Inside Karen Elson and Lee Foster’s Quintessentially New York Wedding at Electric Lady Studios
On Saturday, September 7, supermodel and singer-songwriter Karen Elson married Lee Foster on the rooftop of Electric Lady Studios in New York City, wearing the first Valentino wedding dress designed by creative director Alessandro Michele. Founded by Jimi Hendrix, the legendary recording studio was an obvious venue choice for the couple: Lee has been a co-owner and managing partner since 2010, hosting the likes of Daft Punk, Frank Ocean, Rosalía, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, the Rolling Stones, and David Bowie over the years since. “Lee put his heart and soul into the studio,” Karen says. “It’s really his home. I’m married to Lee and Electric Lady.”
The couple first met in 2022, after a few of their mutual friends played matchmaker. “They kept suggesting we go on a date, so that’s exactly what we did,” Karen says. “Enough people were saying it that we thought maybe we should.” After one year together, Lee surprised Karen with a proposal in upstate New York. “We had just gotten the keys to our beautiful farm upstate,” Karen remembers. “And as we were walking through this magnificent property, Lee surprised me by getting down on one knee and proposing.”
The couple planned two small wedding ceremonies. The first—mostly for family—took place in August in Nashville, while the more recent celebration was held in Manhattan.
On the morning of the New York wedding, the bride got ready in a suite at the Bowery Hotel with her children, Scarlett Teresa and Henry Lee, as well as her father, her twin sister, and her close friends, stylists Tabitha Simmons and Leith Clark. “I woke up at 6 a.m. and had a really quiet morning—so much was about to happen,” Karen remembers. “I had a big breakfast because I didn’t know when I’d be able to eat again, and I did all of the practical things—and then I realized at around noon that I had misplaced all of my hair and skin-care [products]. I have crazy, wild hair, so I was running to Sephora in SoHo at noon—my worst nightmare. I love Sephora, but not on my wedding day! I ran there and figured out all of that stuff in a panic and then I waited for Pat McGrath; my hairdresser, Bobby Tochterman; and Ester Yuabova [who handled extensions] to arrive. Once they did, then it was game over—that’s when it all really began.”
Of course, McGrath and Karen go way back. “She is so dear to me,” the bride says. “She did the beauty for my first Vogue cover. She is genuinely a true friend of mine, and it was so important to have her be a part of everything. Anyone who knows her knows she brings so much joy to everything. She helped me forget all of my nerves.”
When it started raining at 4 p.m., the bride admits the worry began to set in. “There was a lot of back-and-forth, and we were panicking up until about 15 minutes before the ceremony,” Karen says. “On the way to the wedding ceremony, I was locked to my phone, texting Lee: ‘We have to do it now! We have a 45-minute window.’ And, thankfully, it all worked out.”
For those within the music industry, Electric Lady Studios is an iconic and historic institution. “The beautiful music that has been made here…I can’t even begin to describe how many great pieces of music have been made here,” Karen says. “Lee, my husband—I love saying that—his team, and planner Brenna McKamey pulled out all the stops to make the rooftop look beautiful. When we realized it was going to rain, he built a contingency plan. They worked up until three hours before the ceremony and built a temporary rain shelter.”
On the roof, there were florals by Rosecrans and Flowers by Ford everywhere and a bar at the corner. “The mood was perfect,” Karen says. “It felt like a quintessential New York wedding. It wasn’t formal. We didn’t want anything formal. The dress code was ‘late-summer garden party,’ and the wedding colors were off-white, pale blue, and then, of course, florals. We told guests to come in whatever makes them comfortable—we’re not following tradition.” Meanwhile, set designer Mary Howard also came by and lent a hand at the eleventh hour to help prop out all of the spaces. “I wanted to make the studio feel like a jazz club—like Cafe Carlyle—with cocktail tables and a warm, cozy feel,” Karen says. “She came in and really helped us with all of that.”
At the start of the ceremony, Karen’s son and daughter walked down the aisle, followed by her young niece and nephew. “They are 5 and 7, and I had to bribe them with gummy worms,” she says, laughing. “I told them that there’s gummy worms before and gummy worms after!”
The bride’s Valentino dress, designed by her friend Michele, was created with embroidered white silk illusion tulle and lined with a layer of light georgette. The embroidery featured a mix of celestial blue and ivory materials, including beads and shards, while the bodice had a tulle cape with bell sleeves, and the skirt opened to flare at the bottom. The sash at the waist was tied in a bow at the back and included a bouquet motif with flowers.
Patti Smith, who is a close friend of the groom’s, officiated the ceremony. “I have known Patti for a very long time and am very close to her children, Jackson and Jesse,” Karen says. “Jackson and I actually used to play music together. We have had a relationship with the Smith family together and as a couple. Patti is a warm, caring, wonderful person on top of being the prolific artist that she is. She has a beautiful way with words. She read a passage, and there wasn’t a dry eye on the roof.”
The bride walked down the aisle escorted by her father, James Elson, while Jack Antonoff sang Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You in the End.” “Walking down the aisle with my dad was deeply meaningful,” Karen remembers. “There are such beautiful things about a wedding—you get to celebrate something that is pure. It was so intimate and moving and joyful.”
