Inside Abby Champion and Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Late Summer Wedding in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
In 2015, Abby Champion and Patrick Schwarzenegger met while she was on a casual drinks date with their mutual friend in Los Angeles. He invited some of his guy friends to join them at the Los Angeles bar afterwards—including Patrick. Sparks flew between the two immediately. “He got my number, asked me out, and the rest is history,” Abby says.
Eight years later, Patrick proposed to Abby while on an early morning beach walk in Santa Monica. At first, she didn’t think anything of it: she and Patrick regularly took such sandy strolls with their coffee. Yet in the distance, she spied a heart made of roses in the sand. “It was intimate, relaxed, and everything I had ever imagined,” she says of their proposal.
The White Lotus actor and model held a three-day, early September wedding in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Ashley Graham Events acted as their wedding planner—with significant direction from Patrick himself. (“Funny enough, it’s more Patrick’s personality to dive into the flowers and little details, so he helped with so much, which I absolutely loved,” says Abby.)
On Thursday, September 4, they held an intimate farm-to-table rehearsal dinner with their families and the wedding party, for which Abby wore a Zimmermann gown that she described as “something out of a dream.” Patrick, meanwhile, chose a powder blue Tom Ford suit. Then on Friday, guests gathered at a Western-themed welcome barbecue at nearby Gozzer Ranch. The bride wore a long-sleeved lace Bec + Bridge dress, black cowboy boots, and a black hat. “Western night was a whole different vibe, and honestly, one of the most fun looks of the weekend,” says Abby.
On Saturday, September 6, Abby walked down the aisle wearing a custom silk wool column gown with a high neck and dramatic deep V back by Danielle Frankel. In lieu of a traditional train, the bride opted for a silk overskirt with a hand-painted lining. She paired it all with soft tulle opera-length gloves and a fingertip-length veil. “For me, the dress and who designed it were incredibly important,” the bride says. “Since fitting and fashion are part of my profession, I knew I wanted to work with someone I felt completely comfortable with, someone I could openly share my thoughts and opinions with. From the moment I met Danielle, I knew she was the one.” She accessorized with diamond stud earrings and a pearl ring from Mackenna Thaler jewelry, while Abby Moorer did her hair and makeup.
Frankel tells Vogue that the model was a dream client: “The wonderful thing about working with Abby is she has a true understanding of fit, construction and fashion at large as it relates to her wedding. The gown evolved as the fittings progressed—a true design process, as if we were in development rather than going from sketch to finish, which is the proper way to design a bespoke gown,” Frankel says. “By the end of our work together, we felt like family, as Abby s sister Baskin and her nephew joined the fittings.” Patrick, on the other hand, waited for her under a floral arch in a custom tuxedo by Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford. “Patrick trusted Haider Ackermann to represent Tom Ford’s new direction while maintaining the classic elegance and sophistication befitting a wedding celebration,” Abby says of her now-husband’s fashion-forward outfit—and the first ever wedding look by Ackermann for the American design house.
Her father officiated the ceremony on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene, with the crystalline water and the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. Abby says that she and Patrick deliberately kept their decor minimal, opting for simple white chairs as well as white roses and hydrangeas as flower arrangements. “I was a little terrified of bees, so I wanted to avoid anything too elaborate,” Abby says, laughing. “It turned out perfectly.”
Afterwards, guests boated to the nearby Hagadone Event Center for the cocktail hour and reception. After speeches from family and friends, the dance floor opened—and Abby changed into a second Danielle Frankel look, a hand-painted floral gown with dripping strands of organza and a pearl trim. “She even designed a matching neck scarf and ballet flats, which added such a playful touch,” says Abby. She also added long pearl earrings designed by her bridesmaid, Kelsey Kershner, who founded the jewelry brand Galley.
Over a week later, Abby and Patrick are in the process of taking it all in. “I still can’t believe it’s over—it all flew by like a dream,” the bride says. “I’m so excited to start this next chapter with Patrick.”
