New York Nico’s Wedding Celebration at Katz’s Delicatessen - The New York Times


New York Nico and Naomi Otsu's unconventional wedding celebration at Katz's Delicatessen involved their unique online community and eschewed traditional vows.
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Nicolas Gianni Heller and Naomi Jenny Otsu describe themselves as “such millennials.” They bonded over being awkward in front of a camera, and they prefer to avoid the spotlight because they “hate being perceived,” Ms. Otsu said. “We need to get past our cringe.”

So when they celebrated their wedding on April 11 at Katz’s Delicatessen, they skipped over any exchange of personal vows. They could not imagine professing their love to each other in front of 130 guests.

Ms. Otsu is a graphic illustrator and designer, and Mr. Heller is a filmmaker and social media creator known as New York Nico. The location of their party, the beloved pastrami joint on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, was fitting given Mr. Heller’s work documenting the iconic and eclectic people and places that capture the flavor of the city.

Several recurring characters from his videos were there, including Elizabeth Sweetheart, known as the “the Green Lady,” famous for always wearing green. Mr. Heller scooped up the spiky-haired comedian Mario Bosco in his arms and passed him to Daniel Mondello, a food influencer who goes by “Cugine.” There was Wayne Diamond, an actor known for his performance in “Uncut Gems,” who, in his thick New York accent, said, “What a day. I saw Naomi, I don’t know how she married this guy. I thought she’d like guys with hair. But I mean, fuhgeddaboudit.”

“They’ve all become like family over the years,” said Mr. Heller, who was born and raised in Manhattan and has built a following of 1.5 million on Instagram.

Mr. Heller, 36, may have crossed paths with Ms. Otsu, 37, at events around New York, but it wasn’t until he spotted her on a friend’s Instagram page in 2017 that he truly took notice. He followed her account, and she followed back. Beyond thinking she was cute, he admired her work and appreciated that she was a graphic designer, like both of his parents.

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