What Dare to Dream does

Dare to Dream is a privately held, New York City-based wedding and elopement planning company founded in 2014 by photographer Vlad Leto, who gained recognition after being featured by The New York Times as a Secret Proposal Photographer. The company specializes in intimate ceremonies, micro weddings, and marriage proposals at iconic NYC locations including Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Prospect Park, the High Line, St. Patrick's Cathedral Terrace, and multiple Manhattan rooftops, alongside distinctive proposal experiences such as Times Square Billboard Proposals, Movie Theater Proposals, Carousel Proposals, and horse-and-carriage ceremonies. The leadership team comprises founder Vlad Leto (creative/photography lead) and planner Tatiana Caicedo, who has coordinated hundreds of NYC weddings.

The business model is direct-to-consumer professional services delivered through the company website (daretodream.nyc). Packages typically bundle the officiant, permits, professional photography and/or videography, ceremony coordination, and decor into a single fixed-price SKU, with optional add-ons (extra photography hours, videography, flower arches, musicians, rose petal aisles). Pricing ranges from approximately $900 for a vow renewal to $3,500+ for premium rooftop and movie theater experiences, positioning the company as a luxury-but-affordable alternative to traditional $80,000+ NYC weddings. Underlying operations are entirely human-driven; there is no proprietary technology platform, AI tooling, or mobile application, and the company's defensibility rests on founder brand, venue expertise, earned media, and accumulated permit/regulatory know-how rather than on technology.

The company does not disclose revenue, has not raised outside funding, and operates with a 1–10 person team. Customer acquisition is driven by SEO, an educational blog, earned media in major outlets (NYT, Brides, WSJ, NBC, Fox 5), and word-of-mouth referrals. The customer base is a long tail of individual couples, including both domestic and international destination-wedding clients.

Name

Dare to Dream

Legal name

Dare to Dream

Website

https://daretodream.nyc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dare to Dream is a privately held NYC-based wedding and elopement planning company founded in 2014, specializing in intimate ceremonies, micro weddings, and surprise marriage proposals at iconic New York City venues through all-inclusive fixed-price packages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wedding and Event Planning Services

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Wedding Planning (HSACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pre-Wedding Events Planning (Engagement Party, Bridal Shower, Bachelor/Bachelorette) (HSACABAK), Destination Wedding Planning (HSACABAD), Elopement Planning & Coordination (HSACABAE), Ceremony Planning & Officiant Coordination (HSACABAL), Engagement & Proposal Planning (HSACABAJ)

Keywords

• Wedding ceremony planning
• Elopement planning services
• Micro wedding packages
• Marriage proposal planning
• NYC intimate weddings

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Elopement and Wedding Planning Packages: All-inclusive packages covering ceremony planning, officiant services, photography, venue permits, and coordination for small weddings and elopements in NYC. Packages range from simple ceremony-only offerings to luxury complete wedding experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dare to Dream plans and executes intimate weddings, elopements, marriage proposals, and vow renewals across iconic New York City venues including Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Prospect Park, Times Square, and various rooftop locations. Each all-inclusive package bundles venue permit acquisition, a licensed NYC officiant, professional photography and/or videography, floral décor, and on-site coordination. Packages range from roughly $900 vow renewals to $3,500+ premium proposal experiences, positioned as a luxury alternative to traditional $80,000 NYC weddings.

Product overview

Dare to Dream is a New York City-based wedding and elopement planning company specializing in intimate ceremonies and micro weddings. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of venue-based wedding services centered around iconic NYC locations including Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, various rooftops with Manhattan skyline views, and other landmarks. Their core offerings consist of ceremony packages (vows renewals, elopements, proposals) and add-on services (photography, videography, decorations). Packages typically include officiant services, professional photography/videography, venue rental, flowers, and coordination. Key venues include Modern Midtown Rooftop, Downtown Manhattan Private Rooftop, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Prospect Park, St. Patrick's Cathedral Terrace, and various Central Park locations. The company also offers unique proposal experiences such as Times Square Billboard Proposals, Movie Theater Proposals, Carousel Proposals, and Horse and Carriage ceremonies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rose Heart Wedding Ceremony All-inclusive Central Park wedding ceremony package with fresh flower petals decoration, rose petals aisle and rose heart, flower arch, 1-hour videography, NYC licensed officiant, and Central Park permit. Music and additional photography available as upgrades. Priced at $2,900.
• Brooklyn Bridge Park Ceremony Wedding ceremony at Brooklyn Bridge Park with up to 20 standing guests. Includes 1-hour ceremony, NYC officiant, 1-hour professional photography, bouquet and boutonniere, and permit. Flower arch, champagne, day coordination, and extra photography available as upgrades. Priced at $1,800.
• Prospect Park Ceremony Wedding ceremony at Prospect Park accommodating up to 25 guests. Includes 1-hour ceremony at location of choice with permit requiring 30-day notice. Rain or shine. Priced at $1,700.
• The High Line Park Ceremony High Line Park ceremony coordination. Permit fee of $150 applies if decorations are needed; no permit required for groups under 20. Priced at $1,500.
• Downtown Manhattan Private Rooftop Ceremony Private rooftop wedding ceremony with Manhattan skyline views. Includes 1-hour rental, 1-hour professional photography, sparkling wine, and capacity for up to 10 guests. Available 9am-11pm daily. Priced at $2,735.
• Stylish Downtown Rooftop Ceremony Private rooftop in historic downtown Manhattan for intimate engagements and small celebrations. Includes terrace rental, floral columns for altar, with optional upgrades available.
• Empire State Building View Rooftop Ceremony Rooftop venue with direct Empire State Building views, featuring both indoor and outdoor areas. Includes rose bouquet and chocolate-covered strawberries. Can be rescheduled based on availability; upgrades include video, rose petal aisle, and cupcakes. Priced at $2,600.
• Sunset Ceremony Rooftop Rooftop ceremony venue with nearly 360-degree Manhattan skyline views. Limited to small ceremonies up to 10 guests. Available Monday-Sunday. Can be upgraded to full venue rental for $3,500 extra.
• St. Patrick's Cathedral Terrace Ceremony Wedding ceremony at Rockefeller Center area with terrace and room rental. Includes professional photographer, champagne, and accommodates up to 25 guests. Available Monday-Friday.
• Horse and Carriage Wedding Ceremony Package Central Park wedding ceremony with white horse and carriage ride. Accommodates up to 25 guests at locations including Ladies Pavilion, Bow Bridge, Gapstow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain, Belvedore Castle, and Shakespeare Garden. Includes high-resolution images. Rain or shine. Priced at $2,800.
• Simple Ceremony and Photography Package Basic wedding ceremony package with NYC licensed officiant, online consultation, 1-hour professional photography, ceremony witness, and ring box. Flower arch, bridal bouquet, videography, and musician available as upgrades. Priced at $1,400.
• Vows Renewal Package Ceremony package for vow renewals including online planning, 1-hour professional photography, flower bouquet and boutonniere, wedding coordinator, detailed map, park permit, and speaker for music. Videography, musician, decorations, and officiant available as upgrades. Rain or shine. Priced at $900.
• Modern Midtown Rooftop Proposal Rooftop proposal package featuring Empire State Building views. Includes 1-hour rooftop rental, professional photographer, personal proposal planner, rose bouquet, premium candles, complimentary champagne, and 'Marry Me' sign. Upgrades available for musician, additional candles, rose petal aisle, video, and flower arch. Priced at $2,800.
• Candlelight Proposal Romantic proposal package featuring 50 LED candles and fairy lights decoration, professional secret photographer for 30 minutes, 'Marry ME' marquee sign, and speaker for proposal song. Video, musician, rose petals heart, and custom neon sign available as upgrades. Priced at $950.
• Enchanting Gazebo Marriage Proposal Intimate gazebo proposal in Central Park with exclusive decorations. Includes 1-hour exclusive decorations, professional photography for 30 minutes, proposal coordinator, 3 ft LED 'Marry Me' letters, speaker, and 100 LED candles and string lights. Requires 20-day notice for permit. Musician, flower arch, custom neon sign, and flower bouquet available as upgrades. Priced at $1,950.
• Times Square Billboard Proposal High-impact proposal with couple's picture displayed on 2 giant Times Square billboards for 5 minutes airtime. Includes secret photographer, proposal planner, flower bouquet, and restaurant reservation. Flashmob dancers and limo upgrades available. Priced at $2,300.
• Movie Theater Proposal Exclusive movie theater rental with personalized movie trailer for a marriage proposal. Includes flower bouquet and professional photographer. Available daily 9am-12pm. Requires 3 weeks notice and presence in NYC. Priced at $3,500.
• Carousel Proposal Exclusive 1-hour private use of historic Brooklyn carousel. Includes champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, large format printed pictures, and music playlist of choice.
• Antique Car + Private Rooftop Proposal Limousine pickup at location with chauffeur-driven tour of NYC landmarks, secret rooftop with musician and photographer, and majestic decorations. Approximately 3-hour duration.
• 1 Hour Photography Professional photography coverage during and after ceremony. High-resolution images delivered via online gallery. Available as an add-on to any ceremony or proposal package.
• 1 Hour Videography Professional video coverage during and after ceremony. High-resolution edited video delivered via Dropbox. Available daily, rain or shine. Can be purchased as an add-on.
• Wedding Arch Rental Crescent moon arch rental with silk flower arrangement. 6.6 ft arch with delivery, installation, and takedown at ceremony location included. NYC area only.
• NYC Marriage License Assistance Assistance with NYC marriage license from the NYC City Clerk Office. $35 government fee for marriage license; extended Certificate for Foreign Use is an additional $35 for international couples.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Zola: Wedding registry and planning platform expanding into vendor booking and website services. Overlaps with Dare to Dream in serving modern couples who prefer streamlined, digital-first wedding experiences, though Zola's core is registry and vendor marketplace.
• The Knot Worldwide: Dominant wedding planning platform offering vendor directories, planning tools, websites, and registry. Comparable as a competing discovery and planning channel for engaged couples, but operates as a broad marketplace rather than as a NYC elopement specialist.
• WeddingWire: Wedding vendor marketplace and planning platform with broad geographic coverage. Comparable as an incumbent channel through which couples discover and book NYC wedding vendors, competing for organic search visibility against Dare to Dream's SEO-driven content.
• Brides: Major wedding media brand owned by Dotdash Meredith providing planning content, vendor directories, and inspiration. Directly comparable as a content/marketing channel that has featured Dare to Dream, and competes for couples' planning attention.

Direct peers

• Here Comes The Guide: Wedding venue and vendor directory with a strong editorial focus on unique and intimate wedding venues. Directly comparable as a discovery resource for couples seeking non-traditional, smaller-scale wedding experiences similar to Dare to Dream's NYC offerings.
• The Yes Girls: Specialist marriage proposal planning company offering curated surprise proposal experiences with photography and decoration. Directly competes with Dare to Dream's proposal packages (Times Square Billboard, Movie Theater, Rooftop proposals) targeting the same engagement occasion.

Emerging players

• Offbeat Bride: Alternative wedding media brand and community focused on non-traditional, intimate, and unconventional weddings. Closely aligned with Dare to Dream's micro-wedding and elopement positioning, reaching a similar audience segment of couples rejecting traditional large weddings.

Others

• ForeverBride: Wedding vendor marketplace and inspiration platform. Adjacent competitor for vendor discovery traffic and an ecosystem participant through which couples research and book wedding services, including those overlapping with Dare to Dream's offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dare to Dream