You'll Love How This New York Couple Combined Industrial Elegance with Rustic Charm!

In April of 2012, Eric made a last-minute decision that would change his life forever. “I headed to a friend’s apartment for a pre-game. While I was there, a girl I’d never met before walked in the door, and I was immediately drawn to her,” he remembers. That girl was Casie. He made a plan to play it cool and make a move at the big party later, but Casie ended up leaving early. “I thought I’d missed my chance, but luckily we ran into each other at another party few weeks later. I asked her out, and I was ecstatic that she said yes!” he says. They clicked immediately, moving in together a year after they first met and getting engaged less than a year after that. “Eric took me to one of our favorite brunch spots and, when we were done eating, he asked to see the dessert menu,” says Casie. “I thought it was strange because he doesn’t love dessert, but when the waitress brought the menu out, it was actually a timeline of our relationship!” He pushed the table aside and got on one knee, and Casie said yes once again.

On a quest for a unique New York-area venue that would fit their understated vision, the pair stumbled upon The Green Building in Brooklyn. “I loved how unassuming it is. From the exterior, it’s a no-frills building on an ordinary block. But inside, it’s charming, rustic, and so warm,” the bride says. They combined industrial elegance with a rustic vibe, and skipped the formal timeline in favor of a cocktail-style reception with amazing food, eclectic seating and tables, and a relaxed atmosphere where guests could experience the wedding the way they wanted to. On October 10, 2015, 170 watched as the bride and groom fell in love with New York all over again, beautifully photographed by Alison Conklin.

The bride sparkled in a beaded Eve of Milady wedding dress — but it wasn’t the first one she picked! “I went to Kleinfeld with my family, and the happiness of knowing I’d be finding my wedding dress led me to pick the gown I was wearing at the time. I saw it on Say Yes to the Dress almost six months later, and realized it wasn’t what I remembered it to be, and that I wasn’t in love with it. So my mom, sister, and I went back.” After trying the dress on again, she realized she had to start the process over, this time falling for a fit-and-flare lace gown that was romantic, sexy, and exactly what she’d dreamed of.

Casie’s twin cousins served as honorary flower girls. “They were too young to make it down the aisle, so we had a little party of our own before the ceremony, with dancing and tons of kisses!” she says.

“It was important to Eric and me that we spend part of the day in Soho, the neighborhood we live in and where our relationship has bloomed,” says Eric. “We had our first look on the corner of Greene and Spring streets, then walked through the neighborhood and into Washington Square Park.”

The groom donned a classic tuxedo with a plum calla lily boutonniere to match the bride’s moody bouquet.

“We loved walking through the streets we know all dressed up — people were shouting ‘Congratulations!’ and taking pictures of us,” Eric says. The pair even stopped at a food truck for a quick pre-wedding empanada!

As the bride and groom passed a barbershop quartet, the musicians began to play “When We Get Married” by Larry Graham. “We stopped right there and had our first dance on Spring Street,” says Casie.

Her 11 bridesmaids all wore navy, choosing convertible gowns by TwoBirds. Eric’s groomsmen wore black suits with silvery gray ties. We can only imagine how fun it must have been to wander the streets of Soho with this crowd!

To complement Casie’s structural bouquet, her bridesmaids carried softer posies of garden roses, ranunculus, and anemones in blush, ivory, and lavender.

The ceremony took place beneath a chuppah draped in greenery and white roses. A curtain of café lights lit the space, with pillar candles and blush rose petals lining the aisle. The couple’s laser-cut ketubah was on display throughout the ceremony.

“I was so nervous just before our ceremony,” Casie remembers. “I was standing outside of the building with my parents, just about to head inside, when a group of little girls came around the corner and asked their moms if I was a princess. It was so sweet!”

The pair wrote their own vows to incorporate into the Jewish ceremony. “We weren’t sure if we were going to do it, but it turned into one of the most special parts of our celebration. We had a calligrapher hand-write them so we could hang them in our apartment!”

At the reception, metal chairs were arranged around reclaimed wood tables with wrought-iron trim. Clusters of votive candles surrounded bud vases filled with anemones, quicksand roses, white O’hara garden roses, and ranunculus.

“We worked really hard on the menu,” says Eric, who chose playful passed hors d’oeuvres and a variety of food stations. “We had my personal favorite, pigs in a blanket, as well as a carving station where guests could make their own steak sandwiches.”

For dessert, the pair cut into a four-tiered funfetti cake with Tahitian vanilla frosting. The textured finish was complemented by fresh blooms that matched the centerpieces.

Of course the cocktail-style reception included a dessert bar! Guests satisfied a craving for sweets with miniature red velvet cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, crispy rice treats, and homemade Twix bars. On the venue’s patio, Casie and Eric set up a cigar and whiskey bar.

“We had an incredible band play during the reception,” says the bride. Adds her groom, “I’ll never forget tearing up the dance floor with my 93-year-old grandfather!” Later on, a DJ took over for the after party, where guests danced and ate grilled cheese and mini pizza bagels.

“We took a few moments to stop and reflect on our wedding,” says Casie. “Make sure to take the time to really appreciate all the work you did, everyone who came out to celebrate with you, and how special this moment in time is!”

Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Green Building || Wedding Coordinator: Alison Szleifer of Naturally Delicious || Day-Of Coordinator: Modern Kicks || Bride’s Wedding Dress: Eve of Milady || Shoes: Jimmy Choo || Hair & Makeup: Keri Berman & Co. || Bridesmaids’ Dresses: TwoBirds Bridesmaid || Groom’s Attire: Ralph Lauren || Florist: Mimosa Floral Design Studio || Invitations & Paper Goods: Suite Paperie || Music: Kenny Ford Band || Catering & Cake: Naturally Delicious || Rentals: Broadway Party Rentals; Patina Rentals || Videographer: Cord 3 Films || Photographer: Alison Conklin Photography

Considering this venue for your own big day? Then see how another couple transformed the Green Building for their wedding in the video below.