tables

Finding vendors near the city

Some venues outside the city require an all-inclusive package, so ask what the venue includes before you hire anyone else. Ask any photographer, florist, officiant or hair and makeup artist whether your venue is inside their usual area and whether travel costs extra. In New Jersey or Connecticut, ask the local clerk who may perform the ceremony there (Connecticut Department of Public Health). For the contract, use the vendor questions on the vendors page before any deposit.

Wedding vendors by town

New Jersey

Long Island

Westchester and the Hudson Valley

Connecticut

Rules that apply outside the city

New York: a 24-hour wait after the license is issued, and 60 days to use it (NYC311, checked September 2026).
New Jersey: a 72-hour waiting period and a $28 application fee (NJ Department of Health, checked September 2026).
Jersey City issues licenses but its clerk does not perform ceremonies; its municipal ceremony locations charge $100 if one of you lives in Jersey City and $150 if neither does (Jersey City weddings).
Connecticut: the license comes from the ceremony town, in person (Connecticut Department of Public Health).
In a NYC park, apply at least 21 days ahead; the $25 processing fee is non-refundable (NYC311 park event permit).
NYC Parks generally does not allow alcohol at park events; other owners and states set their own rules (NYC Parks permit guide).
Venues and gardens outside the city can have seasonal dates; confirm yours with the owner.

A long farm table set with candles and jars of wildflowers under strings of warm bulbs in an open sided barn, fields beyond

Where to eat or toast after

Out of the city, the reception is often at the same place as the ceremony: the estate, the vineyard or the waterfront hotel. If it is not, pick a spot near a station or a hotel so guests can stay close and skip the long drive home.

Read the wedding guides

Wedding guides

All wedding guides

A couple in their sixties in a small wooden rowboat on a calm park lake, a man with light olive skin rowing slowly and a woman with deep brown skin holding garden roses and laughing, willows and old trees around the water

What a wedding near the city costs