“Brandon and I wanted a weekend away to celebrate our wedding, not just a night,” Lindsay Abrams shares of her fall wedding with Brandon Richter at Troutbeck. “I wanted to get married in Aspen and Brandon wanted to stay close to home in New York, so we decided together on Troutbeck in the Hudson Valley, as it felt like a bit of Aspen in New York.” The couple wanted to infuse a bit of the unexpected into the weekend and chose a bright color scheme. Tara Guérard Soirée brought their vision to life, while KT Merry photographed every moment.
“Lettered Olive created our invitation suite, and we absolutely loved them!” she notes. “We wanted them to feel elegant, yet fun and colorful and they nailed it. We especially loved that the invitation was unique—created with us in mind.”
Lindsay always knew she would wear Carolina Herrera down the aisle. However, following her appointment at the New York City flagship, the bride-to-be visited seven other bridal shops—just to be sure. Once the dress was decided, the accessories came together seamlessly—a sweeping veil, also by Carolina Herrera, and crystal-embellished Gianvito Rossi platform sandals. Lindsay stunned in her mother’s diamond tennis necklace, her “something borrowed,” and an antique sapphire bracelet that belonged to her great-grandmother, the “something blue.”
“I wanted to look classic, but also like myself, which is why I decided to leave my hair down, as I feel my best with long, wavy hair,” she says of the beauty look Haney Evans and Vanessa Alcala created.
“After dinner and before the reception, I switched into a custom gown by Patricia Voto [of] One/Of,” Lindsay shares. “Patricia was a dream to work with and also designed my custom two-piece set that I wore on Friday night to my rehearsal dinner.” The bride styled Friday’s ensemble with Dior shoes and Sophie Buhai earrings. The bride’s father and grandfather looked dapper in custom One/Of ties.
“Last, but not least, my after-party dress was a custom Lela Rose mini with pearl details,” Lindsay explains. “I interned at Lela Rose the summer before my senior year at Vanderbilt, and after the internship, [I] assisted backstage at Lela’s fashion shows a few seasons in a row. As an intern, I spent a lot of time in the bridal closet helping to organize Lela’s bridal collection.”
The bride-to-be knew the designer would be an elegant addition to her wedding wardrobe and paired the look with Monique Lhuillier shoes. Vanessa styled her hair into a ponytail secured with a white ribbon for a more casual look, ideal for dancing.
For the ceremony, Brandon donned a Ralph Lauren tuxedo and custom Del Toro loafers. Bridesmaids wore Sleeper sets before slipping on dresses of different styles in pinks, yellows and oranges.
Lindsay and Brandon welcomed guests to Hudson Valley with a rustic-style dinner in Troutbeck’s Pole Barn. Daniel E Johnson’s music set the tone, as succulents displayed in front of an array of florals led everyone to their seats for an Heirloom Fire meal. “The food was unlike anything we had ever experienced in terms of both presentation and taste,” Lindsay recalls. “They cooked and prepared everything outside and served dinner on large wooden boards, family style.”
On September 17, 2022, guests woke to a box of fresh scones, butter, jam and a note from the couple, courtesy of Troutbeck’s pastry chef, as Lindsay popped Champagne with her bridesmaids before joining Brandon for an emotional first look. Then, the bride walked down the aisle arm in arm with her mother and stepfather and met the groom before a floral-filled chuppah. Tallits that belonged to family members draped above them as the two shared handwritten vows that truly complemented each other.
“Brandon and I wanted a Jewish ceremony, but more importantly, wanted the ceremony to feel more personable, unique, and special,” she explains. “Traditionally, the bride circles the groom seven times under the chuppah. Instead, I circled Brandon once, he circled me once, and then we circled each other in sync to represent the centrality of one spouse to another.”
Following the ceremony, guests gathered beneath a tented reception space. “We were completely wowed by the tent Tara and her team created for our wedding dinner. It was unlike anything we had ever seen and unlike anything, we could have dreamt up,” Lindsay gushes. “The fabric on the ceiling of the tent matched the outside of our wedding invitations”
Blue Hill served tomato gazpacho, Maine lobster, and Stone Barn’s beef before the bride’s grandfather cut the challah. The celebrations only elevated when a collection of Simply Irresistible trumpeters led everyone to the ballroom, and the newlyweds danced to Whitney Houston’s “Higher Love.” “We love a good band and did not leave the dance floor once except for my outfit change!” Lindsay recalls.
“Since Brandon and I had spent almost half of our three years together in Aspen, we decided to bring Aspen to Troutbeck with our Cloud 917 afterparty. Tara and her team made this absolutely epic with our own custom shotski, custom beanies and trucker hats, endless bottles of Champagne, and fondue on every table!”
The revelry went on all night long. The pair cut their Nine Cakes confection, and when the sun came up, Brandon and Lindsay took off for their honeymoon. The newlyweds spent the following days in Italian bliss exploring Florence, Lake Como, and the hills of Tuscany.
