Dana and Kevin’s Central Park Vow Renewal: A Day of Meaningful Photos

Dana and Kevin’s vow renewal centered on a simple promise: after years of building a family and managing busy lives, they still choose each other. The couple from Rochester Hills, Michigan, married in their family Catholic church in August 2010, after five years together. They first contacted Claire at Wed in Central Park in 2019, hoping to celebrate their tenth anniversary in New York the following year. Travel restrictions disrupted that plan, so they marked their eleventh anniversary with the ceremony in 2021 instead.

By then, Dana and Kevin had spent sixteen years together and welcomed three children. Dana described the renewal as a chance to pause amid the demands of parenting and their family’s experience with special needs. “We decided to renew our vows to show each other that we still choose each other,” she said. She wanted the day to give them space to focus on their relationship and remember what brought them together.

New York had long been on their travel list, and Central Park offered both a setting for the ceremony and a range of recognizable places for photographs. Dana said that some companies she researched felt generic and didn’t offer the varied New York locations she wanted. She chose Wed in Central Park and brought a clear vision: a personal ceremony, a dressed-up celebration and portraits at well-known city sights.

Traditional attire and a full day of city locations

Dana and Kevin chose traditional wedding clothes for their renewal. Dana wanted to feel like a bride again, so they bought a new wedding dress and suit. She found her dress at the Wedding Shoppe in their hometown and carried a bouquet of pink Gerbera daisies in several shades. Before the day’s photography began, the hair and makeup team from Metro Look got Dana ready in their hotel room.

The couple spent a week in New York and set aside a full day with photographer Florencia. Their route began at the Hilton Garden Inn. From there, they walked to St Patrick’s Cathedral for exterior photographs, then continued to Rockefeller Center. They had bought timed tickets in advance for the Top of the Rock, a planning detail that helped fit the attraction into a packed itinerary.

After taking pictures at the observation deck, they walked to Grand Central, stopped for a snack and caught a cab to Central Park. Dana was drawn to the park’s variety of scenic locations, but Belvedere Castle Terrace made the strongest impression. “I just knew our vow renewal had to be there,” she said.

A ceremony shaped around their family

At Belvedere Castle Terrace, the officiant spoke about the couple’s relationship and read from Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 4 to 8. Dana and Kevin also included a sands of time unity ceremony. Three containers represented their past, present and future. They poured the sand from each into one larger container, where the grains became blended together—a symbol of their marriage and family.

Dana called the ceremony peaceful, private and serene. The words they most wanted to express were, “I still choose you.” A videographer recorded the ceremony, while Florencia photographed the day. Afterward, the couple took portraits at Belvedere Castle Terrace and nearby Shakespeare Garden, then continued to Cherry Hill, Bow Bridge, Wagner Cove and Bethesda Terrace. Later, they went by cab to Times Square for more photographs.

The couple’s favorite images came from two very different settings. Dana loved Belvedere Castle for its intimate, elegant feel, but their top choice was the view from Top of the Rock. Florencia had suggested adding it while the itinerary was being planned, and Dana was glad they took the idea.

Planning details that kept the schedule on track

The couple’s day ended at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where they hoped to photograph the sunset with Manhattan’s skyline behind them. They planned to eat at a Brooklyn restaurant afterward, avoiding extra travel back and forth across the city. Their experience shows why a location list needs to work as a route: timed tickets, walking distances, a cab ride, food and the sunset all shaped the schedule.

One practical detail Dana highlighted was receiving receipts and permits in advance. Although the ceremony had fewer than twenty attendees and a permit wasn’t strictly required for an event of that size, park managers asked to see theirs. Having it available helped avoid a potential interruption. The couple and Claire had mapped out the day carefully, and Florencia helped them stay on schedule. If another group had been using Belvedere Castle Terrace, they would have needed to wait, putting pressure on the rest of their tightly planned photography route.

Dana praised the vendors and the local guidance she received, especially while choosing photo locations. She said Claire kept them updated, listened to their ceremony vision and communicated promptly. Having someone help coordinate the details made the trip feel manageable to Dana, who said she couldn’t imagine planning the day alone. The package also included a highlight video of the ceremony at no extra cost, after the couple received a large collection of photographs.

For Dana, a vow renewal can be a deliberate pause in everyday life: a chance to reconnect and reaffirm a shared choice. Couples planning a similar day can take a cue from theirs—choose a ceremony location that matters, build a realistic route around travel and timed entries, and keep the words and rituals personal. Their day moved through landmarks and parks, but its focus stayed close to home: a family, a marriage and the promise to keep choosing one another.

Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 4 to 8:

Love is patient and kind. It doesn’t envy, boast or take pride in itself.

It treats others with respect, isn’t self-seeking or easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs.

Love doesn’t delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres.

Love never fails. Prophecies, tongues and knowledge will pass away.