A Brooklyn Wedding With Ombré Flowers and a Rainbow Color Palette

When Kevin noticed David’s Instagram profile on his Explore page, he saw a few pictures from a Shoshana Bean concert (she's his favorite singer). The two chatted a bit on the app, and a few months later, Kevin ran into David at a mutual friend’s party (talk about fate). Too shy to say hello, Kevin messaged David after the party to confirm it was, in fact, him. They quickly agreed to a coffee date—and the rest is history.

On the New Year’s Eve before 2021, David popped the question by convincing Kevin to cook an elaborate four-course meal with him. “I just thought we were having a fancy private New Year's Eve celebration,” Kevin says. “Little did I know that I was catering our private engagement dinner!”

Almost two years later, the couple invited 125 guests to The Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York, on October 1, 2022, for their wedding. They enlisted help from planner and designer Lindsey Shaktman of Mavinhouse Events to add modern flair to the industrial venue with a vibrant color palette. “Telling a story through the changing colors between the ceremony, cocktail, and reception space allowed us to play with many different shades of the rainbow without being too overt about it,” Lindsey says.

The day was filled with personal touches, from custom stationery to a candy bar with their favorite treats. “The whole day felt tailored to us and reflected our personalities,” Kevin says. Read on to see Kindred’s photos of David and Kevin’s big day.

Kevin loved working on the custom stationery. “I don’t know about 'easy' but it was a highlight!” he says. The couple teamed up with Swell Press Paper to create a bold invitation suite and paper products for the day that featured the wedding color palette of burnt orange, pink, lilac, deep green, and black. 

The couple selected Cartier wedding bands and engagement rings. David chose a custom midnight blue tuxedo with a bowtie and also wore stone ghost cufflinks to honor his love of horror movies. “Our wedding was in October, so this was David’s nod to Halloween,” Kevin says. David got a white manicure as the finishing touch.

Kevin chose a custom black Tom Ford tuxedo paired with patent leather shoes. The couple’s florist, Designs by Ahn, created their boutonnières, which were the finishing touch to both their looks. Kevin's had a single pink rose petal with greens and a ribbon and David wore a matching piece in lilac. 

David and Kevin shared a first look before the ceremony. “For us, it was about connecting before the day got really crazy,” Kevin says. “Having a moment where it was just the two of us was quiet, exciting, and grounding—plus the pictures you get from that time are just the best.”

David’s best friend from college, Andy, was his best man, while Kevin’s closest childhood friend, Katie, served as his best woman. “We wanted everyone who attended the wedding, including the wedding party, to feel their best and feel celebratory,” Kevin says. Andy kept it classic in a black tuxedo while Katie chose a chic charcoal pantsuit. The couple’s flower girl, their niece, Ava, wore a white and pink dress and a flower crown; their nephew, Nadav, wore a tuxedo and acted as the couple’s ring bearer (with some help from his mom, Sarah!).

For the ceremony, black chairs were set up in a semicircle so the grooms would feel surrounded by their guests. Greenery was hung from the ceiling. “The ceremony took place in the same location as dinner, so it was important that we kept the design simple yet impactful to make the room flip a bit easier,” the couple’s planner shares.

David and Kevin hired live musicians to play during the ceremony and asked their close friend, Neil, to officiate. The wedding party walked down the aisle to “I Choose You” by Sara Bareilles before the grooms arrived accompanied by their parents; they each walked down the aisle to Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted.”

A hanging floral installation created a focal point in the room. “As David grew up Jewish, we wanted something that felt like a chuppah above them but in the least traditional way possible,” the couple’s planner Lindsey says. The couple exchanged personal vows they wrote for each other in front of their family and friends. “It felt important to use the opportunity to say something personal and invite our guests into our relationship,” Kevin says. 

Immediately after the ceremony, David and Kevin grabbed their wedding party and headed to the hotel’s rooftop to sign the marriage license. It ended up being one of the couple’s favorite memories from the wedding day. Meanwhile, on the way to the cocktail hour, guests paused to sign the pair's pink and orange guest book with rainbow gel pens.

The guitar and cello duo continued playing during the cocktail hour as guests mingled, noshed on passed hors d’oeuvres, and sipped two signature mocktails (Kevin and David don't drink). They also featured a signature cocktail featuring vodka, plum liqueur, yuzu, and sparkling wine, and offered a full bar, as well.

Kevin and David incorporated some bright florals in shades of blue to add a pop of color to the cocktail hour space. The escort cards were found on green arch displays decorated with tons of blue flowers and greenery.

David and Kevin selected Noah Reid’s “Simply the Best” from Schitt’s Creek for their first dance, which they took at the end of the cocktail hour.

David worked with their planner to surprise Kevin with his favorite singer, Shoshana Bean, at their reception. After all, the two did bond over her music when they first met. Immediately after the first dance, Shoshana began performing—and Kevin was completely shocked. “I've listened to Shoshana’s music almost everyday for the last 20 years, so to give her a hug, thank her, and hear her sing live with my closest friends and family was truly a dream come true,” he says. 

The dining space had three distinct table sections, which were all dressed in ivory linens. “The banquet tables on the sides of the room created an ombré effect of orange into pink tones,” says Lindsey. “Florals effortlessly moved from fully condensed arrangements in shades of orange, then in mixed orange and pink, and finally in just pink.”

Place settings incorporated colorful custom napkins and taper candles in orange or pink, while the tables in the middle of the room had lilac napkins and cohesive candles and centerpieces. David and Kevin now use the custom napkins when entertaining at home.

The couple served a vanilla wedding cake with passionfruit curd and vanilla buttercream. Each of the three tiers were embellished with fresh flowers.

The couple’s DJ kept guests on their feet for the remainder of the evening. “Toward the end of the night, everyone was on the dance floor sweaty and happy, especially dancing to 'Shake It Off' by Taylor Swift!” Kevin says. The couple spent a week in Mallorca, Spain, and another week in Lake Como, Italy, for their honeymoon.

To couples planning their big day, David and Kevin suggest giving yourselves plenty of time. “There were so many details to plan, so don’t rush and enjoy the process!” they say.