Kevin and I taking a moment during the ceremony. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
A photographer played matchmaker for model and entrepreneur Kate Bock and Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball player Kevin Love. The two met in 2015 after individually shooting with the same photographer in New York. “He thought we would be a nice match and set us up on our first date at the St. Regis,” Kate remembers. “From there, the rest was history.”
They started dating shortly thereafter and got engaged in January 2021. “We were celebrating my birthday at one of our favorite restaurants, Lilia, when Kevin got down on one knee and totally surprised me with a beautiful ring that he personally designed,” Kate says. “It was super intimate. I couldn’t imagine it any other way. It was a picture-perfect New York moment.”
They set a date of June 25 at the New York Public Library and enlisted event planner extraordinaire Marcy Blum to oversee all of the planning. She, in turn, collaborated with Mixed Greens Design and Amaryllis Events for decor.
“It was a lot of work, but we had so much fun doing it,” Kate says. “We love being creative, and it was amazing to see the process of how our dream celebration came to life. I create moodboards all the time for my brand Love Kate, so making them for my wedding was natural for me. I would create moodboard after moodboard and ask for Kevin to provide his input. We both envisioned an old-school New York City, Great Gatbsy-inspired, black and white ball for the big day. That was the easy part! The hard part was just making the small detailed decisions—whether it was a specific linen, the seating chart, or where to get ready. Our amazing wedding planner Marcy and her team guided us along and helped us through everything.”
Guests arriving. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
What to wear proved to be the easiest part of the entire planning process, given that Kate has been a close friend of the Ralph Lauren brand for years. “I was so lucky to work with the Ralph Lauren team on designing my dream dress,” she says. “They are true experts, and I had so much fun working with them on creating something that was classic and fit in seamlessly with the theme of our wedding. I was inspired by Grace Kelly’s wedding dress, so we used that as a jumping off point for a modern-day, beaded lace gown that was totally my style.”
Getting ready to leave the St. Regis and head to the Library. The St. Regis is so special to us. It’s where we had our first date so this was a full circle moment. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
For beauty, Kate focused intensely on her skin care leading up to her wedding day and worked with Lisa Aharon to create a simple glowy, sun-kissed look. “‘My everyday, but better’ was the goal,” Kate says. “I wanted to pull my hair back but keep it effortless and soft, so Adam MaClay styled it into a loose low ponytail with a few pieces pulled out—a style we had tried before and loved.”
For jewelry, she wanted to keep her accessories classic. To that end, Kevin surprised her with a pair of vintage earrings as a wedding gift which she wore for the ceremony along with pieces lent by Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. accessorized Kev and me throughout the weekend. I wore diamond rings, bracelets, and necklaces, which were stunning and perfectly complemented all of my looks. Kevin’s stylist, Courtney Mays, picked out studs and a vintage lapel pin to complete Kevin’s dapper look. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
The ceremony took place in Astor Hall at the New York Public Library. “The setting was so timeless and romantic with the beautiful marble and an unbelievable candlelit staircase,” Kate says. “We had a stunning chuppah that was made of white cherry blossoms and followed the lines of the natural arch in the library. We made our ceremony super meaningful by having our closest friends a part of it—from Kevin’s longtime agent, who officiated our wedding, and his daughters, who were our flower girls, to my manager of over a decade, who did the seven blessings. It felt so personal and nice to be surrounded by people we love.”
The flower girls greeting Kevin with a hug as they walked down the aisle. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
The bride’s parents walked her down the aisle, and Kevin met her halfway. “Once I was arm-in-arm with Kevin, I felt a sense of calm and was just so happy to be taking part in a day that we had dreamt about for so long,” Kate says. “It felt surreal. We each wrote our own vows, which was one of my favorite parts of the ceremony. I was so excited to say mine and loved hearing what Kevin had written, it was such a special moment that I’ll never forget.”
“Everything from the location and the children’s gospel choir that sang during the ceremony to the sea of black and white tuxes and dresses and Kate—a vision coming down the stairs—made for an unreal and unforgettable experience,” Kevin adds.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds took time for a private moment together and bridal portraits before joining their guests for cocktails. “We got the chance to greet our guests and have them see ‘the dress’ up close before heading into the beautiful candlelight ballroom to dance and spend time with our favorite people,” Kate says.
On our way to our after party at Celon Lounge. I am wearing a Danielle Frankel mini-dress and Kevin is wearing his second Ralph Lauren custom suit with his Nike Air Force Ones. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
At that point, the bride changed into the first of two Danielle Frankel dresses. “I love her pieces and as soon as I tried them on I knew I had to have them,” she says. “The two I chose allowed me to move and dance the night away with family and friends.” The reception dress was a long silk gown with a wilted neckline that felt very Old Hollywood. “I wanted something super glamorous and elegant,” Kate says. “For the after-party at Célon, I opted for a minidress with tulle overlay—it was more playful while still being sophisticated.”
Days later, Kate’s still feeling the glow. “I’m so happy to be married,” she says. “The whole weekend was perfect—I married my one surrounded by all of our friends and family! It doesn’t get much better than that. We cannot wait to continue the celebration all summer long.”
Kevin echoes her thoughts. “It couldn’t have been any better,” he says. “I’m so excited for the present, but also looking ahead. Goddamn, it went by so fast!”
Below, take a look at some of the sweetest pictures from Kate Bock and Kevin Love’s wedding
So excited on my way to our rehearsal dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, The Polo Bar. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Kevin and I welcoming all of our guests for flying in for our wedding weekend. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
I was not planning on wearing a fragrance for the big day and then a close friend surprised me with Le Labo, specially made for me with our wedding date written on the label. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Ralph Lauren made me this beautiful dress inspired by Grace Kelly’s wedding dress. I took inspiration from it and helped design a modern-day beaded lace gown in my style. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
My flower girls were so excited to see the dress. I was showing them the amazing detail and hard work that was put into it. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Getting touchups with Lisa Aharon and Adam Maclay. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Ralph Lauren dressed Kevin too. I loved the ivory jacket. It was so old-school classic and cool. It looked amazing in photos. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Kevin getting ready for the ceremony. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Kevin finishing his vows. Vows were one of my favorite moments from the weekend. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Russell Westbrook and Nina Earl arriving. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
My childhood best friend Nina Shumiatcher was my one bridesmaid. Kevin and I kept our wedding party small. She looked amazing and also dressed in Ralph Lauren. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Sending off the flower girls. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
The flower girls—Sloane, Presley, and Emelia Schwartz—were super sweet and wore long ivory silk and lace dresses. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
My parents walking me down the aisle. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Taking in the beautiful ceremony. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Kevin and I wrapped in a tallit, a Jewish tradition. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
The Library had so many stunning staircases and the architecture is outstanding. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Kevin and his close friend, Chosen Family Wines founder Channing Frye. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Rich Paul, Adele, Savannah and Lebron James looking chic and ready to celebrate on our wedding day. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
I changed into my second look, a Danielle Frankel silk wool long-sleeved gown and matching Danielle Frankel x Manolo Blahnik shoes, which were both easier to dance in and just glamorous. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
The toasts were quite memorable. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Our guests laughing—and showing off the Nike Air Force Ones that everyone changed into during the reception—during speeches by wedding MCs Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Everyone loved The Collective You photobooth. We took so many photos with our guests, which was so fun! Here’s a photo of us with some of our closest friends. Photo: Allan Zepeda Photography
Originally published in Vogue.com
