Will and Kate made their way down the aisle of Westminster Abbey across the pond this morning. But in the Brooklyn Municipal Court at 205 Joralemon St. couples are getting hitched at $25 a pop. The fee for a single marriage certificate is another $15 and flowers are optional.
Besides the cheaper nuptials, Brooklynites have an option Will and Kate simply don’t; after the ceremony they can do their wedding march to Junior’s for a slice of wedding cheesecake. Take that Royal Wedding. The Ink’s Lillian Rizzo is there live to keep you updated.
—
11:53- still in front of the same pillar Abu Ali holds the wedding photos and flowers. He has the same number of bouquets since earlier in the morning and is still yelling for people to come over to him. Now he’s more distracted- happy couples are walking up the granite steps at a faster rate. Someone stops him to ask him for the time and the hurries along.
11:40- Getting off the elevator with her family, a bride inched slowly forward. She donned a tight, short white strapless dress,black pantyhose and extremely high heels. Her family walked ahead at a normal speed while she followed slowly behind.
11:35- Crouching in front of the Marriage sign a couple asked me if I could snap a photo of them next to it. They just picked up their marriage license. The soon-to-be groom was ready to talk but his future wife cut him off. She said her boss has been texting her through everything and she has to get to work as soon as possible. Checking the photo on their digital camera they smile and hurry to the elevators.
11:28- Jasslynn and Alastair Ochoa’s wedding procession came bursting through the brown doors after they got married. All other couples walked through the single door, but their family opened up the second door so they could march through together as everyone snapped photos. Alastair proposed to Jasslynn on Easter Sunday six years ago and they decided this would be the month. Jasslynn also mentioned that it was Alastair’s birthday on Wednesday and they wanted to celebrate both. They’re headed home to celebrate and eat with family.
11:25 am- they’ve been together 20 years and have two children but Jose and Margarita woke up this morning and decided to get married today. “She’s Vasquez now,” he said. Margarita’s mother took photos and recorded the ceremony on her red camera. They said they didn’t realize it was the Royal wedding today. “I don’t feel royal, I feel loyal,” Jose said.
11:20- it’s been about 20 minutes since newlyweds have burst through the thickly painted brown door with a hanging padlock. The hall remains pretty quiet with the exception of wedding party guests walking to and from the bathroom a few flights below.
10:50- with three kids running ahead of them yelling mommy, Lillias and Duane John left the courtroom. They chose today because it is the anniversary of their engagement in 2009.
10:55- Margo wore about four inch high grey heels to match her grey short dress. Her new husband, Sergie, held the marriage certificate and they chatted with a friend who came as the witness. They joked they chose today since it was “royal” and it’s a good sign.
10:58- April and Brian Shahum tied the knot with two friends there to bear witness. They chose today because they are moving to London tomorrow for work. Their nuptials were originally a secret- until now. April happily spelled out her new last name for The Ink.
10:35 am- walking up the stairs rather than the elevator 26-year-old Jasslynn, is on her way to get married. As she clicks down the hall in her heels she says she’s excited to speak to us after.
10:30 am- it’s been quiet for the past five minutes but a family just walked in. The groom walked ahead in a green button down shirt. Behind him a giggling woman sang, “Here comes the groom- all dressed in green!”
10:19 a.m. – Jacqueline and John left the room married and with a tribe of about 15 people snapping photos. They’re headed to IHop next. Jacqueline says they chose the date one year ago before Will and Kate because April is a significant month for them- John’s mother’s birthday, her mother’s death and the anniversary of John being clean. “24 years!” he boasts.
10:14 a.m. – Javier and Ruth are the first couple to get married in Brooklyn’s municipal court today. They have one friend with them who translated our conversation. They said they hope Will and Kate are happy like them. They just chose today randomly- they said it felt like the perfect day.
10:12 a.m. – Woman who performs the ceremony tells people they can take photos only during ceremonies. Then they have to hit the road.
10:10 a.m. – After everyone walks through the gold doors they sign up for their ceremony. A short woman with short blonde hair walks into the “waiting room” and begins shouting names, rules and repeating- “only one couple at a time!” The first couple walks in and a black couple’s friends are laughing and taking photos with cameras and cell phones in the room.
9:59 a.m. – A bride in a short white dress and yellow cardigan leaves the room with three small kids bouncing around her. She’s waiting to get married now and will talk to us with the groom after it is official.
9:40 a.m. – A couple left with one friend as a witness. They said they hadn’t realized it was the same day as Will and Kate. They also said they had to split once the ceremony was over.
9:34 a.m. – Ali Abu, 64-years-old, holds a cardboard frame with a married couple smiling and in his other hand he holds bouquets of multicolored faux flowers. Whenever two people holding hands walk by he shuffles after them selling flowers or his services. It’s already a pretty slow day, but he says Brooklyn hasn’t had a lot of marriages in a long time. He’s a photographer and has been doing this for 16 years. He says hello to the usual people walking and someone stops over to chat for a bit. But no matter what they are saying he’ll stop to sell some flowers or a photo. When people ignore him or tell him they aren’t getting married today he doesn’t look disappointed– instead he walks back to his pillar, where his large black and orange suitcase is parked, rearranges his flowers and holds up the photo. As soon as he’s finished rearranging the bouquets he spots a couple, picks up the flowers and runs over to them. He goes through the routine repeatedly and barely acknowledges this is Will and Kate’s day. He’s just trying to sell some photos and flowers.
9:08 a.m. – There’s no prospective bride and grooms in sight at the municipal court in Brooklyn. Only a man outside selling bouquets of plastic flowers. It looks like a family just went into the license room. A couple came out but they just filed for their license.
8:35 a.m. – A man is putting away his jam and marmite. It’s all over here. The Ink will continue more wedding coverage at Brooklyn’s Municipal Court where Lillian Rizzo will be following other couples getting married today. I leave you with a final hat tally: 8.
8:34 a.m. – The wedding is now official now that the kissing part is over. Crowd breaks out into applause.
8:30 a.m. – Ha! The kiss they did the second time is a smidgen less formal. The crowd is happy.
“Lovely kiss,” says one woman to her friend. Cheers of support as the Queen is shown on TV. More laughter at the second kiss.
8:29 a.m. – Finally time for the kiss. That was quick. A chaste peck. Do it again.
Awws at the sights of the page boys.
8:27 a.m. – Loud cheers as the royal couple walks out.
8:23 a.m. – There is an NYPD van parked nearby — perhaps they fear that if there is no balcony kiss they will turn into a braying mob.
8:21 a.m. – Less than ten minutes to the balcony kiss. The roar of trains moving overhead drowns out the sound of events being broadcast from London.
8:18 a.m. – They are selling brownies and coffee but where are the fruit scones and clotted cream?
8: 13 a.m. – A woman in front of me has clearly heeded the organizer’s plea for people to come dressed up. She is a vision of purple feathers and black taffeta.
8:07 a.m. – Do I think this marriage will be considered unofficial if there is no public balcony kiss? The answer is yes.
8:00 a.m. – As Brooklyn wakes up, the organizers have turned on the volume so the audience can hear the events being broadcast on the giant screen. Previously, individual head sets had been distributed to the audience so they could tune into the audio of the broadcast.
7:59 a.m. – “We’re all waiting for the kiss now,” says Amelia Chung. “We’re here because we’re the same age as Kate and William. Our parents got married around the same time. And we grew up with them. So I really want to see how this turns out.”
7:57 a.m. – “I find it ironic that the ceremony of a wedding looks forward yet the institution of the monarchy looks backward,” says someone who refers to herself as a post-colonial princess by way of India.
7:54 a.m. – There are more balloons than people now. Only the royal diehards remain.
7:53 a.m. – I am hearing lots of Australian accents here.
7:51 a.m. – The crowd has thinned significantly here. Everyone’s waiting for the royal family to take to the balcony. Some people are beginning to get restless.
7:49 a.m. – A man is walking around with a recorder asking people what advice they have for the couple. Wonder if he will edit the best bits and send them to the palace.
7:42 a.m. – Relationship advice for the next King of England? “Communicate with your wife”, one woman tells her partner.
7:42 a.m. – Hat tally is down by at least ten.
7:41 a.m. – The crowd is rapidly dwindling.
7:40 a.m. – Another journalist, Sandhya Dirks, has a different take on the dress. She thinks it’s fit for McQueen and “Yes, we can all see what she did there.”
7:38 a.m. – There is a long line of people waiting to get a photo with Will and Kate — their cardboard equivalents that is.
7:35 a.m. – Even the little ones have woken up early to witness history in the making. They’re going to remember this for a long time to come. 
7:34 a.m. – My colleague Bilal is disappointed with Kate’s dress. It should have been more extravagant. “Royal weddings are better imagined than seen,” he says philosophically.
7: 33 a.m. – The crowd is getting restless. Kiss already.
7:30 a.m. – People are holding their breaths for the couple to take to the balcony. Will the royal couple finally kiss and give the audience what they’ve been waiting for since 5:30 a.m.?
7: 28 a.m. – “I am jealous,” says the girl next to me, as Kate leaves with her prince in an actual horse-drawn carriage.
7:21 a.m. – The entire wedding ceremony will be rerun starting at 9 a.m. Looks like people would rather keep themselves occupied with a fairy tale wedding rather than go to work today.
7:15 a.m. – Want your picture taken with the royal couple? That’s exactly what the audience in Dumbo is doing at a photo booth. Brooklynites dressed as royals are posing for pictures with a beaming royal couple standee.
7:11 a.m. – The audience is disappointed that the prince isn’t allowed to kiss her bride. Ooohs and aaahs as the Royal couple walk out of Westminister. “I’m jealous,” says one young viewer to her friend. “I’m pissed. I can’t believe this is happening in real.”
7:11 a.m. – Oh no kiss? Boring.
7:07 a.m. – It’s time for the balcony kiss. A ripple of excitement, but first the long walk down the interminable aisle.
7:07 a.m. – People have brought their own picnics. I spot some strawberries, no scones or tea to be seen.
7:00 a.m. – “This is like a fairytale,” says one girl to a cameraman. Well, sort of. The Prince did take a while to propose.
6:57 a.m. – Hat update: Dumbo’s best head gear up to now is a tiny glittered crown the size of a nectarine – clearly homemade.
6:54 a.m. – “They keep showing him,” protests a well-dressed girl, as the camera pans on Elton John.
6:53 a.m. – Revised hat tally: 21.
6:51. a.m. – “There’s this little Princess inside all of us,” says Lauren Strenberg. “And that seems to be the reason why so many women have woken up before dawn, dressed up as Princesses and made their way to Dumbo. Everyone wants in on a fairytale wedding.”
6:39 a.m. – The cycling guy is still not going to work.
6:38 a.m. – The William and Kate cardboard cutout won’t stand upright. Does this bode badly for the couple?
6:35 a.m. – Women wearing tiaras, cardboard crowns and fancy hats. The men are more subdued in their dressing.
6:34 a.m. – Hat tally: ten. We spot a Prince William face mask.
6:33 a.m. – A man in cycling gear is being interviewed by one of the many journos here. “I am on my way to work,” he says unconvincingly.
6:30 a.m. – “We’re just excited about the excuse to dress up. It’s the fantasy of it all. In America, we don’t follow the royalty closely apart from these big events. Its a good way to get away from all the crazy things in our lives.” says, Alexandria Sica.
6:28 a.m. – An Australian bartender tells us that the ticketed part of the event sold 500 tickets.
6:27 a.m. – People are capturing these moments with their phone cameras to keep this as a memory. There is a clear agreement that history is being made here.
6:25 a.m. – “This is where it gets boring” says another royal watcher as the fun ring bit ends.
6:20 a.m. – “She looks so pretty” coos one member of the audience.
6:19 a.m. – Nervous laughter, the ring does not fit easily.
6:19 a.m. – Prince William slips on the ring on kate. Crowd breaks into applause.
6:18 a.m. – Wedding vows being exchanged. Pin drop silence under the archway.
6:33 a.m. – There are two cardboard cutouts of the couple behind me for those wanting a royal memento.
6:17 a.m. – More than a dozen camera crews have descended on the crowd here in Dumbo.
6.15 a.m. – Wait, it looks like Katie is fleeing the ceremony… Oh my mistake.
6.14 a.m. – Overheard in the crowd: “Nothing gets you out of bed like a Royal wedding.”
6:12 a.m. – A lot of Elton John fans here. More cheers for him than for the queen.
6:11 a.m. – The British expatriate community is out in full force here. “How often will we get to see a Royal wedding in our lives?” says one British woman. “What else would we rather do on a Friday morning at 6a.m.?”
6:06 a.m. – The dress is revealed to much cheering. Kate gives her last un-wed wave.
6:05 a.m. – Some flag waiving in the audience as Kate makes the hour long walk down the aisle.
5:57. a.m. – and the Ink will be keeping a hat tally. So far 6 hats 2 tiaras.
5:55 a.m. – There is an air of silence as the crowd watches the royal procession on a giant screen. Organizers have muted the sound to avoid disturbing local residents who are still asleep. But they are handing out headsets for the audience to catch the audio.
5:53 a.m. – A collective aww by the crowd as the flower girls totter into the abbey.
5:50 a.m. – The British expatriate community is out in full force here.
5:45 a.m. – More than 80 Brooklyn residents have taken their seats under the Manhattan Bridge. The crowd is watching rapt, breaking into an applause at the first sight of the bride to be as they view live shots of the royal wedding from London.
5:37 a.m. – missjournalist Aliza Moorji
People are starting to gather @ DUMBO for live viewing of #Royalwedding
5:35 a.m. – And it is finally here. The day Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton join in much awaited matrimony. While in England all eyes are on Westminster Abbey, here in Brooklyn the action is in DUMBO, under the Archway where a viewing and Royal dress up contest will be taking place. The ink’s Bilial Lakhani and Kim Chakanetsa will be keeping you updated.
Leave a Reply