This Rooftop Urban Garden Wedding at Brooklyn Grange Farm Had Stunning Views of New York City

Celebrating their beloved city was paramount for Brianna Brandon (30 and a vice president of operational excellence and risk management at a bank) and Meaghan Collins (30 and chief of staff at a venture capital firm) when planning their wedding. “We are Brooklynites and love this city,” explains the couple. “We wanted to support our city and local businesses recovering from the financial impact of the pandemic. We made a concerted effort to buy locally and enlist vendors from Brooklyn and the New York City area and aimed to have a sustainable event.” In the end, Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop urban farm that works with vendors that adhere to certain sustainability standards, helped them bring their locally sourced, eco-conscious wedding to life. 

For their day, the couple wanted a vibe that felt like a “city kids’ version of a garden party with a healthy dose of high-school reunion kitschyness,” Brianna says. “The reunion feel came naturally considering most of the guests hadn’t been to a wedding (or any large gathering) in over a year.” “Like in a garden, we wanted the flowers to be wild, informal, colorful and in-season,” says the duo. Their florist designed arrangements with rudbeckia, marigolds, foxglove, cosmos, dahlias and zinnias, as well as summer grasses, herbs and green vines. Floral garlands draped from the ceiling created “an effortless, simple, airy” feel.

Before she even met Meaghan, Brianna knew exactly who would make her wedding suit one day. After watching a documentary about Bindle & Keep, a Brooklyn-based tailor that specializes in nonbinary formal wear, Brianna knew the designer was the perfect fit. Meaghan had three pearl buttons from her maternal grandmother’s wedding dress sewn into her train.

Many ingredients for the menu were sourced directly from the site. “Our menu was light, summery and fresh,” Brianna says. “The mac and cheese katsu sandos were my favorite, and I also loved the tuna tartare and lobster tostada.” To cap off the menu, the couple ordered cake from the bakery where they had their first date. "One of my obsessions in the wedding planning process was specialty ice cubes engraved with our initials. A small business in Long Island City made my vision a reality," shares Brianna. Customized ice wasn’t the only thing that made the specialty cocktails unique—the ingredients were just as creative. The couple served “Coming Up Roses” with vodka, rosewater, lemon-honey syrup and cardamom. A “Garden Spritz” was also on deck, with Forthave Red apertivo, cava, and orange twist and fresh herbs from Brooklyn Grange.