We continue our little interview series today we chat with Rev Love! aka Joel about his favorite elopement locations and stories. I wanted to share my favorite things about Joel as well. 1st off, it must be said, Rev Love is damn dapper and super fly! He has a sharpness in his style that is perfectly balanced with the sweetness in his swagger. Every single one of his ceremonies end with such a burst of joy, He is a talented rapper and the best dam Karaoke MC this side of the atlantic!

What's the best spot for an elopement in NYC?
My favorite spot for an elopement is definitely the The Secret Garden because I think it really embodies one of my favorite things about New York: that sense of discovery and actual wonder you get when you happen upon that unexpected, hidden piece of the city. It’s a magical thing in a city of millions of people, that, at times, seems entirely known, completely explored, to stumble upon a tiny little self-contained world that for a few minutes, at least, is just yours.

Fantasy NYC Elopement?
My fantasy elopement, to officiate, I think would be something like the Secret Garden that I just described: to be in a place that is right in the middle of the city, where you can feel the subway and the taxis and the 8 million people rushing by, but you get to be a little removed. Some unexpected little nook where if you make the phone call and show up at the appointed time, a person will unlock that door you always noticed in passing but never knew what was behind it. A concealed stairway! A hidden overlook! A rooftop oasis! A bookshelf slides back and you walk into this little spot that only a few people ever get to see: you’re behind the organ pipes in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. You’re in a converted water tower on a roof in Brooklyn. You’re in a secret treehouse in Flushing Meadows park. Do these spots even exist?? The magic of New York is that even if you’ve never been to them, the city has you completely convinced that they do and with a little luck you can get there. Kinda like this elopement on the Steps of the NYPL. We showed up and there were all there candles there!!! what are the chances. NYC is filled with those surprises

Craziest Elopement story!
I have done a couple of elopements on the Brooklyn Bridge- in fact, my first elopement was on the Brooklyn Bridge! Talk about being able to feel the city rushing by- bikers and tourists and street (bridge?) performers not to mention the cars speeding along underneath and then the boats on the river underneath that and then somewhere under the river the subway...it’s, um, a lot to take in! But when the couple has their first kiss and the tourists from all over the world cheer and the bikers keep yelling at everyone to move and the bridge performers bang their drums and agree to be the witnesses on your official wedding paperwork: that’s New York City!
Share this story