A NYC Wedding on a Boat: Couple Wanting Something Different and Decadent Charter Yacht for Wedding
    
     Gloria did not want a traditional wedding.  It was her 2nd wedding and this time around, she wanted a wedding that allowed her to express her personality.
     “To hell with tradition. I love the water. Why not have a wedding on a boat?” she thought.
     And so the hunt began for a boat that would accommodate her small wedding.
     “My biggest concern was finding a boat for the ceremony and reception that was elegant, affordable and beautiful. I searched for approximately six months online to find one that docked outside of Manhattan or Connecticut,” she says.
     Then she stumbled upon Cloud Nine – a yacht couples charter exclusively for weddings. 
The vessel, which departs from Manhattan, Queens, New Jersey, Port Washington and Connecticut, has three levels. 
     The main floor, which is surrounded by large windows that offer a view of the skyline, is where guests are seated at round, Italian glass tables and served a buffet style dinner. A spiral staircase leads to the bridal suite on the upper level, which is also home to the upper deck.
     The upper deck, which is covered by a tent in case of inclement weather, has a large dance floor where guests can boogie under the stars.
     Both in their thirties and established in their careers, Gloria and her fiancé Darryl decided to pay for the majority of their wedding themselves, which gave them control of the 60-person guest list.
     The couple figured that they would have spent the same amount of money on a 200-guest wedding at a hall, as having their wedding on a boat.
     “We decided to keep it intimate because we didn’t want to be detached from our guests. Keeping it smaller would also allow us to splurge a bit and really do what we wanted,” Gloria explains.
     Darryl and Gloria decided to keep the wedding party small, and had only one honor attendant each.
     Darryl chose his best friend as his best man, and Gloria chose her sister as maid of honor.
Cloud Nine was docked at the World's Fair Marina in Queens, outside of LaGuardia Airport, when guests climbed aboard.
     It remained at the dock for the ceremony, which took place at sunset.
     Surrounded by calm water, and the warm glow of a setting sun, the guests of Gloria and Darryl took their seats on the upper deck of the yacht – which had been decorated with dozens of silver and pale blue balloons.
     With her father on her arm, Gloria walked down the aisle to Lou Rawls’ “Forever I Do.”
     “The highlight of the ceremony was coming down the aisle and seeing the love in my husband’s face. He is not a very emotional man – but I could see the love and emotion all over his face,” said Gloria.
     After the ceremony, the guests moved on to the bridal suite for hors d'oeuvres - and the cruise began.
     “The ride was so smooth, if you didn’t look out the windows you wouldn’t know the boat was moving,” says Judy.
     During the cruise, guests enjoyed dinner on the main level of the vessel. Gloria had decorated each of the ten glass tables with glass vases that had been filled with iridescent stones, water and floating candles.
     “It created a nice ambiance – and a nice aroma,” she says.
     After dinner, the music kicked in, and guests danced the night away on the upper deck.
     “We both danced with every guest,” says Gloria.
     Gloria said she was elated that her small guest list enabled her to charter a yacht for her wedding.
     “I was thrilled that we were having an intimate wedding because it allowed us to truly enjoy the company and companionship of our friends and family,” she says.