Magic and Music Filled This Eclectic Wedding at Brooklyn Winery in New York

For their eclectic wedding in Brooklyn, Mary Eliska and Robert Russell, "wanted to have a party with the people we loved, with good food, and dancing! After having dinner there the first time, we both knew that Brooklyn Winery's was going to be the best wedding food either of us had ever had." To achieve the vision they had in mind, the couple settled on a burgundy, peach and dusty blue color palette and filled the evening with an eclectic mix of, "essential aughts pop hits, plus 90s R&B and Motown soul. I never left the dance floor," Mary says. Beyond music, the couple included magic in the evening's entertainment. "We love magic (one of our first dates was to a magic show), and knew we wanted a magician at our wedding. We booked Alex Offenkrantz, who Mary knows from college. He's super funny, personable, and even did a special trick just for us that involved a really cute narrative about love and commitment. That was the only magic we saw up-close, since we spent the majority of the night on the dance floor, but our guests loved him!" When it came to fashion, Mary's, "wedding gown design was a collaboration between myself and my friend, Diana Deane of Diana Dean Bridal and House of Deane. The beaded design on the bodice was inspired by the Persian rug that was the first home purchase Bob and I made together. Within that design are our initials, bluebonnets (state flower of Texas, where I am from) and mayflowers (state flower of Massachusetts, where Bob is from). Diana's husband, Levi did the beading, and we went together to shop for the beads and rhinestones. Throughout the skirt are beaded stars, and other custom symbols. My sister repurposed my mother's wedding gown for her own wedding a few years ago, but Diana sewed a piece leftover lace into the satin layer of the skirt," Mary shares. While her custom made dress turned out beautifully, one thing Mary notes that she wouldn't DIY next time was the overall planning process. "I definitely regret not using a wedding planner. At first, it seemed like such an unnecessary expense, but in the great scheme of our wedding budget, it would have been a relatively small expense for the peace of mind knowing everything is taken care of without having to double and triple check. If you don't have a wedding planner, be thorough even if that means being respectfully annoying."