The Bride Wore a Patchwork Gown by Olivier Theyskens for Her Minimal Wedding on Long Island
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Piper Marshall and Liam Gillick knew of each other before they actually knew each other. Piper, an art curator, was familiar with Liam’s Turner Prize–nominated work as an artist. Liam, in turn, had visited Piper’s exhibitions at the Swiss Institute and the Mary Boone Gallery. Eventually, their paths crossed enough times that a direct connection formed. In 2018, their romance began during a trip to the Luma Foundation in Arles, France. “We spent the summer days with friends and the evenings eating and drinking in the gardens of the Villa Alyscamps,” Piper says. After one late night, Liam asked to walk her home. “Maybe that was our first true date,” she says. On Christmas Eve in 2022, Liam proposed to Piper with a ring hidden in a bag containing a Portuguese custard tart.
The two wed in July 2024 on Long Island’s North Fork. Their ceremony took place at the Old Point Schoolhouse on the grounds of the Oyster Ponds Historical Society in Orient.
Piper wore a custom patchwork gown with a high neck and a veil by Olivier Theyskens, paired with sandals from The Row. “The looks for the wedding were inspired by a similar ethos—taking something older and transforming it,” Piper says of the Fortuny-inspired dress design, which also included a silk cardigan. She kept her bridal beauty simple, opting for neutral makeup and a minimal bun. Liam, meanwhile, wore a suit tailored by Atelier Arena in London. “Tom Arena is a great tailor in the British tradition, but he is profoundly contemporary in his approach. You wear the suit, it doesn’t wear you,” Liam says.
The ceremony was punctuated by romantic poetry. Alexis Johnson, the director of Paula Cooper Gallery, read “Love Poems” by Nikki Giovanni, and artist Rirkrit Tiravanija read from “The Mountain Poems” by Stonehouse, a Zen Buddhist monk. Finally, their officiant, Simon Critchley, a professor of philosophy at the New School, ended his sermon with a reading of John Donne’s “The Good Morrow.” Guests followed along on a program that featured typography designed by Liam.
The couple held their reception at the nearby home of artist Servane Mary and gallerist Jose Martos. “Servane and Jose are always getting artists, curators, and writers together for communal meals—eaten outside under the stars. We were delighted to share this tradition with our loved ones,” the bride says. Then they asked their friend Jill Levy and chef Ryan Hardy (the owner of local hotel Silver Sands) to come up with a menu that focused on the produce and seafood of the North Fork—including a hearty paella. Like the wedding program, Liam designed the menu and table cards. “The table numbers featured a graphic of Tom Thumb’s mother, an old English fairy-tale motif that Liam has used in his work,” Piper says.
For decor, the bride and groom embraced a neutral color palette. Guests sat at two long tables dressed with white tablecloths; florist Nathaniel Savage crafted arrangements of gerbera phantom daisies and other cream blooms. “We kept everything very minimal to [allow] the natural setting to be taken in and appreciated,” Liam says. The tent’s sheer curtains were left open to blow in the wind, a visual that Piper explains was a nod to the 1989 artwork Untitled (Loverboy) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres.
Liam’s eldest son, Orson, acted as master of ceremonies as family and friends made their speeches. Afterward, DJ Charles Klarsfeld began a set that lasted well into the night. “We danced for three straight hours and cheered his name at the end of the evening,” the bride says. She changed into a vintage Loris Azzaro dress from 1971 for the occasion. Months later, Piper describes her wedding as a “summer dream.”
“The heat of July; the breeze cooling us all at dusk; the crowded dance floor; the overwhelming amount of love shared on the day is extraordinary,” she says. “It stays with us.”
Photo: Chloe Rosey1/39In a Sabbia Rosa slip as makeup artist Sandy Nicha makes me into a bride. I lucked out with Sandy, whose skill helped me feel both beautiful and at ease.
Photo: Chloe Rosey2/39The delicate straps of The Row sandals complemented my wedding dress.
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