October 5, 2018
This sweet love story more than ten years in the making culminated in a lovely, elegant celebration at Lakeview Pavilion.
How did you meet?
We are both from Warwick and we met in junior high! Fun fact: we dated for about two weeks in 7th grade. We remained friends throughout high school and college and began dating after we ran into each other one night after college at the Coast Guard House!
How did you get engaged?
We were together for about four years before we got engaged at Castle Hill Lighthouse in Newport. We had lunch at Castle Hill and afterwards Adam suggested a walk over to the lighthouse. There he had a photographer hiding away, ready to capture the moment! I started crying right away and could barely hear the sweet speech he had prepared because I was so excited. It was such a special day and I will forever cherish the pictures and that memory.
Tell us about the planning process.
My favorite parts of planning were getting my dress, the girls’ dresses, and planning out all the visual details! It was nice to have an excuse to spend more time with friends and family during all the planning and events, and I loved being creative when deciding on decor. I definitely had a theme in mind going into planning; I knew I wanted blush, white, and gold accents. I wanted things to look really soft and romantic and I kept that in mind throughout the process.
What drew you to Lakeview Pavilion?
As soon as we walked in the doors to Lakeview, we knew it was the venue for us. The high ceilings, clean white walls, large windows and crystal chandeliers are such a gorgeous blank slate. You can do anything décor-wise because it’s so neutral, and really it’s beautiful before you even add your flowers and decor. On the day of, the venue really exceeded my expectations with how it all came together.
How did you come across Kim for your photographer?
We found Kim through Instagram! I had been following her for a few months prior to getting engaged. Once it happened, I reached out to her and was so happy that she was available for our date — I knew I had to have her! She also took our engagement pictures (see below), which I love! Doing an engagement session really helps to get you feeling more comfortable in front of the camera as well. By doing the session, we knew more of what to expect on the day of.
It looks like you wrote each other letters for the morning of — would you recommend other couples do the same?
I would absolutely recommend writing each other letters to read the morning of. It is such a special keepsake to have after the wedding and it was one of my favorite parts of the day to read what Adam had written to me. My advice: Have tissues on hand!
What thoughts were going through your head during the first look?
The first look was such a surreal moment. We were both SO excited and so happy. His reaction when he saw me in my dress is something I will never forget. It is one of my favorite parts of our wedding video! It was so hard to keep the dress secret from him and not show him pictures, so when he saw me in it, it was such an amazing moment! We both felt so much calmer after the first look and it really helped to ease our nerves. We also had many of the formals taken at this point, too, so it really helped to relieve some stress in that way as well!
Tell us about the ceremony.
The entire ceremony was special to us because we had one of our closest friends marry us. We worked closely with him on the actual ceremony and our vows and felt it really reflected us as a couple. My sister also did a reading of one of our favorite poems, “I Carry your Heart with Me,” and that was such a tearjerker for me! Seeing all of our family and friends there watching us get married and recite our vows was also so incredible — I kept looking at everyone and smiling! When we were officially married and walked down the aisle as husband and wife, it was such a joyful moment. It will forever be one of my happiest memories.
What was your first dance song?
Our first dance song was a cover of “Simply the Best.” For any Schitt’s Creek fans out there, it was the cover that Patrick sang to David in Season 4. We love that show and when watching the episode together we knew that had to be our song!
Did any of your loved ones’ speeches standout from the rest?
All of the speeches were so amazing and had us laughing and crying. It is hard to pick a favorite because they all spoke to who we are as a couple and were so well done!
Was there a vendor that you were particularly impressed with that day?
I can’t even pick a favorite! All of our vendors are so talented and really blew us away the day of and, in the case of photo and video, after the wedding when we received our photos/videos from them. We really trusted our vendors going in and felt confident that they were going to make the day exactly how we envisioned it. They all kept things running smoothly and I have recommended them to all of my friends who are newly engaged!
Did you run into any issues while planning or on the day of?
Besides one of our groomsmen getting sick (which was such a bummer!), everything went smoothly on the day of. Lakeview is amazing with keeping things so well-timed and organized. We had so many compliments from our guests on the service and the beauty of the venue!
If you had to narrow it down, what would you say was your favorite moment(s) from the day?
That is a tough one! We would have to say the first look and dancing with everyone at the reception. The first look is a moment we will both never forget (you can check out the video on Jess Cremins’ Instagram page!) but dancing with everyone and having everyone we loved in the room that night was also such a blast. I also loved the process of getting ready with all of the girls that morning! We had mimosas, snacks and music and it was so special to spend quality time with my girls before the day began. Seeing all the décor and our whole vision come together was amazing for me as well. I had spent a lot of time thinking about the details, and seeing it all come together better than how I even envisioned it was a pinch-me moment!
Do you have any words of wisdom for recently engaged couples?
Our advice is to enjoy every second of the time being engaged and planning! Its so special to pick out the details together and plan such an important day, as well as spending time celebrating with your friends and family along the way. Don’t let the process overwhelm you and stress you out because once it’s over, you’ll miss it!
The Details
Ceremony, Reception and Catering: Lakeview Pavilion // Coordinator: Terry Menmo of Lakeview Pavilion // Hair: Emily Papa and Emily Zambrano of Prima Deana Salon // Makeup: Jenna Irving // Bride’s Dress: Watters, Alexandra’s Boutique // Bride’s Jewelry: Nina earrings from Nordstrom; bracelet from Etsy // Bride’s Shoes: Dune London, ASOS // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Embellished dresses from BHLDN; others from Lulus, Nordstrom and Weddington Way // Groom’s and Groomsmen’s Suits: Carl Anthony Tuxedo // Rings: Engagement ring from James Allen; bride’s wedding band from National Chain Group; groom’s wedding band from Etsy // Flowers: Michelle Jeanne Floral // Officiant: Kiran Ganga (close friend of the couple) // Cake: Montilio’s Bakery // Reception Music: Elite Entertainment // Invitations: Elli // Signage: welcome mirror from Craigslist with calligraphy by a bridesmaid; bar and table signs from Etsy with frames by TJMaxx and Marshalls; escort cards from Etsy // Videography: Jess Cremins Photo & Video