Tuesday, September 1, 2009

A Baraat in NYC?

Just this past weekend, we had a baraat (Groom's procession on a horse) that needed to start & arrive at the South Street Seaport, specifically Bridgewaters, in NYC. This was a challenging task to say the least as it is a public street & for the most part, we have always had a hotel or venue parking lot that can be used. Should you find yourself in this position, do the following:

1. Call the precinct in the district to ask about any permitting issues with a live animal on public streets. In this case, it was the 1st precinct.
2. Make sure the horse & carriage company have the proper insurance certificates on hand.
3. Make sure a carriage is able to make the journey to the venue as there could be road blocks or posts preventing cars from accessing the area. A horse is the safest option.
4. Should there not be a sufficient sidewalk & you need to block off any streets, call 311 or the Community Board for the area you are having your wedding to get those permits in place.
5. ALWAYS account for rain & have a back up plan.

I hope this is helpful. As always, it was a fabulous event - promise to share pictures soon!