An Intimate, Winter Wedding With Vintage Vibes Inside the Couple's Brooklyn Pizzeria

Brooklyn, New York locals, Erica and Gregory, first met on a dating app. They instantly hit it off with their first date lasting hours, and eventually postponing Erica’s big move to LA indefinitely. Since the duo had an interest in wellness and Gregory had expertise in food, they decided to collaborate on a business venture. And what better idea than a food truck? That soon expanded into two food trucks before they made plans to officially open a pizzeria. Beyond owning a business together, Gregory had plans on their fifth anniversary to commit even further. “He took me on our first date all over again. We sat at the bar in the same place we did when we first met. The next morning, he proposed at home, just the two of us,” Erica says.

With their pizzeria playing such a major role in their love story, the to-be-weds couldn’t think of a better place to host their January wedding and start the next chapter of their lives together.  Also, the pizzeria, named Agata after Gregory’s aunt, was still months away from being ready for their grand opening in the spring, which meant their wedding guests would be the first ones to get a sneak peek of the space. Erica says, “Coming ‘home’ to NYC to open our new pizza shop and be closer to our growing family felt destined. We spent all year renovating and designing every inch of the pizzeria together; it's truly our ‘love fern.'"

The intimate space, with its wooden accents and cozy vibes, utilized florals and vintage finds to create a “timeless and romantic” aesthetic. “The color palette was dynamic earth tones, and we filled the space with flowers, vintage brass and candles for a classic feel,” Erica adds. Pearl-adorned anthuriums and ikebana-style flower arrangements in reds, greens and whites gave that mid-winter feel the couple wanted. The florals were a feature element amidst the personal touches. 

Erica utilized her background in fashion to find vintage-style attire for her and her groom-to-be. Plus, Gregory and Erica wanted to bring winter fabrics to the forefront, to match the city's crisp weather. “I wore an ivory open-back, long-sleeve silk gown by Michelle Mason,” the bride says. “I paired it with a vintage jacket, which I adorned with pins that are family heirlooms,” she continues. She even surprised herself by finding a pearl veil she loved, a subtle nod to the anthuriums throughout the decor. As for Gregory, he brought a bit of color to the wedding palette with his olive green Todd Snyder velvet tuxedo. 

There were many special wedding-day moments, like the couple's fathers meeting for the first time that morning and having their families finally together in the same room. Erica says, “We've gone through a lot with merging our families with seemingly different backgrounds, and wanted to create a safe space for everyone to feel the love and enjoy themselves.” For the spiritual ceremony, the couple involved their families throughout, with a collective meditation, a ring-warming ceremony and readings from their brothers.

To transform the venue, their vendors adorned the empty spaces with intricate floral arrangements, antique brass, vintage candelabras and ivory candlesticks. The seating for the ceremony space was a mix of fruitwood chairs and bar stools, and they included elements that spoke to their tastes. “Adding in details like personalized cocktail napkins, custom matches and pearl-studded anthuriums was very 'us.' We spent months creating a playlist that felt authentic and personal, featuring songs from Labi Siffre and Hermanos Gutiérrez,” Erica says. The pizzeria was also the venue for the cocktail hour and champagne toast. “We lined the pizzeria's service counter with a champagne tower, charcuterie and crudités runner from a local cheese shop in Brooklyn and pastel de nata,” the bride adds.

Rounding out the night at The Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan was meaningful for the newlyweds, since they spent many date nights there. They even enjoyed a retro, Lambeth-style cake with piped icing and maraschino cherries that had “just married” written on top. Planning their personalized day and inviting loved ones to Agata brought the wedding of their dreams to life, all while they stayed true to their vision. “We'd encourage any couples getting married to make things as authentic to them as possible. Prioritizing letting your personalities shine rather than pleasing others is the most important thing,” Erica says.