♥ local love
KRISTY and KEVIN
July 8, 2017 // Meagan Sharum Photography
O
pposites aren't the only
ones that attract. Kevin first intro-
duced himself to Kristy during a sum-
mer work retreat after he was dazzled
by what he calls her “warm and beautiful smile.”
They agreed to meet for coffee once the retreat
was over, and it was during that fateful date that
they realized they had quite a bit in common.
One commonality is their affinity for Aquidneck
Island. Following a number of blissful years to-
gether, Kevin decided to propose during an end-of-
the-school-year getaway which involved a stop at
Sachuest Point in Middletown. “The poor guy had
to wait for a woman and her grandchild to leave
us alone on the trail before he could get down on
one knee,” Kristy recalls. “And then I said yes be-
fore he even asked!”
Their next big decision? Settling on the Atlan-
tic Resort — before it was even built. “Initially, the
biggest draw was the plans for a connected hotel,”
Kristy says, “but it’s also just a beautiful spot that
offered affordable prices relative to other venues in
the area.” The couple also mutually gravitated to-
wards the Carpenter’s “It’s Only Just Begun” for their
first dance song (coincidentally the very same tune
Kristy’s parents danced to on their wedding day).
Even now, all these months later, the newlyweds
are still in sync, both citing their first look as one
of their favorite parts of the day. “I will be forever
grateful for those private moments with Kristy prior
to the ceremony,” Kevin says. But the most impor-
tant value these two lovebirds share is their affec-
tion for their daughters/stepdaughters. Because the
girls are such an important part of both Kristy’s and
Kevin’s lives, the couple knew they wanted to make
them a big part of their special day (think creative
wedding prep arts and crafts and kid-friendly re-
ception activities like competitive hula hooping).
It’s why the pair incorporated a sand ceremony
into their seaside vow exchange, a tradition that in-
volves unanimously pouring separate vials of sand
— from Second Beach in Middletown where Kevin
spent much of his childhood, Giglo Beach in Baby-
lon, New York where Kristy spent most of hers, and
blue and green sands in honor of the girls’ favorite
colors — into one large vase. Kristy explains: “It was
a simple way to show that the day was about more
than just a husband and wife coming together — it
was about the start of a new family.”
108 | RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY'S ENGAGED 2018