Kat Dennings Wore a Vintage Alexander McQueen Dress to Marry Andrew W.K. in Their Own Back Garden

Actor Kat Dennings and singer, songwriter, and performance artist Andrew W.K. like to say they met under “mystical circumstances.” They’d been aware of each other’s work for many years, and eventually, they were lucky enough to cross paths in person. “It quickly became obvious that we were made for each other,” remembers Dennings, who is known for her starring role in the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls and for playing Darcy Lewis in several of the Marvel movies. “About three years ago, Andrew had come to visit me for the first time. At the end of his trip, we couldn’t imagine ever separating. We actually proposed to each other in the kitchen at the exact same moment.”

The wedding was held on November 27 at their home in Los Angeles. They considered other options, ranging from eloping somewhere to throwing a big, traditional wedding. “But in the end, the kitchen engagement moment kept calling back to us,” Dennings explains. “We realized that a small home wedding was too cozy to resist. Plus, all our stuff was there so we wouldn’t have to pack anything.”

The couple planned the whole thing by themselves. “I wanted our wedding to feel completely different from an ‘industry event’ in every way,” says the bride, who threw herself into DIY ahead of the event. “I even handmade all of our wedding florals, aisle pieces, and our ceremony arch, which took three entire days. I wanted to be hands-on with the entire experience and feel like we had built our moment together from scratch.”

After one uncomfortable showroom experience and a few false starts, Dennings decided to forgo the traditional wedding gown selection process. “I realized that, as a very pale person, I didn’t like myself in white, so I ordered and returned gowns in every cut and color I could think of, until I figured out which style made me feel most like myself,” she recalls. “I ended up finding the most perfect [dress] I could ever imagine from Alexander McQueen, in a deep ivory.” She wore shoes from Jimmy Choo that were “like a mermaid’s dream.”

The DIY theme re-emerged on the day of the wedding, with Dennings doing her own hair and makeup using tried and true products: Il Makiage foundation, Hermès blush in Rose Ombre, Beauty Pie lip pencil in Rummy Pink, Flower Beauty liquid eyeliner, and Maybelline waterproof mascara. “I also chose a special fragrance for the wedding,” she says. It’s something I really recommend for anyone getting married. It’s such a great way to cement the memory of the experience with something sensory you can always revisit.”

The groom worked with Brioni to design a bespoke suit in dark aubergine with violet piping. His shirt and tie were custom-made by Anto Shirtmakers in Beverly Hills.

The intimate ceremony didn’t disappoint. “It was incredibly emotional for both of us, and the love surrounding us was very palpable,” Kat says. “My dad had passed away a month and a half before, and I had a moment where I thought we should delay the wedding—but I realized it was even more of a reason to grasp any joyous feeling where I could. My wonderful mom walked me down the aisle, and I felt very present and filled with gratitude for Andrew and our loved ones during the ceremony. I felt truly lucky to be marrying such a kind and loving man. The ceremony itself was kind of a blur, but in the best way. We just looked into each other’s eyes and were so excited to finally be husband and wife.”

After the ceremony, everyone gathered inside and hung out for hours. There were about 15 people—including close friends Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song—which, according to Dennings, felt like the perfect amount. “Everyone was happy and enjoying [themselves] and there wasn’t a dull moment,” she says. “I took my shoes off immediately.

Looking back, Dennings is incredibly proud of the wedding she planned. “I’m very glad I didn’t realize how completely insane it was to do everything ourselves,” she says. “Had I known the florals would take three days of nonstop work, I might have hired a professional. But standing with Andrew at an arch I made myself, infused with all our effort and care, it was exactly what we wanted in the end.”