Newlyweds Heidi and Frank are both owners and wedding savants of the Takk House. This grand victorian building is retrofitted for any occasion—seriously, the couple is known for making the wildest of requests into reality, and loving every minute of it. When it came time to plan their own wedding, they knew they had to go all out, and that they did.
The aged, vintage feel of the building in combination with repurposed items like an old television turned welcome sign, check in, and concierge desk, made Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" inspired interior to truly come alive. Details of elegant gilded mirrors, historic chandeliers and indoor greenery transport guests back to the 1930s where sipping cocktails, fine dining and jazzing it up on the dance floor was the norm. Heidi and Frank’s innate authenticity and desire to recreate a European hotel escape allowed for their dream wedding to become reality.
Tell us a bit about how Takk House came about/how it was started?
I have been photographing weddings for 8 years. I have traveled all over NY, MA, VT, NH, CT and beyond. In my travels, I have seen so many wonderful venues. Historic, warehouses, barns and even backyards turned into magical wedding reception venues. About 4 years ago I started having my husband Frank second shoot with me. When traveling I found it to be more enjoyable to have a sidekick. On our long drives home or overnights in new cities, our minds would race with how wonderful and unique the venues would be. How personal they felt with the couples decor selections. We would reflect back on our area and feel a disappointed that the capital region didn't have anything like these venues. It lacked spaces that felt offbeat and fun. Laid back and raw - free to let the couple or celebrations really have a unique element. Where would we get married one day? Nothing felt very special and personal. Everything traditional and had strict policies and rules about bringing in vendors and food options that were truly a reflection of you.
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So in 2013 Frank and I decided we wanted to bring something special to the capital region. We wanted to pioneer this new nontraditional wedding venue idea. We knew it worked elsewhere - we just needed to find the perfect space. We spent months searching the internet and touring different large historic spaces and warehouses. In later 2013 we found 55 3rd St which is now Takk House and just knew it was the one! In early 2014 we closed on the space and by April we were starting to paint and bringing in furnishings.
Tell us a bit about the direction of your wedding.
Photographing weddings for 8 years and hosting them at Takk House for the past two... lets just say we've seen A LOT of weddings. We wanted ours to be super special. Especially since it was inside our own venue. In a way we wanted to show our family and friends what we are made of!
What was the main inspiration for your wedding?
We decided to go with a vintage hotel theme because Takk House is already historic which provides a great backdrop to our idea. We found inspiration in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel. We wanted to make sure that all our guests were very well taken care of and focused a lot of their needs and throwing a killer party!
Did you incorporate any pre-existing elements from the property into your wedding?
Yes, we used the entire building as our playground! We repurposed an old check in counter we found in the basement as a "check in desk" and an old vintage television as our welcome sign.
Any insider tips for anyone hosting a wedding or gathering at Takk House?
Make it yours! Takk House has wonderful bones but you are what makes it special. The sky is the limit when it comes to making your wedding personal here. Don't be afraid to be yourself and pick vendors that compliment that - not hold you back.
Weddings are about togetherness, having a grand ole’ time and the celebration of love. Heidi and Frank have captured this, not only in their own wedding but in the hundreds of others they’ve hosted. And, as the Takk House mantra brilliantly states, Celebrate You. Cheers to that you two.
Credits
Venue: Takk House | Photographer: Dianna Marr of Our Two Hearts | Event Design + Planning: Heidi and Frank of Takk House
