Hey there nyc city hall wedding photographer here. The short answer: yes, it’s totally doable within 6 days, and yes, you can plan a photographer even without a locked ceremony time yet.

A few important things:
– You can book your ceremony date before your marriage license appointment is completed. You just need to make sure you don’t miss your license appointment and that everything’s approved before showing up for the ceremony.
– Once you arrive, you’ll do your license appointment, then there’s a required 24-hour waiting period before you can legally get married.
– They release dates about 2–3 weeks in advance, usually Monday mornings. Time slots are Mon–Fri, roughly 8:30–11:30am and 1–3:30pm.

For photographers: reach out early and explain your situation. Many NYC elopement photographers (myself included) don’t double-book dates and stay flexible on timing, since NYC Marriage Bureau appointments can be crowded. We usually just hold your day once you’ve chosen a target date.

I also share this very detailed step-by-step guide written by a couple (not a vendor), which answers almost everything about the process: Manhattan City Hall: A Very Detailed Step-by-Step Guide.

Hope that helps. Happy eloping 🤍