Alexandra “Allie” Michler and Will Kopelman met at a dinner party in New York City, and after a year and a half of dating, the art consultant proposed to Vogue’s Director of Fashion Initiatives. “Will planned an afternoon in New York City, visiting all the places that were significant to our relationship, and ending up at our favorite bridge in Central Park, where he proposed at dusk,” Allie recalls. “I practically jumped home — I was so happy.”
When she got back to the apartment, she was surprised to find her and Will’s parents with champagne and Rao’s catering. “It was so meaningful,” says Allie. “I will never forget the feeling of exhilaration and calm when I’m with my favorite people.”
A few days later, Will proposed again in front of his two daughters, Olive and Frankie. “They were so sweet and excited about our wedding and had proposed ‘jewelry shops they knew’ a few months before we got engaged because they were getting impatient for Will to propose to her!” Allie recalls. “I feel very fortunate to have her in my life.”
Soon after, the couple began planning their August 28 wedding on the island of Nantucket. “Both Will and I have spent summers on Nantucket our entire lives,” Allie explains. “So it’s an incredibly important place for both of us. We also spent the first months of the pandemic here together and grew closer together as a couple and with each of our families.”
From the start, Allie and Will knew they wanted to give their guests—many of whom had never been to the island before—a sense of classic Nantucket. “It was important that our paper suite reflect that,” says Allie. “I had the idea of sourcing old Nantucket postcards to use as our save the dates and reply cards, and Will and I had fun scouring the internet for the best postcards. I then worked with Jill Baumeister at J. Papers in Greenwich. Jill was a perfectionist down to the last detail and I share her love of ephemera. She understood every reference and was always able to capture the quality and character I was looking for.”
David Handy, Katie Hughes and Donald Dallaire of Nantucket-based Handy & Dallaire Events helped with everything from decorations to logistics, while Stone Kelly’s Jen and Marco created the flowers for the occasion. “They are incredibly talented and come up with such innovative and inspiring twists to make an event special,” notes Allie. The mother of the bride also served as a constant guide throughout the planning process. “She helped me with every last detail and put everything together with such grace and calm,” says Allie. “I have complete confidence in her and will always look back on this happy time planning my wedding together and the joy of the end result. We had so much fun dreaming about the day together. She really made it out of the park!”
Given her career in fashion, Allie knew immediately what direction she wanted to take with her wedding day look. Your dress should be classic, timeless and appropriate for an island setting. She chose Chanel for her welcome party, bridal dinner and Sunday brunch and Oscar de la Renta for her wedding dress. “I knew Fernando for my wedding dress [Garcia] and Laura [Kim] could achieve understated elegance perfectly. The entire team at Oscar is so lovely and lovely. Design Director Simon de la Beaupeaure, Public Relations Director Rebekah Kohan and the masters of the atelier crafted my dress with the utmost care and beautiful craftsmanship.”
As a first step, Allie tried on dresses with her mother at the Oscar store, and there she tended towards simple silhouettes. Still, she wanted a bit of drama for the ceremony at Sankaty Beach Club to complement the beautiful backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean. She sent Fernando some inspiration photos and he started sketching. She then turned to master tailor Bill Bull for his impeccable eye and to guide her through the fit and proportions of everything. “I love helping people find beautiful dresses for my job, but finding your own wedding dress can prove tricky and you need another expert’s opinion! I’ve been so lucky to work with Bill. Simple dresses are almost harder to perfect because every detail has to be tailored so well. I really couldn’t have done it without Bill,” says Allie.
Bill Bull also made the bridal veil (with the Oscar de la Renta team) and a dropped waist dress for Allie’s mother from a blouse and skirt set by Giambattista Valli. Manolo Blahnik custom made Hangisi ballerinas in the fabric of the bride’s wedding dress.
“Given my father-in-law Arie Kopelman’s amazing story at Chanel [he was the president and COO from 1986 until 2004]”I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the Chanel team on my dresses for all other wedding events,” explains Allie. “The craftsmanship of these pieces is unparalleled.” Allie wanted a hat to complement her wedding dress, and friend Gigi Burris delivered by graciously making a version of a classic boat hat for her. “We had so much fun trying them on in her studio,” Allie recalls. “I also wore a dress that Danielle Frankel kindly made for me for our family boat dinner on Thursday.”
Borrowed for her, Allie’s mother had a pair of diamonds her father bought for her in Antwerp years ago at special pieces. “We fashioned them into beautiful pearl and diamond stud earrings with the help of Greenwich jeweler Betteridge,” says Allie. “We sourced the beads through the fabulous Betteridge team. The freshwater pearls felt perfect for Nantucket.”
Will wore a custom light blue J.Crew suit with a custom Ralph Lauren shirt and tie, and Laura Vassar – co-founder of the Brock Collection – designed Allie’s sisters’ dresses. “Laura has an impeccable eye and knows my tastes so well,” explains Allie. “We immediately started chatting about the vision for her dresses when I got engaged.” Seamstress Patricia Voto and Laura worked with the Brock team in Italy to create a custom print inspired by a dress from the spring collection 2020 inspired by the Brock collection. Then they layered the linen with a sheer piece of tulle to give the dress an antique quality. “I loved how the color complemented the vintage postcards from our Save the Dates program,” says Allie.
Laura also designed dresses for the couple’s five flower girls: Olive Kopelman, Frankie Kopelman, Laine Clinton, Sloane Zeller and Goldie Kaplan, and they were all visions in their tailored brock. “Patricia sewed each girl’s initials into their dresses,” says Allie, “creating a memory they can keep for a lifetime.”
The weather on Nantucket is notoriously unpredictable, and the bride panicked a bit a few weeks after the wedding as the reception and ceremony were held outdoors for safety reasons (in addition to ensuring that all guests and event staff were fully vaccinated). The forecast predicted hurricanes in late August. “A friend in Nantucket told us to bury a bottle of bourbon upside down to keep the weather nice, and I swear it worked,” she says. “From Thursday to Sunday we had the most wonderful sunny days of our weekend – I couldn’t believe it. We have since dug up the bottle and will be sipping it on our first anniversary.”
On the wedding day, the bride awoke to a clear blue sky and felt an overwhelming sense of calm. She went for a walk on the beach before preparations began. When everyone was ready, the flower girls, the bridal party and Allie walked down the shell path from her family’s home to the beach club for the ceremony. During the service, the wind picked up and made for dramatic photos. “It was a miracle my veil didn’t fly into the sea,” says Allie. “Thank you Alexa Rodulfo for the natural yet secure attachment!”
Reverend Robert F. Naylor, the Michlers’ retired minister of the Second Congregational Church in Greenwich, came from Cape Cod to officiate. “Seeing this beautiful day come together and seeing Will beaming down the aisle with everyone I love on either side – I’ll never forget that,” says Allie.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds exited the club to cheers and white rose petals, then headed together to the Sesachacha pond before taking family photos. “Our getaway car was actually Will’s 1977 Jeep Wagoneer ‘Rosie’ that he has on the island,” says Allie. “It was built the same month and year that it was born and he has lovingly restored it into a functional, fun summer car that we all enjoy driving around in. I will never forget that ride for the rest of my life. The golden light sweeping my husband around created an emotion that cannot be put into words. It truly felt like something out of a dream—as I watched my veil pour out the window, which was flooded with the perfect Nantucket light. Neither of us had a phone – but it’s a memory that will live on in our minds. I can picture it perfectly.”