This Wedding at Basilica Hudson in Upstate New York is a Masterclass in Rocking Bold Colors
Brittany Hicks and Manny Sevillano’s love story is a testament to the power of friendship, laughter and dance. Their journey began in college, where they had many mutual friends but didn’t know each other very well. They reunited in New York City after graduation and quickly became close friends, often found laughing together on the dance floor. “We had tons of ridiculous inside jokes and could always read each other’s minds from across the room,” Brittany says.
Their friendship eventually turned into romance, and they navigated various challenges over their nearly 10-year relationship, including moving across the country and living with Manny’s parents during the pandemic. “Manny proposed while on a hike with some of our college friends in September of 2020, and after two years of rigorous party planning, we were married on June 11, 2022,” shares the bride.
Brittany and Manny embraced a “no rules” kind of wedding, combining tradition with unique and personal touches. Inspired by the Coldplay album Mylo Xyloto, the couple chose the cover art as the overarching theme. For the design and decor of the day, they focused on the spray paint and splashes of color from the cover, incorporating the bold style into every facet of their event.
The bride and groom made their wedding-day fashion choices per their personalities. As lovers of dance, the pair wanted to make sure they could move comfortably. Brittany chose a fitted off-the-shoulder gown with a stylish leg slit (perfect for dancing) with a dip-dye pattern in the train. Manny went with a custom, classic black suit. “Manny and I worked together to design the overall looks and designs for each member of the wedding party, as well as our own outfits,” the bride reveals. “We did a lot of fashion sketches together.” As a result, the wedding party sported custom color gradients in their attire.
These stunning, bold colors made their way into the ceremony decor. The couple said “I do” in front of a hexagonal wedding “arch” with neon borders and a bright arrangement overhead. The palette packed a punch set against the industrial vibe of their venue.
Brittany values do-it-yourself projects—she created unique, out-of-the-box items for the wedding. She said, “If you believe in your vision, you can make it happen, no matter what others say.” Her most ambitious DIY project was their “shoe wall,” which doubled as the reception seating chart and favors. They bought each guest their own pair of sneakers and attached their name and table assignment to the laces. “What we always hated about weddings was that we’d be trying to dance at the reception while wearing the most incredibly uncomfortable shoes,” Brittany said. According to the couple, their guests still wear their sneakers to this day.
Brittany and her team dip-dyed 150 white napkins and table runners to match her selected table colors, which took about two months to complete. The result was a reception like few had ever seen: long tables, each with its own color theme, featuring candles, vases, low arrangements, runners and napkins in that bold hue. Disco balls in varying sizes and neon-colored feather-and-flower arrangements decorated the ceiling over the dance floor, where guests boogied the night away—and then some. “We had so many people say, ‘We couldn’t leave the dance floor because the songs just kept getting better!’” smiles the bride. “That was exactly what we were hoping for.” In addition to lively vibes, the newlyweds wanted the music to celebrate Manny’s Puerto Rican heritage. “We found this unbelievable band who learned a few custom songs for our ceremony and ‘family dance’—they also played during our welcome party and reception dinner.”
“We decided to host our after-party in the same room as our ceremony,” Brittany explains. “Since our theme was full of color and surprises, we had a big idea to flip the ceremony room from ‘day’ to ‘night’ by creating an altar and a series of spray-painted structures that were full of bright colors during the day and turned neon/glow-in-the-dark at night (using black lights and glow-in-the-dark paint). It was the perfect way to transform the space and get our guests pumped for the after-party fun.”
Brittany advises future couples, “Forget the rules! Don’t let anyone talk you into something you don’t want to do, and feel free to mash up, change, challenge or create brand-new traditions. The day is about you as a couple, so you should feel free to celebrate in whatever way feels most unique and memorable to you.”