A Beer-Centric Boho Wedding at Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Brooklyn, New York

Embracing their love of beer, Amanda Markoya (30 and a makeup artist) and Charlie Anderson (33 and a cinematographer) threw a low-key, intimate weddin

Embracing their love of beer, Amanda Markoya (30 and a makeup artist) and Charlie Anderson (33 and a cinematographer) threw a low-key, intimate wedding celebration at Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Brooklyn, New York. “Charlie and I really love to go to beer gardens,” Amanda says. “We are even tying this theme into our honeymoon. We are traveling to Munich for Oktoberfest.” The couple chose Radegast Hall for their ceremony and reception since they are regular customers of the beer garden. “It has a beautiful private room on the north side of the building, with its own entrance, bar and bathrooms," Amanda says. "It didn't seem like a wedding venue, and I loved the idea of having a challenge to make it work for what we needed.” The couple worked with Edward Winter of READYLUCK to capture all the details of the celebration, which began with a cocktail hour before they exchanged vows. “This gave us a chance to welcome everyone personally and enjoy the first round of food and drinks,” the bride says. “It also calmed our nerves about the actual ceremony and made it feel more personal and casual.” During the couple’s short but sentimental five-minute ceremony, friends made brief heartfelt speeches, and the couple exchanged vows. For their dinner reception, the couple brought the venue’s rustic and cozy backroom to life with a neutral palette and DIY decor—recycled bottles, white blooms, candlelight and hand-painted table numbers. “We had all the best food Radegast had to offer,” Amanda says. Friends and family enjoyed a large cheese board during cocktail hour and a family-style meal of cheese spaetzle and goulash for dinner. For dessert, Charlie surprised Amanda with boxes of doughnuts from Dough, the doughnut shop around the corner from their first apartment together. “We just wanted the wedding to be a warm and inviting place for everyone,” Amanda says. “The same way we like to entertain at home—no formalities, just a lot of love and food and drinks in a place where all our friends and family members could get to know one another.” —Marissa Hermanson

“I am not into traditional, princessy wedding dresses. I knew I wanted something comfortable but still flattering—something that felt like me,” says Amanda, who donned a Vera Wang sample dress that she got for a discount since it was damaged. “The dress was looking a bit rough on the hanger, but I knew it had potential. I couldn't pass up this Vera Wang gown for the discount price. I worked with my amazing tailor, Amanda Madden, to get it into a shape that I loved.” Two feet was cut off the train, and the gown’s lace was cleaned and restored.
Bouquets and boutonnieres were created using white blooms, like anemones and sculptural greenery. “We wanted to stay away from any bright colors and keep it as simple and clean as possible,” Amanda says.
Bridesmaids wore black dresses in a variety of styles. “The only instruction I gave them was to choose something black that they felt beautiful in,” Amanda says. “This gave them the option to buy a new dress that they could wear again or save money and wear something they already had in their closet.”

“Our ceremony was wonderful and personal,” Amanda says. “We initially wanted to do a private ceremony but family convinced us otherwise, and I am happy that we listened to them.” Before the couple’s intimate ceremony, they welcomed guests with a cocktail hour and oldies music. “This gave us a chance to welcome everyone personally and enjoy the first rounds of food and drinks. It also calmed our nerves about the actual ceremony and made it feel more personal and casual.”
At the couple’s intimate five-minute ceremony, Amanda and the bridal party walked down to Led Zeppelin’s "Thank You,” and their friend AJ officiated. “We had a personal script that he read, and it included lots of humor,” Amanda says. “Three close friends made short, beautiful speeches, and we said, ‘I do.’ ”
The couple decked out the rustic and cozy backroom at Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Brooklyn, New York, with white blooms and greenery displayed in bottles, a natural woven table runner, hand-painted table numbers and romantic candlelight. “Charlie and I are very low-key people who don't like a lot of attention on ourselves, so we made sure we could avoid any grand entrances or exits,” Amanda says. “We were present to welcome all our guests as they arrived and said good-bye to everyone individually. It was important that we made time to talk to all our guests, since many traveled to be there for us.”
DIY escort cards incorporated vintage keys that doubled as bottle openers, along with handwritten cards and green paper leaves that were attached with twine.
Clear, blue and brown bottles were filled with ruscus and white blooms purchased at the grocery store. Bridal bouquets also doubled as centerpieces. “I love how all the white and green looked in the dark, contrasty room,” Amanda says.
“We had the best food Radegast Hall had to offer,” Amanda says. Friends and family enjoyed a large cheese board during cocktail hour and a family-style meal of cheese spaetzle and goulash for dinner. “Radegast included some desserts, but Charlie surprised me with boxes of huge doughnuts from Dough, which was such a sweet, personal touch since our first apartment was near a Dough shop.”

“We just wanted the wedding to be a warm and inviting place for everyone,” Amanda says of their wedding at Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Brooklyn, New York. “The same way we like to entertain at home—no formalities, just a lot of love and food and drinks in a place where all our friends and family could get to know one another.”