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onticello Motor Club founding member Joe O. and his fiancée, Niki, wanted to make their wedding day something to remember, not only for themselves, but for their family and friends.
The ceremony itself was held in the grass between turns four and five of MMC’s 4.1-mile track. An altar was set up, and a grassy aisle was created between two adjacent seating areas.
A reception hall was too runof-the-mill, of course, but what about a barn setting? Maybe a private garden?
Niki, in her stunning, lacy finery, made her entrance for the processional from out of the pit area in a pristine white convertible 1976 Cadillac El Dorado, courtesy of MMC Co-Founder and Chairman John Barker. Behind the wheel was Ari himself. (Did you really expect a horse-drawn carriage for this couple?)
A vineyard was high on the list of possibilities, as food and wine are both Niki’s passion and her business. Then MMC President and Managing Partner Ari Straus introduced the idea of bringing their special event to MMC. It had never been done before. Sure, MMC has played host to all sorts of events: international vehicle launches, corporate team-building events, even 70th birthday parties. But a wedding? “A wedding at the track? Sign me up!” said Joe, who lives on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. “I knew Niki wanted a unique space, great scenery, and something fun that our guests would remember. Triple check.” Still, Joe wasn’t entirely sure Niki would be on board. “Niki understands (or perhaps tolerates?) my enthusiasm for racing and cars, but she has absolutely no interest in motorsports,” Joe said. “I was really surprised that she was so into the idea.” And so the planning began. MMC’s team worked closely with the couple’s wedding planner, caterer, and entertainment to transform MMC into the perfect blend of traditional elegance and highperformance excitement. “The MMC staff was great; they went above and beyond to support us with the planning and day of,” said Joe. “180 guests? No problem.”
Once Joe had kissed his bride, the newly minted husband and wife climbed back into the Cadillac, and Ari treated them to a slow-speed “victory lap” around the track. In the meantime, guests moved easily from the ceremony space to cocktail hour, hosted in MMC’s clubhouse and its adjoining outdoor patio area overlooking the South Pits. A selection of MMC’s exotic fleet vehicles, parked outside the clubhouse, made for great conversation and photo opportunities. Following cocktail hour, Joe and Niki’s guests gathered for a buffet-style dinner in MMC’s main garage. By then, the space had been completely transformed into an elegant reception area, with pale lavender table coverings and matching specialty lighting. With the party in full swing, the open space was perfectly balanced with dining tables and a dance floor. The large garage doors provided gorgeous views of the track and the early autumn foliage that surrounded the entire property. “Our friends and family were superexcited about being at MMC for the day,” Joe said. “It’s not something they typically do; it was a truly different and fun experience, and that’s exactly what we wanted.”
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