Newark/North Jersey Wedding Guide, Newark Wedding Guide Advice from OurWeddingDay.com

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Newark/North Jersey Wedding Guide

Getting Married in the Garden State

They might call it “North” Jersey, but it feels like it’s in the center of everything. Newark and its surrounding state are filled with beautiful attractions to entice any bride and groom. Should you marry in New Jersey’s largest city, or the immediate environs, you’ll be within eight miles of Manhattan, and just a Path Train or ferry ride away, 90 minutes from Atlantic City (honeymoon anyone?), and within eye-shot of Lady Liberty’s statue. Your wedding doesn’t get much more American than that!

Newark is second only to New York City in having the least amount of automobiles per family, which means your wedding transportation shouldn’t be a problem. There’s the airport to bring guests to and fro, and bus and train services are plentiful. Deciding where you want to celebrate is the only challenge. Jersey City and Hoboken are quaint, surprisingly docile cities, considering their backdrop is the Manhattan skyline. Downtown hotels are plentiful, perfect for receptions, or you can bridge or tunnel your guests to another state of mind—New York.

A popular wedding option in North Jersey is to plan your wedding in town, and have the bachelor party or rehearsal dinner in Manhattan. If you’re having a long-weekend affair, schedule trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art or take in a Broadway show.

Back “home,” you’ll get wonderful blues, rock, and jazz clubs, and as many different types of cuisine as there are ethnicities in the diverse neighborhoods. (If you see The Boss, make sure to say hello to everyone’s favorite Native Son.) Long-distance-traveling guests should tour Ellis Island, to see what a “real” long distance traveler is, and those Jersey shore casinos and shows are fast approaching Vegas in cool style.

New Jersey weather is typical of the rest of the East Coast; summers can be very hot and humid, averaging in the 80s, while winter can hit the 30s. Snowfall is not uncommon from December through March, and rain is frequent during the spring and summer months. While the surrounding ocean means you’re not going to get hit with the kind of winters the Midwest is known for, you need to plan on indoor weddings during the cold months, and rain and heat alternatives for the rest of the year.

Wherever you decide to wed in North Jersey, stop and smell the ceremony roses; they don’t call it the Garden State for nothing.

-David Toussaint