spotlight on stephanie + andy: real wedding

it's real wedding wednesday & this one's a beauty! stephanie & andy were high school sweethearts who matured into gorgeous grown ups as evident in these amazing photos. there is something so classic & timeless about this wedding, yet creative & fresh at the same time. have a look yourself at the beautiful images captured by melinda beth photography. enjoy!

from the bride:
our wedding was at the end of august and the weather could not have been better. we didn't get the hot humid weather that typically comes with a late august. if anything, it was a bit chilly which suited me fine considering it had rained the 3 days before our wedding and the day after, but luckily not a drop on our wedding day. our ceremony was a traditional catholic ceremony held at st. barnabas church in portsmouth, ri which was the church in our hometown that we grew up going to and still go to.

the bride & groom outside the beautiful st. barnabas church

i knew i didn't want a ballgown which would not have made sense for our wedding anyway. i had a vision of a fitted halter gown, possibly with lace. my sister, aunt and i went out for what i thought would be the first of many trips to different bridal salons to find the perfect dress. unbelievably, at the first shop we visited, the dress i had envisioned in my mind was on display. i tried it on and knew it was the one so i brought my mom up shortly after to show her and it was ordered within days.

i'm a huge fan of these silhouette shots of brides

pretty hydrangeas on the pews

love the solo calla lily boutonniere

there are a million places to get married in newport but i didn't want the grand ballrooms that were easy to find. when my mother in law showed my husband and i the st. george's campus, i fell in love with it. st. georges is an exclusive private boarding school overlooking the ocean in middletown, the next town over from newport. because she works there, we were able to have our reception there. the campus is absolutely gorgeous with stunning views of the water. our cocktail hour took place on a large open porch overlooking an expansive lawn down to the water. the reception itself was held in a room with soaring ceilings with hanging chandelier like lights and dark wood floors. we had the choice to rent round tables typical for weddings but chose to stick with the tables that were already in the room, long tables that could fit 12 people. the head table was situated in front of a huge fireplace which provided a fantastic background for photos.

the expansive lawn at st. george's

cocktail hour on the great porch overlooking the blue sea

escaping under the tree on the lawn

hands down my favorite

the beach theme we used was a no brainer. we grew up on an island, it was a summer wedding and we had panaoramic views of the ocean from our reception. we nixed doing traditional flower centerpieces for our tables and instead decorated with lots of shells and candles and a pop of hydrangea here and there. our cake continued the beach theme and was topped off with two miniature adirondack chairs. of course we had to have flowers for our bouquets so I chose my favorite flower of all, calla lilies, which luckily were in season.

how adorable is this beach-themed wedding cake?!

i heart mini adirondack chairs

hydrangeas line the steps outside st. george's

the bride & her maids

steal this idea! seashell table numbers...in love

more dreamy beach decor

the bride's calla lily bouquet

perhaps it has something to do with the fact that i'm obsessed with fireplaces, but seriously, how great is this photo framed by the fireplace?!

mr & mrs

time for the couple to take the floor

we thought about a white tux for andy but with my dress being ivory, we didnt think we would get a perfect match and didn't want 2 whites to clash so to add a splash of fun to a standard black tux, he went with the white shoes...

love the white shoes + red door

as with all weddings, it went by too fast. the party continued at a bar in newport where i walked in still in my wedding dress to the surprise of the rest of the bar patrons. it was a fantastic way to end the night. i always smile when i think back on my wedding because i know there is nothing i would have done differently that could have made the night any more perfect.

a huge thank you to stephanie & andy for sharing their day with us. it was a joy to see!

vendors:

photographer: melinda beth photography
caterer: frank silveira catering
cake: steve cory at sweet berry farm
dress: eden's bridal
hair and makeup: sydney's salon
florist: carlone's florist
bridesmaids dresses: j.crew

please don't be shy about getting in on the real wedding fun!!

whether you're a photographer, wedding planner, bride or groom, send us photos from your big day (or your client's big day) to be featured in one of our weekly spotlights!