Get your tissues ready, because the reason this couple chose Newport’s Castle Hill Inn to host their wedding is sure to bring a tear to your eye. But as soon as you see this Bride and Groom’s love and all the pretty details from Eventfully Planned and Sayles Livingston Flowers, the only tears you’ll be shedding will be tears of joy. See it all—from the maple syrup favors (he’s Canadian!) to the gorgeous Romona Keveza gown—from Erin McGinn in THE VAULT!
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From Erin McGinn…Katherine and Chris’s wedding had a fun garden party vibe, with vibrant kelly green, nautical navy, and sweet pink touches, all carried together with a custom crest monogram created by Penmagic and appeared on everything from the invitation to cocktail napkins and the bar.
From The Bride…Our focus was always on a fun celebration of marriage, love and happiness with our friends and family. As I’m Irish Catholic, I have a huge family on both sides (26 first cousins!). My family always had an open door policy when I was growing up and welcomed everyone in the neighborhood over at any time. I have continued that tradition in our new house in Chicago and we are always entertaining whether it is a summer bbq, hosting bachelorette parties or our now annual Christmas extravaganza. We wanted the wedding to be a big gathering of everyone we love most in the world!
My mother passed away when I was 21 and Newport was always a special location for her and our family. She attended college at Salve Regina and my parents were married in Newport in the middle of a snowstorm in January. We still have family and friends in the area and return every year to visit. Newport will always have a place in my heart and I couldn’t wait to share it with Chris when we started dating.
I always wanted to get married in Newport and follow in my parent’s footsteps. I chose our venue (in my head!) when I was with my father at an event at Castle Hill. It was the year after my mother passed away and we were there for a research benefit for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute where she had received treatment. I remember looking across the lawn and falling in love with the ocean view and charm of the Inn. When it came time to look at venues for the wedding, we did not even bother to look at other places as I had my heart set on Castle Hill for years. I read somewhere that it was a trend in 2015 to “personalize weddings” and I thought that was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. How could a wedding not be personalized? When I originally thought about the wedding and style, I wanted it be reflective of us as a couple and be a fun and unstuffy event. For example, I wanted the cocktail hour to have a slider bar and late night grilled cheeses. I want people to be able to wear whatever they wanted and be comfortable. I want everyone to dance the night away to Motown classics and take cheesy photos in the photo booth and leave with a big smile on their faces!
Chris is from Vancouver, Canada so we also wanted to make sure we brought in some of his style as the wedding was held in Rhode Island. To showcase his love of the outdoors and camping, we will have smores outside on fire-pits. We also brought in mini bottles of maple syrup as favors that included tags that directed guests to their seats. He has memories of tapping the sap with his grandfather and making maple syrup as a young boy. If anyone has seen Chris at another wedding, they also know he loves air guitar so we have blowup guitars to pass out on the dance floor so everyone can mimic his signature move.
I’m not a crafty person but was saved by one of my girlfriends who provided all of our DIY items as a wedding gift including cocktail napkins, koozies, straws and all of the signs. I found our paper & calligraphy vendor on Etsy and Brenda at Penmagic saved the day. In additional to the save the date Newport maps and invitations, she designed a special crest for us incorporating our initials. We used this crest as a beginning design point for all different items including napkins, the program, thank you cards, table numbers and it was even screened onto a flag that was given to us as a gift.
Photography: Erin McGinn | Cinematography: JB Horn | Event Planning: Eventfully Planned | Floral Design: Sayles Livingston Design | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza Legends | Cake: Confectionery Designs | Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade | Hair + Makeup: Jennie Kay beauty | Band: Sweet Tooth And The Sugar Babies | Ceremony Music: Chris Phillips | Transportation: Viking Tours | Venue: Castle Hill Inn | Bridal Boutique: Ultimate Bride Boutique | Invitation + Paper Design (including Crest): Penmagic Cards | Lighting + Decor: Exquisite Events | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited