The Spectacularly Planned, Dance-Crazy Weekend Wedding
Set against the sweeping Hudson River and the raw, cinematic backdrop of Hutton Brickyards, Nikki and Eric’s wedding unfolded as a bold, high-energy weekend that felt more like a private festival than a traditional celebration. Designed for 300 guests to gather, stay, and experience the moment together, the property’s expansive, multi-space layout allowed every part of the weekend — from a lively welcome party to a packed, euphoric dance floor and late-night afterparty — to flow seamlessly in one place. The couple leaned into Hutton’s industrial-meets-nature aesthetic, transforming its soaring pavilions with lush greenery, jewel-toned florals, and playful, unexpected details like fruits, vegetables, and even bricks woven into richly layered tablescapes. The result was immersive and deeply personal: meaningful traditions, unforgettable music, standout food, and a palpable sense of joy and connection that carried from morning to night.
Name of Bride and Groom
Nikki Mendell Edelman and Eric Edelman
Date of Wedding
9/9/2023
Location
Butler and Lidgerwood Pavilion, Hutton Hall, River Pavilion
Number of Guests
300
First Steps
How did you two meet, and how long have you been together before getting married?
We met on Hinge, the dating app. It was the first match in March, 2021. We had a phone call before our first date, and by the time we went on it, I think we were both really excited.
Our first date was in the East River Park; he asked me if I wanted to play bocce in the East River Park. I agreed despite thinking it was a little unusual. So I met him at the park, and we halfheartedly threw around some bocce balls while chatting and getting to know each other. And after about 45 minutes, we were like, okay, maybe we should just go get dinner because it's getting awkward talking to each other from across this field. So we walked to the East Village.
Along the way, we discovered that both of us have food allergies, which was an early thing that we bonded over. And so we were able to find a restaurant that satisfied all of our allergies, which basically meant we ate some protein and vegetables. And it was really fun. We had some moments where sparks were flying and then he walked me home.
Walk me through the timeline.
First date, April 20th, 2021. Within a couple of weeks, he was officially my boyfriend. And then the proposal was on August 19th, 2022. So little over a year after meeting. And then the wedding was September 9th, 2023.
Is there a story behind the proposal?
Him: The proposal needed to be a big surprise to make up for the overall lack of surprise that we were getting married. I told Nikki that we had dinner with my friends at Dumbo House, in Brooklyn, and I had both of our parents and siblings waiting on a rooftop terrace overlooking a lower restaurant terrace. We sat down to eat, and then I had a saxophonist pop out of the bushes and start playing music. I proposed and then they came down and joined us for dinner.
Oh my God. I've never heard anything like that. That's spectacular.
Her: It's one of my favorite things to have, a surprise saxophone player [laughs].
Him: I knew Nikki would really like a surprise sax. And normally you're not allowed to take photos or anything at Dumbo House, but I persuaded the staff that this would be a fun moment for their diners, and they should let it slide.
Her: And it was the most beautiful summer night, we’re outside on this terrace with the Brooklyn Bridge behind us, and the water and the sunset were insane. Eric planned that sunset very well.
Venue & Planning
Why did you choose Hutton Brick Yards for your wedding?
We made a preliminary guest list based on each of us having a lot of family and a lot of friends. We knew that one of our biggest criteria would be capacity. That eliminated a bunch of the upstate New York venues, like smaller farmhouses. And then, we reached out to a bunch of venues, and Hutton was on the list and it checked a lot of boxes.
One thing we really loved about Hutton was the opportunity to give it sort of a campus feel. We both went to sleepaway camp. We love being in cabins, being on the water. We really wanted the weekend to feel like a getaway, especially for our friends and family, where we can spend a lot of time together, not just see each other at the wedding events. We wanted to be within driving distance from New York City, and I'm from Westchester, so there's a convenience factor and Eric's from Massachusetts, so also not too far from his family. We loved the whole vibe and the aesthetics.
We knew we wanted something that felt a little funky, not a traditional wedding venue, and just the fact that they had the flexibility for so many people and multiple spaces on site. We hosted every part of the wedding on site, from the Friday welcome party, everything that happened on Saturday, the reception, and then the after-party. So it made it a one-stop destination.
Him: I work in real estate and I've done a bunch of adaptive reuse projects. The fact that Hutton was this converted brickyard was a very cool angle and made it all the more special and feel like it was the right place for us.
How many people were there?
We had 300 guests.
Did you have a favorite room or area?
Those ruins were kind of cool and made for a great photo backdrop. Overall, I think all of the pieces together were really what made it special. It was really nice to use River Pavilion for the welcome party. And then they have these huge airport hangars and a place to build what we envisioned.
Did some guests stay at Hutton Brickyards and others stayed at other hotels in the area?
Our immediate family, some aunts and uncles and grandparents, and our wedding party all stayed on the property. We invited them to do so and set aside rooms for them. And we had a few more people stay at the mansion. And then everyone else stayed at a few other local hotels.
What was the deciding factor for the date or the season of your wedding?
In general, we were looking for fall dates, like September and October. Because we knew there would be a big outdoor component, so we didn't want it to be too hot or too cold.
Style and Aesthetics
How would you describe the theme or vibe of your wedding?
✔ Funky
✔ non-traditional
✔ whimsical
✔ super lush
✔ vibrant
On the colors and tone
I wanted beautiful fall colors and jewel tones, and fruits and vegetables on the tables as part of the decor and to mix in with the flowers. It's something I had seen at some weddings before, and brings more color and texture into the space. We wanted it to feel like being in nature. Our amazing floral team built fake trees that were stationed throughout the space; the challenge with those hangars is that the ceilings are extremely high, and you don't want it to feel so vast. That was a way to make it feel a bit cozier.
How did you come upon choosing the colors and the fruits and vegetables?
I did a ton of research on Instagram and Pinterest so I had something for our vendors. And I was able to give them adjectives to help understand what I wanted. Also, I didn't want it to be all beige and white neutrals. Someone had the idea to incorporate bricks across the tables — because Hutton has so many bricks just lying around. Those were woven into these very ornate tablescapes.
Vendors and Details
Best vendor?
They were all incredible. Specifically, our planners were amazing. They coordinated everything. Stone Kelly, who did our florals… our caterer, Marcia Selden Catering, was unbelievable — really good wedding food that people talk to us about for months after.
The Dane Wright Band was good, too. Both of us were heavily involved in the process of coming up with the playlist. That was really important to us. We both love weddings because we love a dance floor and we love to dance. And it surpassed our expectations in terms of the level of enthusiasm. Everyone was dancing. The last song was a mashup of the Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” and “All These Things That I've Done.” It was an epic last song. We also had Dane Wright musicians for our ceremony. We also worked with them on instrumental covers of all of our aisle songs.
Tell me more about the food.
Our caterer, Marcia Selden Catering, was amazing. They also catered our Friday night welcome dinner. They made gluten-free pizzas for Eric that were really good. And our cake was from a place called By the Way Bakery—an allergen-friendly bakery. It was nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and strawberry-shortcake flavored. And it was honestly amazing.
How about the outfits?
Him: I was adamant about wearing a green suit for Friday night and initially encountered some skepticism, but I prevailed and I think it came out great. We had two or three backup shirts because we knew that we'd be dancing a lot and getting sweaty, and that turned out to be a very good idea. Those backup shirts came in handy.
Who did your dress, hair and makeup?
My makeup artist was Ashleigh Ciucci. She's not traditionally a wedding makeup artist, but she did it as a favor for me — especially because our wedding was during New York Fashion Week where she was also working. My hair was done by Lauren Baxter — but more glam. I budgeted to have her stay through the ceremony, through the reception, until the after-party for hair touch-ups. And it ended up being amazing because of how much we were dancing and how sweaty we were. My mom and I, every time there was like a little break, were running back and blow-drying and getting touched up. I would definitely recommend it to any bride if you have the budget to do it. Makeup typically stays, but your hair can get really crazy.
And your dress?
My dress was by Reem Acra. I thought that I wanted a very simple, sleek, white traditional kind of dress. I didn't think I wanted lace at all, but throughout the process, I was changing my mind. And when I found this dress, I loved it for a few reasons. The lace is a little bit less traditional. It's kind of funkier. Sort of having a floral nature vibe fits in with the venue. But really, one of my number one priorities was: Is it comfortable enough to dance in? And this was because it didn't show wrinkles, it didn't show sweat. And it was lightweight. I didn't want a huge skirt that I'd be carrying around. So it a hundred percent served my goal of being unencumbered on the dance floor.
Tell us about the jewelry rental.
Verstolo is a jewelry rental company based in New York City. You pay a small fraction of the price of an actual earring or bracelet. And you rent it for the weekend, for your wedding, or for any occasion. I wore earrings and a bracelet. It's unique because these are pieces that typically only celebrities get. And they figured out a way to make it accessible to anyone. Reach out to Lauren on their team — she will do virtual appointments.
How does it work?
They have a showroom in New York near the Diamond District with a bunch of pieces available to try on. They'll ship it to you or you go pick it up before the wedding weekend. hen you mail it back on Sunday or Monday.
Is there one particular moment that stands out?
Him: We wrote our own vows and that was a special part of the day. They overlapped nicely and had a lot of common elements without any coordination from us. It felt like everything was aligned.
Her: The morning of the wedding, we woke up and ran around the Hutton campus, where our family was staying, and woke everyone up. We were so excited. It’s exactly what we wanted in terms of a casual, bumping into people while we were celebrating. And then, on the dance floor, they played “Shout,” which is a song that I've loved since college. It's a thing with all my college friends; we get really excited and jump up and down, and the band made it so fun. A bunch of the instruments came out into the middle of the dance floor, and they were doing all this improv and everyone was dancing. It just was one of those surrounded-by-love-and-fun kind of feelings. There's actually a picture of me in this moment where I'm just like, oh my God, like this is like so cool.
Were there elements of any cultural or religious traditions that you incorporated into your wedding?
Our ketubah signing was a really nice moment right before the ceremony, when we all gathered with our family and our bridal party in Hutton Hall. It was one of the calmer moments. We were married by my rabbi from growing up. He bat mitzvahed with me and he actually retired from our temple, but he came up from Florida for the wedding.
We both had tallises from our grandpas to use as part of the ceremony. My mom had a family kiddish cup, so there were a lot of family traditions woven in. We're both reform — so it wasn't that religious, but we did incorporate some of the more traditional blessings. We did the seven circles in the beginning. The symbolism of the huppah was both beautiful and meaningful. And my uncle cut the challah for us, and he gave a really nice speech.
What advice would you give other couples who are planning their wedding?
We used spreadsheets very effectively, we're very organized. Start early. We planned ahead and that made it a lot less stressful than if we tried to do it all at once in short order.
When did you start planning it? How many months in advance?
Basically, a year. We front-loaded the big decisions. Advice: Look at every decision that needs to be made and prioritize the ones that feel most important to your experience. So for us, music and decor were really important. Eric cared more about the food. So that was another way to divide and conquer. We tried to optimize for things that would really enhance the guest experience.
Was there anything that you want people to remember most about your wedding?
Just the good time was had by all. Really good energy in the room. A lot of love and excitement. We should also mention our parents and our family gave really nice speeches, giving us a chance to sit down, take a breath, look around the room and take it all in.
The Wedding Vendors
Bride
Groom
Eric Edelman
Wedding Planner
Victoria Dubin from Victoria Dubin Events and Amy Hardisty from Whitehall Events
Photo
Nicolas Manassi for Roey Yohai Studios
Florals & Event Design
Venue
Band
Dane Wright Band from Hank Lane Music
Catering
Cake
Makeup
Hair
Wedding Gown
Stationery
Styling
Jewelry Rental
