Distance?

christinelyn0131 · June 2010

Hi girls!

I'm having my ceremony in Central Park (yay!) and FI suggested a gorgeous restaurant in Staten Island for the reception. Is this wayyyy too far? It's about a 40 minutes drive.

Thoughts?
The restaurant is Angelina's, FYI

gymchick05 · June 2010

My church and venue are 45 min apart so I think its fine

Lola Minnie · June 2010

I'd be weary about traffic but the distance is fine IMHO.

Great choice to check out. Beautiful restaurant & awesome food.

christinelyn0131 · June 2010

FI's father supplies some of their food and stuff, so hopefully it'll be a hit

demarcosjd · June 2010

Our ceremony and reception were 45 minutes a part. Everything worked out great and it was such a nice ride for DH and I to relax and take everything in.

mbcdefg · June 2010

I think 40 minutes on its own is fine, but going from Manhattan to Staten Island I doubt it'd only take 40 minutes.

Plus, unless everyone already lives in the city, they're going to have to get into Manhattan, and I assume it's not easy (or cheap) to drive and park by Central Park. So that's more time and money that they have to spend just getting to the wedding, never mind the reception. Unless you're getting a shuttle or something for them?

I would personally look for a restaurant in Manhattan, or switch the ceremony to Staten Island.

uppereastgirl · June 2010

Since it involves Manhattan, which is not driving-friendly, and leaving Manhattan, which is not driving-friendly, this isn't a simple "They'll have to hop on Rt. 80 for 40 minutes" deal like I'm guessing the girls who are saying "My drive was 40 minutes and it was fine" had.

How are your guests getting to Central Park? Where are they staying hotel-wise? How do you expect them to get from Central Park to Staten Island? And then how are they getting back to their hotels?

I would think a lot of people would take public transit to the ceremony (even though it is not easily accessible to most public transit), so they won't have cars to drive to SI. If you provide a bus or something, that would be very helpful. The thought of doing it on my own (what would I do? Walk to the subway, take it all the way downtown, take a ferry from there, and then what would I do when I get to SI? A bus? Walk?) sounds like a ton of work, and I'm someone who knows the public transit system well. Out-of-towners would probably be horrified by having to figure out all those steps. But even for drivers, it is annoying to think of paying $40 or whatever to garage the car just so I could drive.

(Also, if anything like the marathon, 5 borough bike tour, summer streets, street fairs, parades, etc. are going on at that time, it could be a nightmare to drive.)

I would either provide transportation or keep the reception in Manhattan.

sparkles2010 · June 2010

I don't think the distance is that bad, but its not like you'll be able to take advantage of that '45 minutes for pictures because you need to get over to the reception too. I would say consider having the ceremony elsewhere, unless of course it is a special place to you and your FI. I think havingthe reception at the restaurant where FI's father supplies food is a really nice touch, so I would focus on perhaps finding a park in that area for your ceremony. Plus you must take into account a "plan b" if the weather isn't great in the park. Thats why I think staying closer to the reception hall is your best bet.

goaliegirl · June 2010

Honestly, if I was a guest, I would probably skip the ceremony and only go to the reception in SI....I HATE driving in NYC, and if I had to go in and find parking near Central park for the ceremony and then drive through the city to SI which could be a nightmare, I would not be a happy camper! I agree with the pp in that you should try to find something in Manhattan for your reception.

Also, I am assuming that the ceremony is outdoors in Central park...what will your back up plan be in case of rain...will it be at the restaurant in SI...that could be a pain to notify people of that change.

uppereastgirl · June 2010

A few other questions -- what time of day, what time of week, and what time of year is your wedding? If it is a Friday during the summer, I'd forget it. I drove to Maplewood at 5 pm two Fridays ago, and it took me 2 hours to cover not even 20 miles, because it took me an hour and 15 minutes to get out of the city (and I live 6 blocks away from the Holland Tunnel). On a good day it takes me 25 minutes to go the same route. You do not know whether your day will be a good or bad traffic day.

I think something important to remember is that when Manhattan is involved, a 40-minute drive can take 40 minutes or 2 hours, and you'll never know which ahead of time.

Lolyalyssa · June 2010

For a Central Park Ceremony, I think having the reception close to the park is ideal.

I know friends who rented out the Sarabeth's restaurant on Central Park South near the plaza. It was great food and they have the perfect set-up for a wedding. Then the whole group can just walk to the venue!

Distance?

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