Chris and Katelyn first met when Chris, an RA, checked Katelyn out of her room after sophomore year of college. However, sparks didn’t fly until a year later when Chris returned from his study abroad program in Belgium and began regularly hanging out with Katelyn’s friend group. Katelyn will tell you that she was the one that made the first move when he returned, but Chris knows the truth – having already decided while abroad that he would date Katelyn upon his return.

One night while Katelyn was out celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday, Chris entered the same bar with another group of friends. Chris cornered Katelyn and admitted that while “Facebook stalking” her, he noticed that they shared the same favorite book, The Catcher in the Rye. Chris and Katelyn spent the entire night talking and, in between dance breaks, discovered how much they had in common. From then on, as Katelyn fondly puts it, he wouldn’t leave her alone. Chris will defend that his persistence is his charm and it certainly worked in wooing Katelyn. It did not take long for both Katelyn and Chris to realize how special they were to one another. Their shared values and interests made it easy to not only fall in love, but become best friends.

Growing up in Rhode Island, Katelyn had always dreamed of being married in Newport. She love being by the ocean and knew she wanted it as a backdrop for the most important day of her life. After getting engaged on the Aquinnah Cliffs on Martha’s Vineyard the couple knew they wanted to celebrate their wedding by the sea. Just like their families were with them during the engagement, they were excited to bring their families and friends together in Newport.

Regatta Place was the third place Katelyn and Chris visited on a beautiful sunny day in Newport, and the couple knew immediately it would be the last place they looked. Its character and charm instantly drew them in and they pictured themselves dancing the night away on the docks. Over the next two years, the couple carefully chose every detail of their big day. They chose Kay Chapel at Hotel Viking for the ceremony because, like Regatta Place, it is full of charm and provided a really intimate environment  for them to exchange their vows. Perfectly combining historic and nautical elements, Katelyn and Chris designed their wedding to play into the best parts of Newport’s charm.. We hope you enjoy their beautiful photos by Erin McGinn and video by Yellow Hook Productions. If you want to hear more details about the beautiful meaning behind their wedding decorations, scroll to the bottom and read about how the couple carefully chose every detail from bridal party entrance song, to the favors being a reference to the couples favorite TV show. Congrats to Katelyn and Chris!

What made their day even more special were the personal touches Katelyn and Chris had scattered throughout their ceremony and reception. Chris’s longtime family friend, Father John Gribowich, traveled from his parish in New York to marry the couple. Katelyn’s mom worked with the seamstress who made the bride’s veil to create a navy, rugby striped aisle runner to make the chapel “pop” and inject the couples personality into the ceremony. Katelyn’s dad spent the day before the wedding reupholstering 2 of his own dining room chairs to match the wedding colors so Chris and Katelyn could have “special” seating for the ceremony. How special for the bride to have a piece of her childhood home with her on the best day of her life. The bridal party entered to “Fix You” by Coldplay played by a string quartet. Chris’s gifts to his groomsman and the fathers were personalized watches inscribed with quotes that were meaningful to each relationship. Chris never got the chance to wear his as his younger brother and best man, Alex, gifted him with their late grandfather’s favorite watch to wear for the day.

Growing up, Katelyn didn’t think much about wedding flowers or even her dress. All she wanted was an all night dance party surrounded by her closest friends and family. Determined to get that, the couple wanted to put their personalities into the decorations at Regatta Place. They sat at a family style table with the bridal party so the new bride and groom could be close to the action and surrounded by their best friends. Their chairs were adorned with signs that read, “Together is our favorite place to be.” Instead of a traditional cake, they opted for a dessert table filled with all their favorites (and then some!) from Lasalle Bakery. Knowing that everyone always wants a late night snack, they couple even created custom favor bags with the theme “Treat Yo’Self” from one their favorite shows, Parks and Recreation, so that guests could do just that. Their DJ brought the house down all night long and Chris and Katelyn were never too far away from the dance floor. It only cleared once for an impromptu duet/rap battle between the bride’s younger sister and Maid of Honor, Meredith, and the bride herself! It was 75 and sunny without a cloud in the sky on Katelyn and Chris’s wedding day but it was all the little details that really made it a day they will never forget.

For more wedding inspiration, visit our Newport Wedding Pinterest board.

Photography: Erin McGinn | Ceremony Venue: Kay Chapel | Reception Venue: Regatta Place | Florist: Toni Chandler Flowers | Hair and Makeup: Jaclynn Kate Hair & Makeup Artistry Salon | Dress Designer: Romona Keveza from Dress Boutique: Madeleine’s Daughter | Shoes: Kate Spade | Invitations/Paper Design: Goosefish Press | Transportation: Viking Tours of Newport | Cake: La Salle Bakery | Rentals: Rentals Unlimited | Music: George Confoey | Video: Yellow Hook Productions at https://vimeo.com/187094089 | Dessert Bar: Lasalle BakeryLasalle Bakery