The Bride Wore an Antique Wax Flower Crown for Her Backyard Wedding in the Hudson Valley

They held the wedding on June 20, and got legally married at City Hall weeks beforehand. For the Hudson Valley ceremony, Aemilia wore a Kamparett dress, Prounis earrings, Alaia wedges, and an antique wax flower crown from eBay. Dylan wore a green Paul Smith suit, Bode shirt, and green Aime Leon Dore derby shoes. “The crown came when I was researching potential alternatives to a veil. I knew I wanted something different, and learned about these antique wax flower crowns inspired by Queen Victoria’s orange blossom crown from her own wedding,” she says.

“I ended up finding my dress on a whim. I knew my mom, who lived in California, really wanted to be with me when I tried on dresses, and hadn’t had the chance since I was doing my shopping in New York,” Aemilia says.

She made an appointment at Kamparett, as she loved the simple elegance of their designs. “On a Saturday morning in December, my mom, sister, and I went together to try on dresses, and I knew it was the one. The fabric glowed, and it had these gorgeous princess seams. I felt like myself, but also otherworldly when I put it on,” Aemilia says. “I also loved that I was bringing a bit of home into the big day by choosing a San Francisco designer.”

For her wedding hair, “I jokingly told my stylist Collin that my inspiration was an Olsen sister running through a field,” she says. “I wanted it to feel romantic and a little imperfect, wavy and half-up. He crafted a beautiful braid detail in the back that helped to keep the crown secure.” For the welcome party, she wore a vintage Christian Dior dress from The RealReal and Tory Burch sandals. For the after party, she wore a Prada dress. The couple’s wedding bands and Aemilia’s engagement ring were made by their friend Nicole Hendry.

The ceremony took place in the field behind Dylan’s parents’ house, right around 5:30 pm. “We stood under a pear tree, surrounded by flowers and tall grass. Dylan walked down the aisle with his parents to ‘Thinkin’ Bout You,’ a Flea cover of the Frank Ocean song, and I walked down the aisle with my parents to ‘Our House’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young,” Aemilia says. “We kept it very simple, no real processional, just us.” They stood on a platform hand-built by Dylan’s father, Stuart, and Aemilia’s brother-in-law, Jack.

Dylan’s best friend, Paul, officiated. “We wrote our own vows, which coincidentally, both centered around the same topic: making your own luck,” Aemilia says. Because Dylan is a lifelong Knicks fan who grew up in the city, Aemilia’s vows included a quote from Knicks head coach Mike Brown, in celebration of the team’s historic win a week before the wedding.

“I had that feeling where time seems to become more elastic,” says Dylan, thinking back to the ceremony. “The day went so fast, and I wanted more time with everyone, my family, friends, and wife! I felt full, felt loved, and full of love.”

After cocktail hour, they had pizza and wine. They danced their first dance to “This Will Be Our Year” by The Zombies, and danced to a mix of bachata (in homage to Dylan’s Dominican family), and what Aemilia calls “middle school dance music.” Dylan’s dad surprised everyone with fireworks. They danced for hours, eventually falling asleep at 4 a.m.

Reflecting on the wedding, Dylan says: “We set out to do something that felt like an expression of ourselves, our love and relationship, to host an ambitious party that was also full of emotion, and while it was all dressed up, it still felt very homey and handmade and personal. I kind of think we nailed it. “I feel so lucky,” Aemilia says.