The 230-Guest Late Spring Wedding
Amanda and Jared Kass’s wedding on May 18, 2024, at Hutton Brickyards was a vibrant celebration of love, family, and personal touches. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Hudson Valley, the couple transformed the venue into a whimsical and romantic space filled with bright colors and warm energy. Guests indulged in a culinary spectacle, featuring live open-fire cooking and a show-stopping, freshly prepared cake that amazed everyone. The evening pulsated with joy as the 13-piece Hook Club band kept the dance floor alive, even learning special songs for the couple, including Amanda’s favorite, Unwritten. Jared’s custom suit lined with cherished photos and the intimate family traditions, like a tequila shot before walking down the aisle, added layers of heartfelt meaning. From a custom-inscribed bottle of tequila to a weekend full of love and celebration, the day embodied a perfect blend of luxury, warmth, and unforgettable moments.
Name of Bride and Groom
Amanda & Jared Kass
Date of Wedding
May 18, 2024
Location
River Pavilion
Number of Guests
230
First Steps
How did you two meet, and how long have you been together before getting married?
We met on Hinge, the dating app, but we actually, went to college together and we grew up like 30 minutes away from each other. We were in the same year at Syracuse, and we just never met. So we didn't know each other. Like when we matched on the dating app, I remember being like, wait, he is my year at Syracuse and he is also from Northern New Jersey. And I don't know him. I was like, what? So I went on a date with him and then it turns out we have tons of mutual friends. Our parents know a lot of the same people. But we just never connected until 10 years after we graduated from college. We met in June of 2021, engaged in 2023, and then married in 2024.
Is there a story behind the proposal?
I thought we were going out for dinner for Jared's birthday with his family and it was at this really fancy restaurant. I thought that was a little weird 'cause he's not, like, fancy. And now I know it's 'cause he wanted me to be dressed up with my hair done and everything. And so we were walking to the restaurant and we happened to walk down my favorite street in the city, which is Washington Mews. It's right near Washington Square Park. So we're walking down the street, which wasn't so unusual 'cause anytime we're going somewhere in that direction, we go down that street if we can. And he proposed on that street. And then it turned out my whole family, my parents from Florida, they were all in New York and his whole family was in New York too. And we had a big dinner with both of our parents and siblings to celebrate. So we were not celebrating his birthday.
Venue & Planning
Why did you pick this venue?
I always wanted a destination wedding and Jared always did not want a destination wedding. He thinks that they're inconvenient for the guests. So we kind of agreed that a local destination — both of our families live in the tri-state area — the Hudson Valley was a good mix. I wanted somewhere where we could have our friends and family and it feels like a full weekend because I hate going to a wedding and it being like five hours and that was it. I wanted something that felt like a weekend of celebrations. And so we looked at different places across the whole Hudson Valley and the day that we happened to be visiting Huton Brickyards, it was pouring rain.
And we loved it! I was like, okay, if we love this venue in the pouring rain, I can only imagine the scenario on our wedding day. We loved how big it was and that we were able to have so many guests that were able to stay there. And also that the guests that weren't able to stay there had the town of Kingston so close by that there was stuff to do; they weren't in the middle of nowhere for the whole day on Saturday or for the weekend.
Were there any unique or special touches about the venue that stood out to you?
I just loved the way that they incorporated all the historical bricks and everything around it to make it have such a personality, but still the cabins were updated and luxurious with nice amenities. It felt rustic and industrial, elevated luxury in a rustic way.
Style and Aesthetics
How would you describe the theme or vibe of your wedding? Check all that apply.
✔ Romantic
✔ Whimsical
✔ DIY
Did you incorporate any personal or cultural traditions into your wedding?
We were married by a rabbi, so we did the breaking of the glass. And then we also did the hora, and went up in the chairs — and our parents did too. We also signed a ketubah before the ceremony. My mom surprised us with the Ketubah design that she had made based on our invitations. My friend Paige designed our invitations based on the Hutton ruins.
Vendors and Details
Which vendor (e.g., caterer, photographer, florist) exceeded your expectations the most, and why?
We used the Swell Party (@theswellparty) for our caterer. They do all of their cooking basically live and over open fire. But there's literally not a single one that I wouldn't use again. I loved every single vendor that we selected, and our planner helped us with a lot of those vendor selections, so that was amazing. But the Swell Party, I think, guest facing, was the most like wow factor because during the cocktail hour they were like right on the side of the pavilion and they were like cooking chickens over an open fire. There was a guy that was on a bike that was pedaling the beef roast… so it was kind of like dinner and a show, and everything that they do is like sustainable and organic.
What was your favorite dish?
My friends are still, to this day, talking about the cake 'cause they made it right on the side of the dance floor. They made the cake live. It was a shortcake that had fresh berries and cream on it. I remember there's a picture of me tasting the cake, and my face, you can see is like, I'm shocked, as I'm having the bite of it.
What music or entertainment did you choose, and how did it enhance the celebration?
We used the Hook Club (@thehookclubnyc); I think we had a 13-piece band. Jared had seen them at a wedding years and years ago and he remembered that they were so great and they were unbelievable to work with. They had such energy and the dance floor was packed the entire night. They also DJ'ed the after party, which we did in Hutton Hall, which was so much fun. It was like they, they brought in a disco ball and I told them, I love a club vibe. And they created that for us. My mom's friends to this day text me when their daughters get engaged, like, ‘who is your band?’ They were amazing.
Were there particular wedding songs played?
We're big Bruce Springsteen fans and we told them that, so they made sure to incorporate two or three Bruce songs in there. They did like “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, which is one of my favorite songs. And they actually learned that for us. They had never done that before and he emailed me after our wedding, like ‘that was such a hit. We're now putting that on like our regular list for other people!’
Who made the dress?
The dress maker I worked with was Lela Rose (@lelarosebridal). It was pretty simple, but like exactly what I wanted and they were lovely to work with. Then I changed for the after-party into a short beaded, more party dress, which was super fun, too.
Was there a hair and makeup company?
I used the company beauty icon (@beautyiconnyc) and the woman who did mine was Laura; and she was unbelievable.
Who made the suit?
Jared had a custom suit made by Michael Duru (@duruluxuryclothing), a men's clothing store in South Jersey. It was this beautiful, very, very dark green that they could almost read black. And he surprised me and had the entire lining of the jacket full of pictures of me and him — from when we were younger. So he had a fully lined suit jacket of all of these memories that you could see when he opened his jacket.
The Experience
What moment of the day stands out the most in your memory?
Right before we walked down the aisle, we didn't have like bridesmaids or groomsmen, we just had our siblings as part of our wedding party. So we were all hidden away on one side of Hutton Hall and we did a family shot of tequila before we all walked down the aisle. It was just a really nice moment of being very present with the people who are most important to us. Realizing like, wow, this is about to start. We were there the whole weekend already, but that was the moment that I was like, okay, here we go. Very calm and chill.
We actually had a custom bottle of Don Julio 1942 that was inscribed with our name and the wedding date and two rings on it.
Did you have a favorite place at Hutton?
Yes, the ruins, where we did our first look.
What advice would you give to other couples planning their wedding?
Enjoy the planning process. It's so stressful, there's so much to do, but I loved planning our wedding, and I think because Jared was so involved with me, nothing was a surprise to him. I know people who get to their wedding and you know, the groom has no idea. He just knows where to be and so we had fun with the process and I think that made the whole thing actually less stressful. Obviously, a lot of that credit goes to our planner as well, but I couldn't have been calmer the whole weekend. So I think just enjoy the planning process and make decisions for yourself and not for what you think other people want, because it's about you at the end of the day.
By the way, our planner was Angela from Christofora Events (@christoforaevents) and she really understood the property. She knew exactly what a wedding at Hutton entailed. And that was incredibly helpful for us because you think like, oh, you need to order everything, but there's just things you don't even consider that might not exist on the property.
Reflections
What do you want people to remember most about your wedding?
The biggest compliment that people give me about my wedding, and I've heard it from so many different people, was that there was just so much love in the room. I hope that people do remember because the food was great and the band was great and it was beautiful, but the love in the room was so important.
The Future
Where did you go or where will you go for your honeymoon?
We went to Italy the day after. We went all over, but one of the highlights was Venice Modina, which Modina was like a super highlight for us. It's like the food capital of the world I think. And we stayed in this beautiful bed and breakfast by this famous chef, Masimo Petra. Um, it was called Casa Maria Luigi. And we just relaxed and ate like the most unbelievable food with like, the best vibe in the world. Like I, I, I dream of that hotel and I look forward to going back there one day. Um, and then from there we went to Florence, which was beautiful and we went down to polio, which was on the water and was super relaxing and, and we had a great time.
The Wedding Vendors
Photographer & Videographer: Elario Photography (@jpelario)
Florist: Athabold (@athabold)
Caterer & Cake: The Swell Party (@theswellparty)
Band: The Hook Club (@thehookclubnyc)
Hair & Makeup: Beauty Icon (@beautyiconnyc)
Planner: Christofora Events (@christoforaevents)
Dress: Lela Rose Bridal (@lelarosebridal)
Suit: Michael Duru Clothiers (@duruluxuryclothing)
Stationary: The Creative Paige (@paigetuzee_designs)
Rentals: Events Unlimited (@events_unlimited_party_rentals)
