Nicole & Michael | October

📸: Sabrina Scolari Photography // @sabrina_scolari_photograph

Both of Nicole and Michael’s Italian heritages played a big role in their wedding, where 250+ guests celebrated the newlyweds in a Providence church and on a private Jamestown property.

By Annie Sherman

The Meet Cute: These two native Rhode Islanders literally bumped into each other at a Murphy’s Pub in Providence on St. Patrick’s Day 2018. And when each of them replied “scusi” in Italian, sparks flew. Hours of chatting that night, in on-again off-again Italian and English, led to their first date at the Rooftop at the Providence G.

The Engagement: Michael plotted a series of surprises for the soon-to-be betrothed: lunch at 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grill in Newport followed by a fictitious art show at Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown. “I totally did not believe this, but I went with it,” jokes Nicole. When an engagement ring, rather than paintings, appeared, Nicole remembers, “We were just starting to build a house together, so he said, ‘Let’s build our lives together.’ It was sweet.” They later joined their extensive families for an engagement celebration.

The Ceremony: The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence “is where I graduated high school, so I always knew I wanted to walk down that aisle again. I think it’s one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen,” Nicole says. “Our priest that married us was actually one of my good friends from high school.”

The Reception: On a sprawling private waterfront property in Jamestown, the newlyweds hosted a festive celebration to beat other festive celebrations. Both of their Italian heritages played a key role: the guest list included more than 250 people, and two bands (one Italian, one American) kept the dancefloor packed beneath a clear-top tent all night. They embraced a Tuscan vibe with rich gold tones mixed with wood accents. “We both really enjoy our family and our culture, and we wanted this celebration to be a reflection of everyone coming together celebrating for us, with us,” Nicole says. “It was just a very ‘My Big Fat Italian wedding.”

The Food: Nicole’s family owns Pranzi Catering in Providence, and Pranzi Tents & Events in West Warwick. She is the vice president of business development there, so the food was a showstopper. A table of imported parma prosciutto, wild boar sopressata, salami, cheese, and more tempted guests to start, along with a raw bar that included frutti di mare salad, Matunuck oysters, and octopus.

A family-style Italian dinner would have been incomplete without pastas, so pumpkin ravioli with sage butter sauce accented with toasted sage as well as campanelle pasta with tomato sauce and fresh basil started the real feast. Black angus tenderloin with demi-glaze accompanied halibut with a sweet potato panko crust. Later, a luscious table of traditional Italian desserts including a confettata table, which is a candy station with Italian sugared almonds in assorted flavors. The dessert station also included gelato, as well as an affogato and coffee station with a professional barista provided the requisite sugar rush for dancing. This was in addition to the sambuca almond wedding cake with almond buttercream frosting.