This Basketball-Obsessed Bride Shot Hoops On Her Wedding Day Wearing A Dress Inspired By Grace Kelly
“Now, instead of saying, ‘Look, we are going to get married there.’ We get to say, ‘Look! That’s where we got married,’” says new bride Malika Andrews of Cavallo Point, the 45 acres of national park land at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. “We are so lucky.”
For Malika and her husband, Dave McMenamin, who are based full-time in Los Angeles, the choice of where to host their wedding was an easy one. “We always knew we wanted to get married in the Bay Area, where Malika is from,” says Dave. “When we arrived at Cavallo Point for the first time, it just felt right.”
Throughout the wedding weekend, the festivities featured plenty of symbolism and personal touches that represented both of their histories. The rehearsal dinner took place at Sociale, where Malika’s grandfather went on his first date with his partner. The Syracuse Spritzes served at the reception nodded to Dave’s alma mater, Syracuse University. And, given that they both have dedicated their lives to sports (she’s the host of ESPN’s NBA Today and NBA Countdown, while he is an NBA reporter for ESPN), there were plenty of athletic allusions sprinkled throughout weddings. Notably, a floriated – but fully functional! – basketball hoop at the reception. It was also a wink to their meet-cute in 2017, when Malika and Dave were both assigned to cover a Knicks vs. Cavaliers game at Madison Square Garden. Who won? Malika and Dave, of course.
On 24 August, the wedding took place at Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, California – a luxury national park resort with prime views of the bridge. “We were engaged for 21 months, so we had plenty of time to plan!” says Dave, who explains that the couple knew they wanted to squeeze in two NBA off-seasons to give them enough time to plan. “Leading up to the wedding, both Dave and I were asked all the time if we were stressed out with the big day rapidly approaching. And honestly, we never were,” Malika adds.
After the Friday night rehearsal dinner (to which Malika wore a strapless yellow midi columnar dress with colourful floral embroidery by Amsale, given the dress code was sunset colorus cocktail attire), Malika’s next “look” the morning of the wedding ticker off the “something borrowed” tradition. She wore the very same dressing gown her mother wore on her wedding day in 1992 to get ready. Her bouquet of powdery-coloured roses was wrapped in her late grandmother’s handkerchief.
As for the rest of her wedding wardrobe, Malika was purposeful in her selections. “It was really important that we worked with brands that were female and minority founded or owned. It happened really organically. I feel exceptionally lucky to have been able to create all of my outfits for the weekend in true collaboration with the designers.”
Working with stylist Leon Gray, they selected a Grace Kelly-inspired (“I loved the nod to Grace Kelly, a Philly gal – where Dave is from”) lace dress customised by Lotus Bridal – the Brooklyn-based bridal emporium. Kelly was not initially on Malika’s moodboard. “The one thing I said I didn’t feel would work for me was a dress that included lace!” admits Malika. “It was important to me that the dress was not only timeless, but also had a sense of modernity; by using a unique lace pattern with hand-placed appliqués and an almost sheer base along with a clean and feminine skirt shape, we were able to achieve that.”
The resulting dress, with lace overlaid onto a sweetheart neckline, felt both classic and fresh. She accessorised with custom shoes by Jennifer Chamandi (the wedding date was painted onto the bottom) and diamond drop earrings by Jessica McCormack. Meanwhile, Dave wore a navy tuxedo: they had always envisioned a black-tie wedding, and they liked the idea of him standing out among his 12 groomsmen, who wore black tuxedos. The bridal party was also in black, but in slightly different fabrications and fits, so their personalities could shine through.
The morning of the wedding was relatively laid-back, with Malika wanting as many people to be able to feel part of the day as possible – from her aunts to her cousins and her dad. “The only problem was that the centre of the room was the only space that would fit my dress. To avoid any last-minute mishaps, we made sure there was a ‘dress guard’ at all times… half in jest, half serious! There were a lot of calls of ‘only clear liquids in the dress room!’”
At 6 pm, their ceremony began on a lawn that offered incredible views of San Francisco. The bridal party walked down the aisle to a string quartet rendition of “In My Life” by The Beatles. Malika was then given away by her father as Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” was played. Diane Raike, a longtime friend of Malika’s mother, conducted the ceremony, which incorporated traditions from both Malika and Dave’s faiths (she was raised Jewish, he Catholic) into the programme, and the ceremony ended with the breaking of the glass. The couple wed beneath a wedding canopy of roses in peach, blush and caramel-coloured hues, and the roses extended down the aisle and encircled the seats of guests. “I was overwhelmed with happiness,” says Malika of the moment she said I do. “It was everything that I hoped for. And I loved that Dave didn’t let go of my hand.”
After the ceremony, guests migrated by foot to an alfresco cocktail hour before making their way to the Cavallo Point’s ballroom, which was brought to life by Christine Garrison and Jennifer Delte of CMG Events and florist Edgar Martinez Ruacho. Guests were greeted with a “please be seeded” seating chart which resembled an NBA tournament bracket, with a functional hoop and net made out of crystal-like beads. (Naturally, the basketball balls matched the overall colour scheme.) Inside, the ballroom’s ceiling was sheathed in greenery and twinkling lights. “I actually hid in a back room, peeking every so slightly between two drapes, because I wanted to try to see and hear the guests’ reactions as they entered the space. It was magical, and I loved seeing that reflected on their faces when they walked in and took in the ceiling.”
As for the last look of the night, Malika slipped into a mirrorball-inspired minidress from Halston. “We wanted it to reflect – literally and figuratively! – all the mirror balls we’d installed on the dancefloor,” says Malika of the look. Dave, meanwhile, changed into Mambacita Nikes as a nod to 8.24 (both of Kobe Bryant’s numbers with the Lakers). They made for great shoes to dance in, but also the perfect shoe for a quick photo opp shooting hoops with his new bride.
“I thought after all the planning that perhaps when it was over, I would be sad,” Malika says. “I don’t feel that was at all. It was such a joy to be surrounded by our family and friends. And while I am loving reliving the night by swapping stories with Dave and our guests, and looking back through photos... I am so looking forward to settling into our marriage.”
Photo: Stephanie Lynn1/81Before our rehearsal dinner, we made a stop on Cherry Street where we got engaged.
Photo: Stephanie Lynn2/81This is the exact place Dave got down on one knee and asked me to marry him on Thanksgiving in 2022.
Photo: Stephanie Lynn3/81My dad, wearing the tie my mother gifted him for their first anniversary, at our rehearsal dinner at Sociale. They’ve been together 32 years.
Photo: Stephanie Lynn4/81Catching up with friends the night before our wedding.
Photo: Stephanie Lynn5/81This Amsale dress was actually one of the first dresses I chose for the weekend. I knew I wanted something colourful, so that we could have some fun with the dress code for that night. The dress inspired our ask for “sunset colors cocktail attire” for guests.
Photo: Stephanie Lynn6/81Hugging my grandfather, Sanford J Rosen – who I call “Zayde” – after his touching toast.
Photo: Stephanie Lynn7/81Jennifer Chamandi designed custom shoes for me to wear down the aisle, with our wedding date etched onto the soles.
Photo: Stephanie Lynn8/81My little sister and maid-of-honour, Kendra, and I putting the finishing touches on our make-up. I worked with my longtime hair stylist, Sophie Rose, and longtime make-up artist, Giovanna Paramo, to create my soft, wedding-day glam.
