If you are planning a wedding at Pier Sixty or Current, you are getting married out on the Hudson at Chelsea Piers, which is one of the few places in Manhattan where the whole celebration happens right on the water. I have photographed here, and I want to give you a useful version of a venue guide. Not the brochure. The things that actually help you get good photographs and a smooth day.
First, the names, because they confuse people. Pier Sixty and Current are sister venues, both part of the same Pier Sixty group at Chelsea Piers. Pier Sixty is the larger ballroom space. Current is the other event space in the same complex. They sit side by side out on the pier; they share the same setting on the water, and much of what is true for one is true for the other. If you are deciding between them or have already booked one, this guide covers both.
Everything happens in one place
The single most practical thing to know about getting married here is that the whole day is spent under one roof. Ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all happen in the same complex out on the pier. Nobody travels between the ceremony and the party. Your guests do not get in cars, there is no second address to coordinate, and the timeline has no transit gap to plan around.
For a Manhattan wedding, that is genuinely valuable. Getting a hundred guests from a ceremony site to a reception site in this city is a small logistical event in itself, and here you simply do not have to. You arrive, and everything you need is there.
Where to take portraits
This is where Chelsea Piers earns its keep, and it is the part most couples do not fully realize when they book.
The outdoor space around the piers photographs beautifully, and there is a lot of it. You are right on the Hudson, so you have the water, the open sky, and the light coming off the river, which in the late afternoon and at golden hour is some of the best light in the city. If the weather cooperates, ask your photographer to walk you out along the water. There is room to move, and the backdrops keep changing.
My favorite move here is to walk down toward the end of the complex near the lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, where there is real outdoor green space. Green space on the Manhattan waterfront is rare, and it offers a completely different view from the water-and-sky frames, all in the same location. Between the open water, the piers themselves, and the green space at the end, you can get a lot of range in your portraits without ever leaving Chelsea Piers.
What to do if it rains
This is the thing I most want couples here to know, because it is the venue’s quiet superpower and almost nobody plans for it.
The covered walkways that run between the piers, connecting the different buildings in the complex, overlook the water where the boats are docked. They are sheltered, so you stay dry, but they are open to the air and the view, so the photographs read as if you are outside. On a rainy wedding day, that is enormous. It means you do not have to choose between staying dry and getting that on-the-water look. You can have both.
So if your forecast turns and you have been picturing outdoor portraits on the Hudson, do not panic and do not assume you are stuck shooting indoors. Tell your photographer you want to use the covered passageways between the piers. You will get sheltered, comfortable, genuinely good-looking photographs with the boats and the water right there behind you. A rainy day at Chelsea Piers is a much better day for photography than most couples expect.
Parking and getting there
Chelsea Piers is on the far west side of Manhattan along the Hudson, which is not a part of the city people associate with easy parking, so this is worth knowing in advance.
There is valet parking on site, which is the simplest option for you and for any guests driving in. One pier over, you can also park in the lighthouse parking lot at Chelsea Piers. Between the two, driving guests have real options, which is not something you can take for granted at a Manhattan venue. If you have many out-of-town guests arriving by car, this is a genuine convenience worth mentioning in your wedding details.
A few things to plan for
Build a little time into your timeline for the walk out to the portrait spots. The water and the green space near the lighthouse are worth it, but they are a walk from the event space, so you want that built into the schedule rather than squeezed in. Fifteen or twenty minutes of dedicated portrait time out on the piers goes a long way.
And whatever the forecast says, remember the covered walkways. They are the reason a Chelsea Piers wedding works in any weather.
Frequently Asked Questions: Pier Sixty and Current Weddings
What is the difference between Pier Sixty and Current?
Pier Sixty and Current are sister venues at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, both run by the same Pier Sixty group. Pier Sixty is the larger ballroom space, and Current is the other event space in the same complex. They sit side by side out on the pier and share the same setting on the Hudson. A lot of what is true for one is true for the other.
Where can you take wedding portraits at Chelsea Piers?
The outdoor space around the piers, right on the Hudson, is the main draw. The water and sky give you open backdrops with great light in the late afternoon. The walk down toward the lighthouse at Chelsea Piers also opens onto real outdoor green space, which is rare on the Manhattan waterfront and offers a completely different view without leaving the venue.
What happens if it rains at a Pier Sixty or Current wedding?
The covered walkways that run between the piers and connect the different buildings in the complex are the answer. They are sheltered, so you stay dry, but they are open to the air and look out over the boats and the water, so the photographs read as if you are outside. A rainy day at Chelsea Piers is a much better day for photography than most couples expect.
Is there parking at Pier Sixty and Current?
Yes, there is valet parking on site. One pier over, you can also park in the lighthouse parking lot at Chelsea Piers. Between the two, driving guests have real options, which is unusual for a Manhattan venue.
Do the ceremony, cocktails, and reception happen in the same place?
Yes. The whole day is spent at Chelsea Piers. Ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all happen in the same complex out on the pier, so guests do not travel between the ceremony and the party, and there is no transit gap to plan around in the timeline.
How long should you allow for portraits at Chelsea Piers?
Build fifteen to twenty minutes of dedicated portrait time out on the piers into your timeline. The water and the green space near the lighthouse are worth the walk, but they are a walk from the event space, so you want that built into the schedule rather than squeezed in.
Where do photographers like to shoot at Chelsea Piers?
The water side at golden hour, the covered passageways between the piers in any weather, and the green space at the lighthouse end of the complex are the three I come back to. Together, they give you a lot of range without ever leaving the venue.
The short version
A Pier Sixty or Current wedding puts your whole day on the Hudson in one place, with no travel between ceremony and reception, real parking, and some of the best outdoor portrait options in Manhattan right outside the door. Use the water and the green space by the lighthouse when it is clear. Use the covered passageways between the piers when it rains. Plan a little time for walking into your day. Do those things, and you will come away with a gorgeous set of photographs from right on the water.
If you are getting married at Chelsea Piers and want to talk about how to make the most of it, get in touch.
