How Lauren and James turned one of Brooklyn’s most beloved venues into a night for the ages.
Date: May 2, 2026 | Venue: Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn, NY
There are Brooklyn wedding venues, and then there is the Wythe Hotel. Built inside a 120-year-old factory building, the Wythe is the original boutique hotel in Williamsburg, focused on culture, seasonal food, community, and warm, genuine service. It has long been one of the most requested wedding venues in New York City, and on May 2nd, Lauren and James showed exactly why – by filling it with live music from the ceremony vows to the last chord of the night.
Event at a Glance
- Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026
- Venue: Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
- Coordinator: Nas Goldstein & Darby Berdine
- Cocktail Hour: The Barnstorm Jazz Trio – Garden Terrace
- Reception: The Barnstorm – Main Hall
The Setting: Wythe Hotel at Dusk
At the heart of Wythe Hotel lies the ground floor Main Hall and Garden Terrace – a beautifully restored industrial event space featuring masonry walls, exposed timber ceilings, a marble-topped wood bar, antique mirrors, and large steel-framed factory windows. For a May wedding, the seasonal Garden Terrace was fully open – outfitted with handsome black and white tiled floors, lush greenery, and enchanting string lighting.
With ample natural light and panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, the Wythe Hotel is an iconic backdrop for a Brooklyn wedding. Originally built in 1901, the landmark building has been meticulously restored to retain its original architectural detail while providing modern amenities – and at just 7 minutes from the Bedford Avenue L train, it draws guests from across NYC, Queens, Long Island, and New Jersey without anyone breaking a sweat getting there.
The ceremony took place in the Garden Terrace before Barnstorm took the stage, with guests flowing into the Main Hall for the heart of the evening.
Cocktail Hour: The Jazz Trio Sets the Mood
Guests were welcomed into cocktail hour by the Barnstorm Jazz Trio – a piano-led format that is cocktail-hour music done right. Warm, unhurried, and sophisticated without being stiff, the trio gave the room its first musical heartbeat while guests settled into the Garden Terrace string lights and the first drinks of the evening made their way around the room.
The Reception: Core Band Takes the Main Hall
Lauren and James made their entrance to the soaring outro of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears – the kind of entrance that gets an entire room on its feet before the couple even reaches the dance floor.
Their first dance was to “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane, with the band’s vocalist carrying the full song while Lauren and James shared the floor before inviting the room to join them.
Parent dances brought one of the night’s most emotional moments: Lauren and her father Bob took the floor to Billy Joel’s “Vienna,” joined after sixty seconds by James and Lauren’s mother Gloria, then by the full room shortly after. It was exactly the kind of layered, choreographed moment that a live band does better than any playlist.
The Special Songs
- Entrance: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Tears for Fears
- First Dance: “Somewhere Only We Know” – Keane
- Parent Dance: “Vienna” – Billy Joel
- Band Feature: “Walk of Life” – Dire Straits
What Made This Night Work
The Wythe is a venue that rewards a musical approach. Its spaces are intimate enough that every note lands, but characterful enough that the music has to earn its place. The Jazz Trio gave cocktail hour warmth and elegance; the Core Band gave the reception exactly the soul and energy a Brooklyn Saturday night deserves. Lauren and James understood that at a place like this, the music is not background – it is the architecture of the evening itself.
VENDOR TEAM:
📍: @wythehotel
📋: @party_with_nas
🎸: @thebarnstorm
📸: @feygin
💐: @bigappleflorist
📷: @flashbulb_memories_photobooth
🪩: @karaokekingsnyc
Photos below courtesy of @jaharoni:
