📷: Jamal and Lashana Photography
Join us in swooning over this bright and airy seaside union in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
How did you meet?
Perry is from Simsbury, Connecticut and I am from Paynesville, Minnesota. We currently live in Chicago. We met online as Perry was moving to the Midwest for a job and then we first met in person at T.F. Green.
How long were you together before you were engaged? How did you get engaged?
We were together for five years before we were engaged on October 7, 2018. Perry surprised me with the ring while I was doing laundry (but we went out for a very nice dinner that evening).
Did you already have a vision in mind going into planning or did the theme/aesthetic develop over time?
It developed over time, in part because our wedding was delayed due to the pandemic. I knew I wanted the theme/aesthetic to be representative of the location without being too on the nose in terms of a nautical theme, and that I wanted a lot of flowers (I had worked in flower shops during high school). It evolved from there.
What drew you to the Towers for your venue?
The combination of location, architecture and value couldn’t be beat. We had joked about getting married in Narragansett because that’s Perry’s favorite beer. When we realized we could rent the Towers, it turned into the real thing.
How did you come across Jamal and Lashana for your photographers?
Perry’s Aunt Jer recommended them — they had all worked at the same weddings in the past. After having a phone consultation with them, we knew they were a great fit for us.
Tell us about your first look.
We certainly wanted to have that moment and capture it. Doing a first look and other photos before the wedding started also gave us more time during the cocktail hour to spend with our guests, which was great. We strongly recommend doing a first look.
What was the best part of your ceremony?
The song we chose to exit was very personal to us (“Heroes” by David Bowie), and our officiant and reader (Libby Sile) both did great work.
What was your first dance song?
“You Send Me” by Sam Cooke. We looked for a song that would work for a while, and thought it was very fitting.
Did you run into any issues while planning or on the day of the wedding?
We originally planned to get married in 2020, but had to reschedule because of the pandemic. We had to re-plan a lot with some vendors as well as find new ones, like Jamal and Lashana. We relied on our network a lot because we had to plan everything from Chicago with only limited trips to Rhode Island (Perry’s Aunt Jer was obviously a huge help in that regard). The other big part was just putting in the time needed to to get everything done — the payoff was definitely worth it.
Tropical Storm Henri rolled in during the afternoon of our wedding — there was a great view for us and our guests from the balcony at the Towers. We were worried about when it would make landfall, we didn’t know if we could have handled another postponement.
If you had to narrow it down, what would you say were each of your favorite moments from that day?
For Perry:
- Walking down Ocean Road in Narragansett on an August Saturday with four other guys in tuxedos, carrying about 20 boxes of Allie’s donuts to the Towers before the ceremony.
- Seeing Lindsey at the first look, it was all carefully choreographed so Lindsey came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder before I saw her.
- Putting a few bottles of birch beer behind the bar for the reception.
For Lindsey:
- Seeing all of our friends and family. Because of the pandemic, there were a lot of people we hadn’t seen for a long time – many of whom had to travel for the wedding. Everyone was so excited to celebrate.
- Hearing people — strangers and, as they started to arrive for the ceremony, our guests — clap, cheer and share their best wishes as they walked or drove past during our first look.
For both of us:
- Taking a picture underneath the arch of the Towers, the staff there stop traffic for the couple to get a quick photo.
- As much as we were worried about it, seeing the fog from the tropical storm as it rolled in from the bay. It created a great ambiance and felt authentically New England, in the way a perfectly sunny day wouldn’t have.
Do you have any advice for recently engaged couples?
- Consider all your options. We looked at venues and vendors in Chicago originally before deciding to get married in Rhode Island.
- Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need.
- Get in touch with your smaller vendors (transportation, hotel blocks, things like that) as soon as possible after you have your larger vendors booked. Get it all rolling early and you’ll be in a better position to handle a potential delay or problem.
- You (hopefully) only get married once, so embrace and enjoy the planning process.
- The cocktail hour is a great chance to relax a little after the ceremony and catch up with any guests you haven’t seen in a while, so don’t be afraid to make it longer than sixty minutes.
The Details
Photographer: Jamal and Lashana Photography | Ceremony & Reception: The Towers | Officiant: Courtney Englund (friend of the couple) | Hair and Makeup: Ali Lomazzo Beauty
| Bride’s Dress: Essence of Australia, purchased from Brides By Young (in Chicago) | Groom’s and Groomsmen’s Suits: Aldo’s House of Formals | Catering: Russell Morin Catering and Events | Cake: Whisk Me Away | Desserts: Allie’s Donuts (donuts); Groom’s aunt (Tree Ouellette) |Flowers: Jasmine & Geranium (owned and operated by Groom’s aunt Jerilyn Gagnon) | Reception Music: DJ Joey G | Stationery and Signage: Designed by the bride | Decoupage Shells: Groom’s Mom (Jill Robbin) | Rings: Ethan Lord (in Chicago) | Rentals: BBJ Linen | Transportation: Viking Tours of Newport