Bill and Michelle

September 6, 2015

Adorable woodland creature decorations, impromptu golf cart adventures and dreamy flower crowns… What’s not to love about this wonderfully rustic, northern Rhode Island wedding?

By Kaitlyn Murray

How and when did the two of you meet?

We met in 2010 through mutual friends when we all got together for a musical performance/autograph signing by Claudio Sanchez, the front man for Coheed and Cambria (one of our favorite bands). After we met, we started spending a lot of time with each other. We hung out quite a bit throughout that summer. By September we had fallen for each other and were dating.

How did Bill propose?

We were away in Vermont for our anniversary and, after a day of hiking and waterfall exploring, Bill popped the question in our hotel room.

How would you describe the overall look of your wedding? 

We were going for a woodsy rustic theme. We knew right away that we wanted to get married sometime in the fall. This worked out perfectly as we both gravitated towards the same colors, which were very suited for the transition between summer and autumn. We told the florist (Golden Gate Studios) how much we loved succulents and he took it from there.

How did you come across the Foster Country Club? 

We were looking for a simple venue that could be used as a blank slate for our rustic theme. We loved the grounds and the simplicity of the reception room.

I love the pictures of Bill and his groomsmen playing video games before the ceremony. What are they playing?

Michelle: They are playing Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. This wasn’t really planned — we all have a minor obsession with the game. You can basically find Bill and his groomsmen playing it whenever time allows.

Bill: I get pretty competitive playing retro games with the guys in my wedding party. It was only fitting for us to have a game session before the wedding. It also helped to alleviate my nerves a bit!

I also really loved how you both had a cat in your ‘getting ready’ photos.

Bill: We just had to include the cats in our pictures, we totally consider them part of our family.

Did you find writing your own vows to be easy or more difficult? 

Michelle: I stressed over writing my vows until I realized that, as long as they were sincere, I would be happy with the result.

Bill: I was mostly excited to write my vows. I managed to create the ceremony along with a lot of help from our friend, Jeremy, who became an ordained minister just recently. Working on the ceremony helped to inspire my writing. If I hadn’t had the practice, I would have been very nervous. All and all, I’m happy with the way things came out.

What inspired you to use a globe for your guestbook?

Michelle: We wanted to have a guestbook that we would want to put on display in our home, something that wouldn’t be put away in a box or storage. The globe is now on display in our shared office.

Bill: I’ve always loved globes. Studying history is one of my passions, so pouring over a globe is something I’ve always enjoyed doing. I’m glad we were able to turn our guestbook into something fun that fit our style and suits our interest.

What was each of your favorite moments from the day?

Michelle: We both had the same favorite moment! After the ceremony and pre-dinner toasts, Bill and I snuck away while food was being prepared to take some final sunset pictures with Mel. The nervousness of getting married had already passed for us and we were excited to let loose and have some fun!  Some guests were already on the floor dancing to dinner music and people were starting to party. Knowing that things were going well, we slipped away, taking a golf cart across the course to get to a covered bridge where we had a fun and spontaneous photo shoot. The bumpy ride and Bill’s inexperience maneuvering a golf cart turned the trip into a kind of light-hearted adventure. When we got back to our table, the food had just been served. We enjoyed the meal and tried our best to savor the experience.

Have any advice for recently engaged couples?

Michelle: I think it’s important to not take things too seriously during the planning process. It’s easy to get caught up on little details that don’t have a major effect on the way the day turns out.

Bill: I totally agree with Michelle. Don’t get caught up in the small unimportant details that people probably won’t remember. Also, try to appreciate the moment as much as possible, the day goes by in a flash!

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