Milan Style

Even though they joke that they have about 200 friends in common, ethical fashion designer Arden Wohl and artist Jonah Freeman didn’t actually cross paths until they both happened to be at a book party for the art dealer Jeffrey Deitch in 2014.

Exactly two years and two months later, Jonah broke his pelvis in a skiing accident and was relegated to a wheelchair during his recovery. He was practically apartment-bound due to the injury, but he still managed to surprise Arden with a proposal. “There was a beautiful snowstorm on January 7, and we were really trapped in the apartment,” remembers Arden. Jonah proposed with a ring he had created with the help of Arden’s mother. “He felt the snowy, sleepy romance added to the surprise. [And even though he was in a wheelchair], he stood up.” After Arden accepted, the couple leapt into planning what ended up becoming one of the most Instagrammed weddings of the year.

With a guest list 440-people long, they first needed to find a venue that could accommodate the large number, and after some searching, ended up choosing the Weylin in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “It was originally built as a bank in 1875 and has been restored as a beautiful event space,” says Arden. “We love the Beaux Arts aesthetic and its two beautiful domes. It was the perfect place for an expansive ceremony and dinner, and then it also has a downstairs for an intimate dance party.”

The bride called upon longtime friend Zac Posen to create her custom wedding gown. “It was truly a dream come true!” says Arden. “It was really organic—he just knew exactly what I wanted my physical appearance to express on my wedding day.” The two grew up in New York City and were introduced when Posen returned to the city after attending school at Central Saint Martins in London. “Arden came over with a few friends to my parents’ loft, where I was starting my company, and she quickly became one of my earliest customers,” Posen remembers. “From that point on, she became a very close friend; we celebrated holidays together over the years and she was a staple from the very beginning in all of my front rows. She and her mom have remained very loyal customers of mine. [And, of course], it’s so flattering and so wonderful to be asked to make a friend’s wedding gown. She could have had anything she wanted, and this is what she wanted. She asked, and I, of course, said, ‘Yes!’”

The entire process was very collaborative, and lots of research and references were soon texted Posen’s way. One main source of inspiration for Arden and Posen was a favorite poem of hers, “The Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti. “She wanted to capture the feeling of it,” explains Posen. “Art Nouveau, whimsical, forest and nymph-like creations.” Arden also gave him drawings by illustrator Edward Gory. “She liked a mixture of what felt like Victoriana with ’20s jazz elements,”adds the designer. “On the last frost of the year, I decided I wanted to drape it in a rural setting, and she started sending me music that she wanted me to listen to while I worked [at my country house], and this was the beginning of our Victorian pressed flower concept. I started taking periwinkles and sprigs of ivy and pinning them to the tulle.” He then had to figure out how to take these dried pressed flowers and translate them onto the dress. “[What can I say?] We’re both into our botany!” says Posen with a laugh.

“Arden wanted the overall dress to have a wow level up close, but also a subtlety to it,” continues Posen. “She didn’t want loud embroidery or something garish. We played with layers of different fabrications on her skin. We played with light like you work with a fresco. She wanted the dress to feel like a feather with no structure inside. She wanted it to be as light and airy as possible, and all of the shape had to come from the seaming, as she didn’t want any corsetry.”

Furthering the flora-and-fauna motif, Posen also created a 15-foot detachable veil embroidered with ferns, based on the plants at his home in Pennsylvania. The veil was lighter than the dress and ran the expanse of the train. It had hand-sewn gossamer wings embroidered in gold that were the size of Arden’s shoulder blades and lay perfectly against her shoulders.

On the day of the wedding, Christopher Niquet and Posen both styled the bride. For makeup, Mara Capps created a look that was as unique but also timeless. “I combined a classic bridal eye using soft pinks and a deeper buff tone, and then added some interest with a pop of gold glitter liner along the lash line overlaid with single hair lash extensions,” explains Capps. “That gold glitter peeked through her lashes as she walked down the aisle, giving her the feel of a psychedelic flower.”

Brittany Asch of Brrch Floral took direct inspiration from the wedding dress when creating Arden’s bouquet, making sure the arrangement felt elegant but also contemporary. “Flowers can evoke feelings similar to being in love, so we tried to represent that state of being,” says Asch.

The bridesmaids all wore different bright floral gowns and flowers in their hair—and when standing together, the color combination looked like a beautiful tapestry. Meanwhile, Jonah was in a custom dark blue suit by J. Mueser. He finished off his look with a purple and blue tie, a marigold and indigo opera scarf, and black boots by Jeffrey West.

The entire day came together with the help of the couple’s many friends and was a true testament to the strength of these relationships. Bridesmaid Mandie Erickson, who has been Arden’s agent and publicist, helmed the entire planning process. Friends Connan Mockasin, Andrew Vanwyngarden (the frontman of MGMT), and James Richardson (MGMT guitarist) played live during the ceremony, with a full string quartet and arrangements created by musician Alex Waterman. Twelve groomsmen and 22 bridesmaids (yes, you read that right, 22!) took their places up at the altar, flanking the groom.

Arden walked down the aisle escorted by both of her parents. Eleanor Friedberger, formerly the singer of the Fiery Furnaces, officiated; friend Monroe Robertson read “Somewhere I Have Traveled, Gladly Beyond” by e.e. cummings; and then the couple recited vows they’d both written. Just as they were pronounced husband and wife, and Jonah kissed Arden at the end of the ceremony, the band broke out into “Feel So Good” by Spacemen 3.

Everyone moved downstairs for cocktails and then back upstairs for dinner where the room was transformed. Brrch created rows of pink, green, and lavender florals inspired by the Garden of Eden, and they lined all of the long tables in the space. “Our florist paid attention to things I mentioned liking and then enhanced those moments, knowing people would be sitting with these flowers for about three hours,” explains Arden. “It was a long dinner, and we wanted people to be able to discover new aspects of the arrangement throughout time.”

Silkstone Catering made the entirely vegetarian five-course dinner, and during the meal, friends and family toasted the newlyweds extensively. For dessert, Nine Cakes created a beautiful lavender-vanilla wedding cake with a watercolor effect on the fondant and white doves and rough edges at the top of each layer. “We also had a chocolate version,” notes Arden. “And Vegan Diva made chocolate and vanilla gluten-free and vegan options.”

After the cake had been cut, everyone migrated downstairs to let loose on the dance floor with DJ Simon O’Connor, the frontman of Simon Doom and a member of MGMT. “We also had a light show designed by Joel Fitzpatrick,” says Arden. “The whole room, which had originally been used for cocktails, was entirely transformed!” For this portion of the evening, Posen created a custom lavender dress made for dancing. Karen Erickson of Erickson Beamon, a longtime friend and collaborator of the bride’s, also made a custom headband for Arden that matched the colors in both dresses. She had also created a custom comb for the ceremony made from the same materials. Arden removed this for dancing, but kept the headband on all night.

After hours, those looking to continue the party went to Baby’s All Right across the street. Says Arden: “Our friends are the owners and they closed the club for us. Stella Schnabel, who was one of my bridesmaids, organized a world-music band to perform live!”Read more at:wedding dresses adelaide | SheinDressAU