📸: Mel Colvin Photography // @melcolvinstudios

See this beautiful love story unfold at the Providence Public Library between these two bookworms.

The Meet Cute: Their last names are what ultimately led to this heartfelt match. “We both went to Penn State University and ironically met in our chemistry lab. Our last names, Gitterman and Giordano, are close alphabetically so we were seated next to each other and were partnered up for our experiments,” says Rachel. “We became close friends after learning we had many similar interests, and after two years, we officially began dating.”

The Venue: Like most people who visit or live in the Creative Capital, Rachel and Garrett fell in love with the city the minute they first moved in together. Once they stepped foot into their wedding venue, they were sold. “We knew the Providence Public Library was something special the moment we walked in the door,” says Rachel. “The layout is unique as the dance floor sits below the first floor, which was perfect for us as we wanted dancing to be one of the main focuses of our celebration. The overlooking balcony allowed friends and family to share in the celebration without needing to be physically on the dance floor.” There was an instant connection when the two first met with their event coordinator from Russell Morin Catering and Events, the exclusive caterer for PPL, and were more than confident that they could make their dream wedding come to life.

The Photographer: The newlyweds’ photo session involved some impromptu appearances of the city’s bystanders, adding to the rawness of the area. “We explored downtown Providence with our photographer, Mel Colvin, to highlight the great artwork and people of the city and ended up taking some awesome pictures near a skate park while some skateboarders were eager to help set the scene,” says Rachel.

The Desserts: The two became residents of southern Rhode Island five years ago after living in Providence. Although they missed the eateries that were within walking distance, they found other spots in South County that made the move worth it. “While we moved away from the seemingly endless food options of Providence, we moved much closer to our staple doughnut spot, Allie’s Donuts,” says Rachel. “Many of our [out of town] friends and family are big foodies like us, so we wanted our dessert to be something special while also showing off some of the best food Rhode Island has to offer. We had three custom doughnut cakes, which spelled out our initials ‘R and G’, and surrounded those with plates full of our favorite doughnut flavors: maple frosted, classic sprinkles, double chocolate and more!”