Celebs

What to know about this Kennedy wedding on the Cape

Mariah Kennedy Cuomo married Tellef Lundevall at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, which her mother's family purchased nearly 100 years ago.

By Abby Patkin

updated on July 25, 2024

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When Mariah Kennedy Cuomo married longtime boyfriend Tellef Lundevall in a picture-perfect, star-studded wedding last Saturday, Cape Cod was a natural choice for the venue.

After all, Hyannis Port has served as the backdrop for countless Kennedy family memories as far back as the 1920s, when Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. — father of President John F. Kennedy and Sens. Robert and Ted Kennedy  — purchased the Kennedy Compound. 

According to Vogue magazine, Kennedy Cuomo married Lundevall outside a home belonging to her maternal grandmother, Bobby Kennedy’s widow Ethel. 

“When Tellef and I first got engaged, we called grandma to tell her the happy news,” Kennedy Cuomo told Vogue. “She really likes Tellef — they share a love of football, a desire for adventure, and a great sense of humor. When grandma picked up the phone, she joked about hearing that I had ‘stolen her man.’ We laughed, and she insisted we marry on her front lawn.”

The couple’s first dance was to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” according to Vogue.

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A post shared by Mariah Kennedy Cuomo (@mariahkennedycuomo)

Who they are

As her name suggests, Kennedy Cuomo hails from two high-profile political families. Her mother, Kerry Kennedy, is one of Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s 11 children and is currently the president of the non-profit Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. The bride’s father is Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York — a position his father, Mario Cuomo, also once held. 

Kennedy Cuomo is founder and CEO of social media advisory firm Socrates Social. Lundevall, whose family is from Norway, is CEO of the performance marketing agency Accelerated Digital Media. 

Where they met

According to Vogue, the couple first crossed paths in 2012 and met when Kennedy Cuomo visited Brown University as a prospective student during her senior year of high school. Lundevall had reportedly become friends with two of Kennedy Cuomo’s cousins, Kate Kennedy and Amanda Cole, while studying together at Brown.

“That visit cemented that Brown was the right choice for me,” Kennedy Cuomo told Vogue. “And I also left very interested in Tellef.”

The pair overlapped for a semester at Brown and eventually reconnected during an alumni weekend in May 2018, according to the magazine. 

Lundevall proposed to Kennedy Cuomo in November 2023 during a trip to Sicily, where the bride has roots on her father’s side. 

What the bride wore

Kennedy Cuomo wore Vera Wang for her big day. 

“When I put on my wedding dress at Vera Wang, I instantly knew it was the one!” she told Vogue. “The dress — an Italian tulle gown with a classic corset construction accented by asymmetric, hand-placed light ivory corded French lace — made me feel exactly as Tellef does: confident, special, and happy.”

For the after-party, Kennedy Cuomo wore an embellished Clio Peppiatt mini dress. 

What was served

According to People magazine, wedding guests dined on Chatham cod, steak, and lemon linguine during the reception, which was catered by The Catered Affair. 

The eight-tiered wedding cake by Confectionery Designs featured a lemon pound cake with raspberry cream filling and a chocolate pound cake with vanilla bean filling and fresh strawberries, plus a thin layer of lemon curd, according to People.

Vogue reported that Kennedy Cuomo climbed up a ladder to cut into the dessert, which was inspired by her great-aunt Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s wedding cake. 

Who was there

The guest list of around 400 family members and friends featured several notable standouts, including Billy Joel — a friend of Andrew Cuomo’s. 

Fashion designer Kenneth Cole — who is married to Kennedy Cuomo’s aunt Maria — was also in attendance, as were NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo and former U.S. Reps. Patrick Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Joseph P. Kennedy III, People reported.