This Editor Bride Wore a Quilted Set by a Danish-Cool Girl Designer For Her Brooklyn Wedding
Ella Riley-Adams and Gates McCallister first met on Hinge in the spring of 2019. Initially, they struck up a conversation about Sour Patch Kids, and days later, met up at a dive bar in Prospect Heights to rank the flavors. During a debate over the merits of lemon versus raspberry, they found they had much more in common than just candy.
Three years later, the couple got engaged in Todos Santos, Mexico. Ella, an avid surfer, wanted to spend their vacation searching for waves—which is why she felt surprised when Gates was adamant about going for a hike on their second day of vacation. “The whole way up, as the day got hotter, I wondered if Ella was annoyed we weren’t surfing like she wanted. But it seemed safer to propose on solid ground,” Gates recalls, laughing. “I kept looking for the perfect place and eventually we stopped at an outlook where we could see the sea lions. The rest is a bit of a blur, but I know that I asked her to spend the rest of our lives together, and she said yes.”
Ella, who previously edited the living section of Vogue (including weddings) before becoming the social media editor for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, wanted to plan the nuptials herself. “I had never exactly imagined my wedding, but after years of editing Vogue weddings, I got a better sense of what I wanted: lush nature and whimsical, colorful details. I was thinking organic and romantic,” she said. “I wanted the day to be full of color and whimsy, like a midsummer garden party in the middle of Brooklyn.” To them, there was one venue that perfectly matched that description: The Prospect Park Boathouse.
In August 2023, after a civil ceremony at City Hall, the two wed in quintessential New York fashion at the Beaux-Arts landmark. Ella walked down the aisle to Frank Ocean’s version of “Moon River” as Gates waited for her on the edge of the lake. She wore a quilted set by Danish cool-girl designer Cecilie Bahnsen, which she paired with Rochas heels. “I love the way she combines elegance and whimsy,” Ella says of Bahnsen, who also designed her City Hall ceremony dress. “They were comfortable while still feeling special. And I knew I’d wear them again—I didn’t want to buy a dress that I’d then store away for years.” Gates, meanwhile, opted for a classic black tux and Doc Martens oxfords.
Ella’s cousin Archie officiated the wedding. He led the ceremony to an emotional pinnacle when he had the couple’s friend, Maria Geyman, recite the poem “A Birthday” by Christina Rossetti. “Archie had read ‘A Birthday’ at my parents’ wedding 33 years ago, and I recited it at Archie’s wedding when I was 14—I loved that we could continue the tradition,” Ella says.
After exchanging their vows, the two walked back down the aisle arm and arm to “Friday I’m in Love” by The Cure. During cocktail hour, the two sought reflective solace on the porch of the Boathouse. “We were kind of dazed; we kept looking at each other and laughing, saying, ‘We did it,’” Ella recalls.
Guests found their table numbers on marzipan fruits made by Fortunato Brothers in Williamsburg. A midsummer garden party awaited them inside: Ella, a floral aficionado, spent months thoughtfully planning the bloomscapes with Jennifer Huynh from Future Flowers. “I told her we wanted organic-feeling arrangements focused on local wildflowers. I also wanted some kind of floral nod to Oregon, where I grew up,” Ella says. “I sent her my parents’ old garden as a reference point.” Fittingly, the tables were covered with white cosmos, Queen Anne’s lace, and hops vines native to the Pacific Northwest state.
After speeches from Ella’s parents as well as the couple’s maid of honor and best man, the two descended the Boathouse’s grand staircase for their first dance to Lake Street Dive’s cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Then, it was time for the croquembouche. Francophile Ella fell in love with traditional French wedding pastry after writing a story for T about its history and current popularity. “It felt like a fitting, festive choice. The profiteroles were filled with vanilla or matcha cream, and the exterior was decorated with purple pansy petals,” she says.
The rest of the night was a blur of dessert and dancing. “We distributed disposable cameras to everyone and they were particularly effective in capturing the sweatier, more raucous part of the night,” Ella says.
Months later, the couple still just feels so grateful. “I feel a swell of gratitude every time I think about that day, for everyone who traveled to be with us and offered to help. It was surreal to see my friends from different phases of life all in one place; I love that they know each other now,” Ella says. “I think that’s the double pleasure of a wedding: it’s a chance to celebrate a partnership and knit a community closer.”
Harper Cowan1/55Outside the Manhattan Marriage Bureau on a summer Monday. Harper, our photographer, surprised us with a bag of Sour Patch Kids.
Harper Cowan2/55I bought this ’70s Jaeger-LeCoultre watch from the wonderful Secret Watch Shop. It has a cabochon sapphire on the crown that matches my engagement ring so I told myself it was meant to be.
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