Exclusive: Baker Mayfield and Emily Wilkinson’s Romantic California Wedding

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is a married man! The Heisman Trophy winner married Emily Wilkinson on July 6, 2019, and we’ve got all of the details.

Friends had been trying to introduce Baker and Emily for months in 2017, but it wasn’t until the QB was FaceTiming with his brother after a game in October (while Baker was starting at the University of Oklahoma) that they spotted one another. “Baker’s brother was scanning the crowd with his camera to show Baker who had gotten together to watch him play, and I was the one person in the crowd who he didn’t recognize,” Emily recalls. “He put two and two together and realized I was the girl our friend had been trying to set him up with all that time!” A few months later, Baker convinced Emily to attend his Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, inviting her out for lunch the day before. “We haven’t really been apart since,” she says. “It was love at first sight!”

Six months later, under the guise of filming the final sections of his docu-series, Baker asked Emily to organize a wrap party and invite their friends and family to join them. “We each filmed a segment, then they had us sit down together for a final interview,” Emily recalls. “They asked Baker to talk about how we met, which turned into the perfect set-up for him to propose!” Of course, everyone knew it was coming but Emily, and that wrap party was actually an engagement celebration.

The couple spent a year planning their summer wedding, hiring Bluebell Events to create a romantic, vintage-inspired outdoor wedding at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. “I’m from Nebraska and Baker is from Texas, so we both really love the outdoors,” says Emily. “Calamigos was the only venue we looked at because it reminded us of home. It was so romantic, and didn’t feel stuffy or over-the-top.”

Needless to say, this California wedding was absolutely gorgeous, so keep reading to see all the details from this NFL player's wedding, as photographed by Hayley Dolson, below!

Emily was certain she wanted a form-fitting gown with a hint of lace, but after a day of shopping, she still hadn’t found “The One.” “My best friend grabbed one more dress and asked me to try it on. She knew it wasn’t my style, but just had to see someone wearing it,” Emily recalls. “I was sort of sick of all the changing, but caved and put on this ball gown. When I came out of the dressing room, absolutely everyone was in tears!”

The bride paired her stunning gown with a diamond solitaire, eternity band, and Gianvito Rossi heels. She slipped into a pair of pink and gray monogrammed Nike sneakers once dancing got going at the reception.

The couple exchanged gifts the morning of the wedding. Emily also took a moment to watch the footage of Baker’s proposal one more time before walking down the aisle.

Baker wore a custom blue three-piece suit from Southwick, which he paired with a blush tie and Allen Edmonds shoes. “Allen Edmonds is his father’s favorite, so Baker wanted to keep the tradition alive,” says Emily.

In addition to a first look, Emily and Baker took the opportunity to share their vows in private. “We wanted to write our own, but loved the idea of keeping them sacred and using traditional vows during the ceremony,” the bride explains.

Baker gave all of his groomsmen matching Southwick suits, each embroidered with their names on the inside of the jacket. Emily’s bridesmaids wore blush V-Neck dresses from Jenny Yoo. The pale palette was the perfect backdrop for their rose and peony bouquets.

The ceremony took place in the garden, beneath a sprawling tree draped in twinkling lights. Two oversized arrangements of white roses flanked the aisle, and were later repurposed by the dance floor.

Baker and the wedding party walked down the aisle to “Marry Me” by Train, followed by Emily and her father to “All of Me” by John Legend.

“After our first kiss, we exited under a shower of rose petals to ‘Better Together’ by Jack Johnson, one of our favorite songs,” says the bride.

Cocktail hour took place on the lawn at Calamigos Ranch, where the newlyweds surprised their guests with a Ferris wheel.

Guests found their seat assignments in a display of bud vases that doubled as escort cards. Each vase was personalized with the bride and groom's first initials.

The groom invited some of his NFL colleagues, including New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.

“We had 350 guests and more than 40 tables, so we created a few different styles to mix it up,” says Emily. Tables were topped with soft gray linens, custom lace runners, and blush napkins. Some tables featured single centerpieces (of blush and cream roses, hydrangeas, lisianthus, dahlias and peonies), while others featured clusters of bud vases.

The 38-foot head table was draped with a lace runner and decorated with fresh blooms and candles. “One of my favorite details had to be the custom ‘The Mayfields’ sign behind the stage!” says the bride. The dance floor was complete with Emily and Baker's wedding logo, which also appeared on each escort card.

A giant doughnut-shaped wall displayed some of the bride’s favorite sweet treats, including a few topped with rose gold icing.

During the reception, Emily’s brother surprised the couple with a song he’d written just for the occasion. “My brother, musician Sammy Wilk, took to the stage and performed a song called ‘Saturday,'" Emily says. "He’s actually releasing it soon!”

The couple did their best to enjoy the process, something they admit was much easier with a great wedding planner on their team. “Instead of trying to knock things out, we really thought about each decision and didn’t rush it," Emily says of the wedding planning process. "We’ll definitely have fond memories of tastings and vendor meetings from along the way!”