Hi! I’m Julianna. The Newport Bride is my brain child and I am so excited to finally share my wedding with you!

I’m that girl that’s been planning my wedding since I was  4. I dreamt of the flowers, bridesmaids, the dress, church, even the music. I’ve been planning my wedding for as long as I can remember and the only thing that could have made the whole process even more exciting was having my best friend and soon-to-be husband along for the ride. With my 12x great-grandfather being one of the founders of Newport and the cities first governor, the city by the sea runs in my blood. As soon as Tyler proposed, I said “YES!” immediately followed by “Wait, you know we have to get married in Newport, right?” There was nothing I wanted more than to marry my favorite person in the world in my favorite place in the world.

Tyler and I met in college. Tyler was attending a lunch for transfer students and I was serving the meal. It was love at first sight! Turns out fairy tales do exist and sometimes they start in a school cafeteria. Who knew!?

Just days after Tyler proposed, I found my dream dress at Andria Bird Bride. Going into dress shopping, I was afraid the process would fail me. What if I didn’t find a dress I liked? What if I didn’t like the way I looked in any of the dresses I tried? The anxiety instantly calmed the second I tried on the Jessica Dress from Cicada Bridal. It was elegant, classic, modern, and made me feel like a million bucks. I accessorized with a custom necklace, belt, and a hair piece made from a piece of my great-grandmothers jewelry. I cannot describe to you the confidence that comes from truly loving what you wearing from head to toe. From my killer Badgley Mischka shoes to the top of my up-do, I felt like a princess.

Tyler and I got married memorial day weekend 2015, on Saturday May 23. The ceremony was held in my families church, First Presbyterian Church Newport. Tyler and I were the 5th generation of my family to get married there. We were joined by just over 100 family and friends, 6 bridesmaids, 6 groomsmen, 3 flower girls, 2 ring bearers, and 1 junior groomsman. My mother surprised me and had my very fluffy husky, Nekoda, waiting outside the church after the ceremony. Best surprise ever! I cried, he barked, it was literally picture perfect.

Our reception was held at Hotel Viking. Our guests were welcomed to the venue with bagpipe music played by a family friend. Guests started with cocktail hour in the Colonnade room sipping a custom drink I made up called the Newport Breeze. It had pineapple juice,  blueberries, and lemonade and was delicious! Just as delicious, was my favorite lobster bisque from One Bellevue that we served to guests with their first course salad. I might or might not of had 3 bowls of soup…. many thanks to our waiter Carlington who kept me happy and full of soup all night long!

Throughout the planning process, we tried to find unique alternatives to the classic wedding elements like a guest book and escort cards. Instead of a traditional book, our guests then signed a laster cut cursive “Oates” sign that now hangs in our living room. On the way to the ballroom, guests picked sand dollars escort cards from a tray of soft beach sand. In the ballroom there was a table with all the family wedding pictures for 100+ years laid out. We wanted to celebrate the centuries of marriages that led to our happy union. Keeping with the theme of family tradition, I sewed a small blue heart into my dress made from fabric from my grandmothers wedding dress and Tyler wore his grandfathers cufflinks. Family is what matters most, especially on your wedding day!

Tyler and I had our first dance to Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud and I swear, the world stopped moving for those few minutes. Looking into my husbands eyes, I knew I had everything I wanted in the world. Newport was the perfect place for our happily ever after and every time I visit Hotel Viking, I can’t help but smile, remembering the best day of my life. Thank you for reading along with my tale and I hope you love our pictures!

  Photos by Ioana Bentum Photography and Kelly Anderson Photography | Dress by Cicaida Bridal from Andria Bird Bride | Custom Sash Necklace and Veil by Andria Bird Bride | Cake from The French Confection | Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill LevkoffBill LevkoffBill Levkoff from Party Dress Express | Hair and Makeup by Pro Radiance Artistry | Trolley by the Viking Tours | Bagpipe player Gideon Bresley | Reception held at Hotel Viking | Ceremony held at First Presbyterian Church Newport | Flowers handmade by Flowers by Styles