Everyone celebrates anniversaries differently, some choosing to focus on nostalgia while others use the occasion to celebrate the future. The Upper Crust, an event space located along the Hudson River at 91 Horatio Street, managed to find the perfect blend of the two when they celebrated their 25th Anniversary earlier this month.

First, a little background: The Upper Crust originally made their name as a go-to for corporate events, but the tragic events of September 11th and the financial meltdown that followed required the minds behind the space to get creative in order to stay open. So, they turned to weddings. They found their flexible space and fresh approach to nuptials to be greatly appreciated by couples, and soon, weddings were no longer the fall back, but an entirely new division that the business embraced with welcoming arms.

The anniversary celebration featured food, drinks and music, provided by the same staff and vendors that founder Dan Fehlig works with often. The evening was capped by a short film entitled 19 Love Stories, which spotlighted 19 couples who had tied the knot at the space. Each story was sweet and original, moving the viewers between laughter and tears at times (many of the couples featured were in attendance), but beyond what the interviews contained, the sheer fact that 38 people all agreed to sit down and be interviewed regarding their wedding venue spoke enough for The Upper Crust. The personal attention paid to the weddings came through not only in the stories of the couples, but also through each small detail seen at this particular event. A small photo of each couple greeted guests as they walked in, with mini bouquets awaiting the brides, replicated from the ones they carried down the aisle. The menu, crafted by resident chef Abe de la Houssaye, contained 19 items, all inspired by love, accompanied by stories of the various ingredients (including references to mythology, antidotes and purported aphrodisiacs).

If this creative and beautiful evening of celebration was even a partial representation of the type of events The Upper Crust is capable of planning, then engaged couples (or those looking to get engaged) would definitely be remiss in not taking the opportunity to at least have a chat with Dan and crew.

Elizabeth Sorrell