I am definitely not a country girl but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate some densely populated woods every now and then, preferably from the comfort of my desk chair as we gaze upon some Rhode Island nuptials captured by Joshua Behan Photography. And the sweet little details abound in this beauty. From the scrumptious paper goods to the Bride and Groom’s efforts to reduce their event’s environmental impact, the proof is in the pudding. See for yourselves in the gallery.
Click here to see the entire image gallery!
From the Bride… Jeff and I had been dating for 8 years when we were engaged and we were thrilled to celebrate our commitment to each other with our friends and families. I had wanted a venue where our guests could stay overnight and we could all spend time together outdoors. We didn’t think such a place existed in Rhode Island until we visited the amazing Whispering Pines Conference Center. It’s like a gorgeous summer camp for adults with comfortable beds and gourmet food!
We tried to give our wedding a “vintage garden party” feel and chose our date to take advantage of those warm late summer nights in Rhode Island. Unfortunately we woke up on our wedding day to torrential downpours, which moved our outdoor wedding ceremony to a covered porch and eliminated the post-reception s’mores around a campfire. I was definitely upset at first but got over it pretty quickly once the day started. I think our ceremony felt more intimate in the new location and I loved standing under the lit paper lanterns, surrounded by candles and mason jars filled with flowers.
Though I don’t know if I can call our wedding green, we did try to reduce our event’s impact on the environment. Before buying decorations, we considered if we would be able to reuse or resell what we purchased. We made little buttons with Audubon print animals for each guest that served as a both a favor and an escort card. Our florist uses environmentally-friendly practices and she sourced all but one of the flower species used in the bouquets and centerpieces from local growers. We also used minimal paper in our invitation and asked our guests to RSVP online through our wedding website.
We had fun planning everything (most of the time!) and it all came together beautifully. A lot of that was thanks to our awesome vendors; from our photographer Josh who made sure we got plenty of outdoor portraits during breaks in the rain to our DJ, Ari who found vintage jazz records to play during our cocktail hour. I tried to remember to stop and take it all in, but the day still went by heartbreakingly fast. Moments that stand out in my mind are unexpected ones – rushing around in the pouring rain to hang up the arrow signs, Jeff accidentally knocking my mom’s nosegay out of her hand at the altar (making everyone laugh), and dancing with Jeff’s 70-something grandparents late, late into the night.
I know that wedding planning can be really stressful. I got lucky because we had 20 months to prepare and both of our families were very supportive of all of our decisions. I am glad that I have just as many fond memories of the months leading up the wedding, where we came up with ideas and crafted stuff together, where we got to go to fun vendor meetings and tastings, and where we were constantly in awe of all of the excitement and support shown by our friends and families.
Wedding Venue & Catering: Whispering Pines Conference Center / Wedding Photography: Joshua Behan Photography / Flowers: Greenlion Weddings / Pitcher Plants: Robin Hollow Farm / DJ: Beat Train Productions / Wedding Invitations: Download & Print / Wedding Invitation Letterpress: The Bride via AS220 Print Shop / Wedding Dress: J.Crew / Bride’s Hair Piece: Twigs & Honey / Wedding Cake: The Provender / Cake Topper: Melabo / Ring Bearer Bowl: Paloma’s Nest