Anyone elope to NYC?

[EllieTheEloper]

We're considering eloping to NYC (we're going anyway in Feb and feels like as good a time as any.)
Has anyone eloped to NYC and can point us in the direction of what we'd need to do etc? Any hints or tips?

You have to apply for your marriage certificate in person, and you must do it more than 24 hours before you get married.

Marriage license, not certificate...

Yup. Did it 8 years ago.

You apply at city hall for your marriage licence. This has to be done at least 24 hours before you plan to get married. You need 1 witness (our photographer was ours)

Once you have the marriage certificate you can basically get married wherever you want. You can get your own celebrant and get married wherever you want as long as you have less than 25 guests. If you have more than 25 guests you have to reserve the space (I’m a bit fuzzy on who with as it was just me and DH).

I got married in City Hall. Had a pretty dress and bought a bouquet of cream roses there. DH had a suit & shirt but no tie. People were wearing everything from full on wedding dresses to jeans.

You take a number and it took about 1.5 hours until we were called (which was unusual according to the photographer) but the actual cermony took about 10 minutes.

Things might have changed since though.