I don’t know what it is about you Rhode Island lovelies, but you happen to throw some pretty fabulous weddings. I’m talking weddings that are chock-full of preppy meets glam details and a whole lot of heartwarming happy. Stunning affairs like this gorgeous beauty planned to perfection by The Catered Affair and captured in mesmerizing images by Person + Killian Photography, aka, a never-ending love fest featuring vibrant blooms by Riverside Nursery and a Sperry Tent reception that is all kinds of amazing. See it all in the full gallery.
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From Person + Killian Photography… For the first weekend of Summer, we traveled to historic Watch Hill, Rhode Island. The weekend of wedding events included a seaside ceremony, beautiful tented reception, and Sunday brunch the next day — all designed, catered, and executed by the amazing team of The Catered Affair. The bride, Megan, and her mother had been planning this wedding for over a year, and would often peruse the Style Me Pretty blog for great wedding details and inspiration!
All of the weekend’s events took place at a private residence in Watch Hill, with beautiful details incorporating bright summer colors, white and blue nautical elements, and touches of Irish heritage important to the family. Megan’s strapless white wedding gown was matched with a simple strand of white pearls, and she carried a bright bouquet of spring peonies. The colors of soft pink, tangerine, and deep cerise were brought into all the elements of the wedding from the ceremony to the brunch. Her hair was held with sparkling shamrock pins, and her veil was custom-made in Ireland with embroidered shamrock details. Even their dog (named Shamrock) wore a seersucker bow tie. Megan’s bridesmaids wore seersucker summer dresses in soft pastel colors, with bright summer sandals to match. Greg was dressed in a Navy suit with a white and blue striped tie. His groomsmen added a pop of color with their bright ties — matching perfectly to the bridesmaid dresses and color coordinated Sperry boat shoes to match.
We took Megan and Greg out onto the home’s balcony for their first look. After some pictures of the happy bride and groom, the couple exchanged gifts. For Megan, a diamond eternity ring and for Greg, a new wristwatch. Greg was shocked as the watch Megan had given him the day of their high-school graduation years ago actually stopped running that morning!
The beach was set up with classic white chairs, and beautiful floral arrangements right in front of the ocean. Lemonade spritzers were handed out as refreshments, and guests were invited to drop off their shoes at the designated Paddle-board “Shoe Check” and enjoy the ceremony barefoot. A station was even set-up for guests to rinse off the sand from their feet before heading back up to cocktails! Colorful bunches of pink and orange rose petals were handed out as guests took their seats, to throw at the big finale after Megan and Greg said “I do”.
Cocktail hour took place on the lawn outside the beautiful reception tent, with white garden chairs and colorful linens. The escort card table displayed three white seashells filled with sand and guests names on individual white sand dollars. Next door to the main tent was a lounge tent for guests to enjoy throughout the evening, with a dark navy blue canopy covered in large white nautical stars. Soft white and blue furniture was scattered throughout the tent for comfortable seating, and a photo montage of Megan and Greg was played on a large screen for guests to enjoy all night.
The main reception tent from Sperry Tents was built in the house’s backyard directly over the swimming pool, with a custom made clear dance floor covering the water itself! Tan linens were topped with teal and navy blue charger plates for a great pop of color, and soft white china lanterns hung from the tent’s ceiling. The floral centerpieces were directly inspired by a piece of art painted by Greg’s mom for the couple’s wedding invitation. As the sun started to set, the lanterns glowed in the tent and the trees outside were lit up with hanging lanterns.
Later in the evening, we were given a secret 5-minute warning from the Catered Affair team to bring Megan and Greg outside the tent for one last surprise. We set them up underneath the beautifully lit trees and took a couple pictures, before having them turn around just in time to see a spectacular fireworks show out on the water! It was a great way to kick off the dancing for the happy couple and all of their guests.
The reception tent was transformed on Sunday morning for the after-wedding brunch. The tan linens were replaced with bright tangerine and cerise linens, paired with pops of teal. Lounge furniture was available outside underneath the trees for guests to enjoy the beautiful summer weather, and we took a few minutes to get a couple of photos with Megan and Greg outside on the lawn.
From the Bride… Greg and I first met in high school while crossing paths in classrooms and hallways. Our friendship was solidified on the swim team as we shared practice lanes and more than a few bus rides to and from meets. The water proved to anchor our friendship and became a consistent presence in our lives throughout college and beyond. In March of 2012 when Greg proposed to me on the rocky shores of Maine it was clear the theme should continue; a beach wedding was an easy choice!
We wanted our wedding to reflect our friendship throughout the years colorful, casual, and fun! The event proved to be everything we had dreamed of and more. We were so blessed to have a weekend of perfect weather surrounded by our family and friends, delicious food, great music, and the incredible vistas of the seaside town of Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
Greg and I had a blast planning our wedding but couldn’t have pulled it off without the help of our creative mothers and a terrific team from The Catered Affair. Greg’s mother set the tone for the event by painting a watercolor of a flower-filled Nantucket basket, which became a beautiful invitation for guests and an accent on the wedding day itself. My mother pulled together many of the nautical details that were tastefully placed throughout the venue including sand dollar table assignments, a paddle board shoe check for the beach ceremony, lanterns hung in trees and scattered throughout the property, and the scrimshaw table numbers adorning Nantucket basket centerpieces. The Catered Affair tied it all together and flawlessly coordinated logistics when the day finally arrived. We are so thankful to everyone else who helped make our wedding truly special!
Photography: Person + Killian Photography | Event Planning + Design: The Catered Affair | Flowers: Riverside Nursery | Wedding Dress: Anne Barge | Bridesmaids' Shoes: Jack Rogers | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Thread | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Lula Kate | Catering: The Catered Affair | Makeup: Katrina Hess | Hair: Priscilla Collins | Entertainment: Klass Universal Entertainment | Band: Dexter Lake Club Band | Groomsmen's Ties: Brooks Brothers | Groom's Attire: Brooks Brothers | Tent: Sperry Tents | Bride's Veil: Visionary Veils | Groomsmen's Shirts: Vineyard Vines | Groomsmen's Shoes: Navy/Tan Sperry Topsiders | Invitations + Paper Suite: Respond If You Please | Linens: Table Toppers of Newton | Rentals: Peterson Party Center
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