Inside Karen Elson and Lee Foster’s Quintessentially New York Wedding at Electric Lady Studios

For those within the music industry, Electric Lady Studios is an iconic and historic institution. “The beautiful music that has been made here…I can’t even begin to describe how many great pieces of music have been made here,” Karen says. “Lee, my husband—I love saying that—his team, and planner Brenna McKamey pulled out all the stops to make the rooftop look beautiful. When we realized it was going to rain, he built a contingency plan. They worked up until three hours before the ceremony and built a temporary rain shelter.”

On the roof, there were florals by Rosecrans and Flowers by Ford everywhere and a bar at the corner. “The mood was perfect,” Karen says. “It felt like a quintessential New York wedding. It wasn’t formal. We didn’t want anything formal. The dress code was ‘late-summer garden party,’ and the wedding colors were off-white, pale blue, and then, of course, florals. We told guests to come in whatever makes them comfortable—we’re not following tradition.” Meanwhile, set designer Mary Howard also came by and lent a hand at the eleventh hour to help prop out all of the spaces. “I wanted to make the studio feel like a jazz club—like Cafe Carlyle—with cocktail tables and a warm, cozy feel,” Karen says. “She came in and really helped us with all of that.”

At the start of the ceremony, Karen’s son and daughter walked down the aisle, followed by her young niece and nephew. “They are 5 and 7, and I had to bribe them with gummy worms,” she says, laughing. “I told them that there’s gummy worms before and gummy worms after!”

The bride’s Valentino dress, designed by her friend Michele, was created with embroidered white silk illusion tulle and lined with a layer of light georgette. The embroidery featured a mix of celestial blue and ivory materials, including beads and shards, while the bodice had a tulle cape with bell sleeves, and the skirt opened to flare at the bottom. The sash at the waist was tied in a bow at the back and included a bouquet motif with flowers.

Patti Smith, who is a close friend of the groom’s, officiated the ceremony. “I have known Patti for a very long time and am very close to her children, Jackson and Jesse,” Karen says. “Jackson and I actually used to play music together. We have had a relationship with the Smith family together and as a couple. Patti is a warm, caring, wonderful person on top of being the prolific artist that she is. She has a beautiful way with words. She read a passage, and there wasn’t a dry eye on the roof.”

The bride walked down the aisle escorted by her father, James Elson, while Jack Antonoff sang Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You in the End.” “Walking down the aisle with my dad was deeply meaningful,” Karen remembers. “There are such beautiful things about a wedding—you get to celebrate something that is pure. It was so intimate and moving and joyful.”

After the ceremony, there was an “Oh, my God, we just did it!” moment for the bride and groom, before everyone migrated downstairs. “Lee and I were standing at the end of the stairs, and this became the unofficial greeting area for all of our guests,” Karen says. “We were giving everyone hugs. We didn’t really follow any formalities. The beauty of Electric Lady is that it’s such a cozy place, and we opened it up entirely. Most guests went down to the deck and grabbed a drink and some food by Loring Place and Cosmic Crust Experience, and that was where the hang began. I think it took a couple of hours for my heart rate to settle down. [The wedding] was sort of an out-of-body experience in many ways. Afterward, it became the most wonderful hang. There was food up on the rooftop and down on the deck, and we just traveled throughout the studio saying ‘thank you’ to people.”

Rachel Antonoff and Jackson Smith both gave speeches, before the cake by Aimee France was served and DJ Edan took over entertainment. “LSD [Lauren Santo Domingo] did an event with the most incredible cake,” Karen explains. “My daughter said, ‘Mom, this is the exact cake you need,’ and I guess imitation is the best form of flattery! I reached out to Aimee, and she created the cake of my dreams. The icing was Earl Grey flavored, and the inside was a spongy salted caramel. I pigged out late night on buttercream Earl Grey icing because it was so remarkable,” Karen admits. “The decoration was beautiful, but the taste was also incredible. She is an artist!”

The last people left at around 3:30 in the morning, Karen estimates. “Lee and I left around 2:30. I have to give Grace Coddington an honorable mention; she really was—aside from Lee and I—the unofficial star of the show. All night I would walk over to wherever she was seated, and there was a crowd of people talking to her, and then I would leave and come back, and there would be another crowd—she was holding court. You realize how truly revered Grace is, and it really meant the world to me that people wanted to sit down and talk. She is one of my dearest friends, and she gave me my chance at American Vogue. She’s a redhead and a crazy cat lady like me—and I am just an imitation of Grace, thankfully. She was the star and the one everyone was dying to talk to.”

Looking back on the festivities a few days after the wedding, Karen can’t help but reflect on how the reception felt like the most perfect house party she’s ever been to. “So much of the feedback we got from the wedding was how grounded and fun it was,” Karen says. “There were so many interesting people, but no one was looking over their shoulder, no one was vying for attention, everyone was there and present. It felt very, very rare. It’s a testament to my husband. He created this incredible community—he’s very quiet and doesn’t like being the center of attention, but he is a real carer. He cares so much about the people who walk into his studio, and you felt the warmth of this place and how special it is. It’s a testament to him—and the day was one of those moments in life that, when I’m old and gray, I’ll think back to and pinch myself.”