Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements, and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favorite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.
(Image credit: @normanandblake)
“We met in kindergarten at St. Joseph’s in Menlo Park, California,” Kathryn Foley explains as she dives into the two-decade history she and Patrick “Ricky” Galliani share. Although the two did not date the entirety of those 20 years, they always managed to find their way back to each other. “We kept in touch through the years and actually dated briefly in eighth grade. Although, I think we really just held hands and messaged each other on AIM,” says Foley. Shortly after their youthful attempt at dating, Foley’s family moved to Atlanta, where she resided throughout high school. “Ricky and I managed to maintain our friendship by grabbing a coffee or going for a neighborhood walk once a year when I would visit the Bay Area. We would also text each other on our birthdays (which are exactly a week apart!) every year in hopes of staying top of mind,” explains Foley.
Fast-forward to post-college life, Foley was living in New York and Galliani in San Francisco when their paths crossed again. “We reconnected in November 2018 when Ricky came to my housewarming party. For the first time since eighth grade, we were both single at the same time. Turns out, many of our close friends and family members were secretly—or not so secretly—hoping we’d get together, but everyone played it very cool at the party,” Foley shares. “We had drinks in Williamsburg at St. Mazie the night before Ricky left and both finally admitted we were interested in one another. It was a really sweet, hopeful night but also complicated because we lived across the country and didn’t know if we could make it work.”
Spoiler alert: They made it work. Following monthly visits, romantic trips, and living together during the COVID-19 pandemic, the two finally got engaged during their “nomad years” as they like to call them—a period when they traveled across the United States and Europe experiencing new places together. It was during a two-month trip abroad to Paris, London, and Italy that Galliani proposed. “Ricky surprised me by proposing in London in June 2022, and we celebrated with a week in Tuscany before returning back to reality. It was an incredible end to our nomad years and a perfect way to start our lives together,” explains Foley.
When the time came to plan the wedding, deciding on a location wasn’t quite as easy as they anticipated, but the couple ultimately landed on New York City. The duo chose the most historic venues in the city, such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the New York Public Library, solidifying that their wedding will truly stand the test of time. Read on to admire Foley’s three dresses, the elegant décor, and the handful of other classic details that made this wedding special.
“My siblings and I kicked off my last day as a Foley with breakfast at St. Jardim, a place Ricky and I have always loved. It’s so fun every time we go back there now. It brings us such happy memories from before and after we got married. After getting ready at The Bowery with my sister and a few close friends, we made our way uptown for a small Catholic mass with our families at the Lady Chapel within St. Patrick’s Cathedral.”
“I wore a vintage Chanel dress from 2014 Resort that Anny Choi helped me source from eBay after we fell in love with it at Happy Isles paired with Mateo pearl-and-diamond earrings and satin ivory Manolo Blahnik heels that I also wore on our wedding day! I ended up selling the dress through Tab Vintage after the wedding, so hopefully, another bride will get to enjoy it as much as I did for her special day.”
“It was a special place for us because my grandparents got married in the same chapel back in 1963, and we felt so lucky to have them there to witness our marriage. It felt like a beautiful way for us to honor them by getting married in the same place. My grandfathers walked me down the aisle—one on either side—which helped preserve that special father-daughter moment I’d always dreamed of having for Saturday’s ceremony.”
The couple post-ceremony.
“After the mass, Ricky and I took a vintage cab up to Central Park.”
(Image credit: @normanandblake)
“The magical cherry blossom season in NYC is usually over by the end of April, but our incredible photographers, Shannen and Emily, found a few remaining vibrant blossoms in bloom where we took a few photos at golden hour. After our Central Park adventure, we hopped on a subway downtown for a small family dinner at Don Angie. It only felt right to eat delicious Italian food on the night that I officially joined an Italian family. We asked our grandparents to share stories and marriage advice over the family-style meal and got some heartfelt and hilarious answers. This intimate celebration brought us so much joy as we gathered around one cozy banquet table, helping set the tone for the rest of our wedding weekend.”
“In the morning, Ricky and his closest friends (who were up for the challenge) took a long run throughout Central Park followed by bagels from Murray’s. I opted for a slightly less active start to my morning, rounding up some of my closest friends to join in on my favorite leisurely stroll from La Colombe to the West Side Highway. Breathing in the crisp spring air and familiar sounds of New York’s bustling streets was a great way to wake up and put me in a great mood.”
“We chose to stay at the chic downtown hotel The Bowery for our wedding weekend. On the terrace floor, Ricky’s family hosted a beautiful rehearsal dinner in one of the natural light–filled rooms, which opened up to a lively welcome party for all of our guests hosted by both of our families. For this night, we aimed to lean into more of a bright and coastal Northern California aesthetic to lighten up The Bowery’s moody vibe.”
“I wore a vintage Valentino dress from 2003 that Anny Choi helped me source from Tab Vintage, which was my favorite look from the whole weekend! We had so much fun getting to know Alexis, the owner of Tab Vintage, throughout this process, as we found the dress during their pop-up at The Hotel Chelsea in NYC, where I also found a vintage Chloé suit that I wore to my bridal shower earlier that year. We paired the statement dress with Valentino platform heels, a Bella Rosa blue satin bag (my something blue for the weekend), and aquamarine-and-diamond earrings from Croghan’s Jewel Box.”
“We lucked out with a gorgeous day and enjoyed cocktails outside on the terrace during golden hour as long as we possibly could before the rehearsal dinner began. As we sipped on our drinks, we could see the apartment that I lived in for five years during and after my time at NYU. Two of our siblings, Ben and Michelle, brought the energy and put everyone at ease as the emcees of the rehearsal dinner, which was full of touching, hilarious, and heartwarming speeches from some family members and a few of our very best friends.”
“Surrounded by large windowpanes and rustic brick walls, we all came together around rehearsal dinner tables full of organic wildflowers and a plethora of tapered candles. Ricky’s parents kicked off the meal with a toast as the last bits of sunlight leaked into the room to create beautiful shadows on the brick walls just before sunset. Back in San Francisco, Ricky and his roommates used to regularly host dinner parties at their apartment to bring together new and old friends over delicious meals, wine, and cards. We wanted this night to feel like an elevated version of one of those intimate dinner parties, as nothing makes us happier than seeing all of our favorite people become friends. We were beaming as we scanned around the room and saw everyone mingling with one another. Some were meeting each other for the first time, and others were strengthening friendships we had initially forged.”
“The Alison Events team executed our vision perfectly, complete with a groovy three-piece band from Dart Collective that started playing as our rehearsal dinner transitioned into a celebratory welcome party. We wanted our guests to let loose but also save a little of their energy for the full night of dancing that would follow on Saturday.”
Valentino Garavani
Tan-Go Patent Leather Platform Sandal
Croghan’s Jewel Box
Aquamarine & Diamond Double Drop Earrings
The Bella Rosa Collection
Bella Clutch Ivory Petite
“Ricky and I kicked off the wedding morning with a coffee walk, recapping the night before—just the two of us—as a way to center ourselves before getting ready in separate rooms on the same floor. I then spent time with my sister and maid of honor, Eliza, to let it all sink in that the wedding day was finally here, and then we enjoyed room service with my parents and siblings before I changed into my white Lunya pajama set, custom silk robe, and hotel slippers to start hair and makeup.
“I’ve been getting my hair done by Jordi Martínez (now at Maison Seventy Seven in SoHo!) since I was 18, so it was such a treat to have his calming and caring self with me all day. Sophia Vallejos, who did my makeup, could not have been more bubbly and was such a warm and positive presence. Between the two of them, they worked tirelessly all day to make me feel my most confident and beautiful—always with smiles on their faces. Eleven of my best friends trickled in throughout the getting-ready process, as I wanted them to get their beauty rest and not feel rushed with the long day ahead of us. As a result, the morning slowly ramped up in excitement and energy. Although we were on a tight schedule that Sadie from the Alison Events team helped us stick to, I never felt stressed.”
“The team at Nūbō Studio worked with Ruth Skidmore, the designer hired by Alison Events’ team, to put together the most beautiful invitations and paper goods we have ever seen. (We may be slightly biased!)
“Our save-the-dates were a highlight for us, as we think that they perfectly combined the minimalist design we were going for for the weekend while highlighting our ‘long time coming’ kind of love story. Wrapped in gorgeous gray linen, the front of the save-the-date looked similar to the cover of a book, which was a nice introduction to the library, featuring our wedding date in library-card format underneath our first photo together from the second grade. The back of the save-the-date included a few details in a simple, sophisticated font, and then the dense invite was packaged in a gorgeous envelope that looked like an old-school parcel wrapped in twine—complete with a vintage stamp that featured one of the iconic lions that flank the entrance to the NYPL.”
“Six years younger than me but wise beyond her years, my sister Eliza was the best maid of honor and handled the weekend like a pro. She had all of my best friends and some family members write me notes that she presented to me in a colorful pile that morning to read while getting ready. I was too emotional to read them all then, but it was the perfect gift and brought me to tears on our flight to Japan, where we spent our honeymoon. I shared a special moment with Eliza when she zipped up my dress and helped put on our mom’s earring before the rest of my friends came back in for the reveal. Everyone present that morning brought extra excitement, tears, laughter, and giddiness to the entire getting-ready process, hyping me up before I swiftly left The Bowery to finally meet back up with Ricky on the roof of my parents’ apartment.”
“I ultimately purchased my wedding dress from Danielle Frankel, a brand I always dreamed of wearing since we got engaged. It was actually one of the first dresses I tried on when I started my search in February 2023 with my mom and Nonnie, but I looked around quite a bit before deciding to lock it in. As my friends would attest, my purchase decisions are anything but impulsive. … This large, important purchase was no exception, especially since returns were not an option. Anny Choi, my mom, my Nonnie, and Eliza fell in love with the dress I ended up wearing from the beginning, and they were right all along. It truly felt like the perfect dress to take up the grand space that is Astor Hall, where our ceremony took place, while still feeling chic and, most importantly, very ‘me.'”
“We paired the dress with my mom’s diamond stud earrings, a dainty gold ring Eliza gifted me that morning that had ‘Foley Forever’ engraved into it, the engagement ring that Ricky picked out for me, and the same silk ivory Manolos that I wore on Thursday.”
“Ricky wore a custom tux lined with colorful photos of book bindings that he chose as a nod to the library and shirt from Enzo Custom with a Shinola watch and Armani shoes. His brother and best man, Rob, helped him with the finishing touches while getting ready in the groom’s suite down the hall.”
WWW Weddings tip: “When it comes to getting ready on the morning of the ceremony (or really any wedding traditions), do what feels right to you! I think my bridesmaids really appreciated that they didn’t have to arrive at 7 a.m. to begin glam and could instead get ready on their own time. I also enjoyed getting to wake up slowly and spend time with Ricky and the rest of my family that morning to center myself before the day picked up. As cliché as it is, it’s true that the day flies by, so you want to bake in moments to slow down.”
Manolo Blahnik
Carolyne Bride
Mejuri
Eternity Line Band
“We were all over the map when it came to where we wanted to get married. We considered different areas around where we grew up in California, like Napa and Carmel; Big Sky; MT, where we’ve spent a lot of time skiing with family; upstate New York, our favorite location for a weekend getaway; and many more but kept coming back to New York City feeling right and the most ‘us’ since it’s where I’ve lived the longest, was the easiest for all of our guests to get to, and is where we officially reconnected. The library felt special to us because of its vast beauty, history, and location—being located right down the street from St. Patrick’s, which was an important landmark for both of our Irish/Italian Catholic families. We loved the idea of the New York Public Library always being an NYC landmark that we could visit and bring our future kids to whenever we are in our favorite city for years to come, no matter where our love story takes us next.”
The wedding party before the ceremony.
“We also always loved the idea of having a black-tie wedding, and what better place to dress up than at the New York Public Library?!”
“We wanted to lean into the New York Public Library’s elegant, clean, and timeless architecture by simply enhancing it with neutral tones, mono-botanical floral moments (as our wonderful florists, Putnam, coined), hurricane candles, and modern, minimalist touches. Lighting is really important to us thanks to our moms, so we wanted both the ceremony and reception to feel like it glowed in beautiful, warm candlelight—bright but not too bright—so that everyone looked and felt their best.”
“We were married in Astor Hall by Ricky’s longtime family friend Dr. John Kerrigan, who also married us (and our brother and sister-in-law, Rob and Kaley, in 2022) at our smaller Catholic mass on Thursday evening. A four-piece string quartet underscored the ceremony from one of the steps’ landing areas, playing beautiful instrumental versions of songs that were special to us and our relationship. One of my favorite love songs, ‘Grow as We Go’ by Ben Platt, was reverberating off the limestone walls so beautifully as I walked arm in arm down the aisle with my dad beaming ear to ear. Walking down the grand staircase of Astor Hall and taking in the gorgeous space, the gravity of the moment, and all the smiles on our favorite people’s faces took my breath away.
“I never ended up seeing Ricky’s face until reaching the end of the aisle, as there was just so much to take in while focusing on not tripping on the dress’s long train, but everyone afterward was commenting on how his tears could not stop flowing, which I hope I’ll get to see on film. The special moment with my dad that ended in finally being reunited with Ricky was definitely the most poignant for me out of the whole weekend. Dr. Kerrigan spoke so eloquently about our love story, getting a few laughs in here and there to keep it light. Ricky and I then exchanged personal vows.”
WWW Weddings tip: “If you choose to exchange personal vows during the ceremony, keep them brief. Ricky and I agreed to keep them to 200 words beforehand, which was tough but made them all the more powerful and memorable in our opinion. And we think our guests appreciated the brevity!”
“The moment we got to seal the deal with a kiss was exhilarating, as we worked with Dart Collective to have some members from Nightmoves (our incredible band!) play the horn section from ‘This Will Be’ by Natalie Cole as we walked back up the aisle hand in hand and out the front door of the library for some photos of us on the steps with my veil and bouquet before sunset.”
“These are some of our very favorite photos, and it’s evident by the looks on our faces that we were so overjoyed and relieved to finally be married in front of all of our family and friends! Now, it was time to party…”
The couple sharing a kiss before the reception.
“We wanted the reception to feel like one big, continuous party!”
Guests enjoying the reception.
“Before we walked into the reception, our planners told us there was some good news and some bad news. The bad news was that we were a bit delayed. The good news was that it was because everyone was having so much fun dancing to Nightmoves that they didn’t want to stop and sit down in their seats.”
“After entering the gorgeous rotunda room to take in the reception décor for the first time ahead of our first dance, we sat down at a long table that flanked the dance floor with our siblings and some of our best friends by our side. I indulged in my first martini of the night while Ricky opted for an old fashioned, and we enjoyed the delicious food by Olivier Cheng that was served in such a memorable way by friendly waiters in lockstep before the speeches began! My favorite dish was the avocado and crab appetizer that wowed our guests and married our Bay Area roots with fine New York dining in such a unique way.”
The couple sharing their first dance.
“I changed into a Vivienne Westwood gown that I fell in love with during the wedding dress shopping process after our first dance that we paired with clear Amina Muaddi heels.”
“We cut our cake to one of my favorite songs, ‘Love You for a Long Time’ by Maggie Rogers, and then continued to dance the night away until the lights came on.”
“We (and our guests!) didn’t want the party to end and enjoyed special moments on the dance floor as the drinks were flowing and everyone congregated on the dance floor.”
Details from the reception.
“I had always planned on only having two looks that night, but I ended up finding a mini silk dress (with pockets!) from 16Arlington a few days before that I brought to the venue just in case I was feeling restricted in a longer dress.”
“Naturally, it had to be worn, and I loved having a minidress moment to let loose once the dance floor really got going.”
“We ended the night of dancing with Joe’s Pizza served on the dance floor and lining the exit path straight from the box, which just felt right for a New York wedding.”
“Our last song was ‘New York, New York,’ and then we ended up heading to an impromptu after-party in The Bowery lobby until 4 a.m. Ricky and I capped off the night with room service in bed. Nothing says romantic wedding night like a burger, cacio e pepe, and french fries in bed! But it actually was the best decision ever because we had so much fun recapping every detail of the day while smiling from ear to ear. We were, and still are, reeling from the best night of our lives.”
Vivienne Westwood
Galaxy Cape Gown
Amina Muaddi
Lupita Glass PVC Mules
16Arlington
Crystal-Embellished Dress
Photographer: Norman & Blake
Videographer: Bentley Rawle
Stylist: Anny Choi
Tailors: Isa Kriegeskotte and Kaitlyn De La Cruz
Detailer: The Stylish Bride
Day-Of Assistant: Sara Raestokes
Hairstylist: Jordi Martínez Fenoll
Makeup Artist: Sophia Vallejos
Planner: Alison Events with design by Ruth Skidmore
Florist: Putnam Flowers
Entertainment: Dart Collective
Lighting: Frost Productions
Caterer: Olivier Cheng
Baker: Sarah & Simon
Stationery Designer: Nūbō Studio
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