August 15 , 2020 , at Beavertail State Park in Jamestown , RI | Guests : 10
When asked if the smaller guest count was always the plan or a result of the pandemic , Ariel admits it was a mix of both . “ At the time , many venues were already booked for the upcoming year and the thought of planning something elaborate was weighing on us ,” she says . “ For our relationship , something unique and intimate always seemed like a more natural choice . We wanted to focus on the moment .” Once they both came to this realization , the couple ’ s excitement only grew , and they were able to settle on the idea of a summer wedding . “ We began exploring the possibility of getting married in August of 2020 , after just getting engaged a month prior ,” Ariel says . “ At first , we did not think it would be possible , but quicker than expected , the pieces started falling into place , and we went for it !”
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Paige & John
October 17 , 2020 , at an Airbnb in Ashaway , RI | Guests : 46
When it came to their wedding day , Paige had always wanted to elope to the mountains while John was up for anything , really . In the end , they decided to stay local and share the sacred moment with their immediate families and closest friends . Why ? “ To save on cost — we didn ’ t want to go into debt for our wedding ,” Paige says . The couple also wanted to respect pandemic guidelines and keep everyone safe while enjoying a slower paced and less-pressured day .
Julia & Chris
September 5 , 2020 , in Narragansett , RI | Guests : 20
Always under the impression they would have a bigger wedding , Julia and Chris ’ original plans included a 150-person reception at Casey Farm in Saunderstown . But once the pandemic hit and they realized it was here to stay , they knew some revisions were in order . “ We both work in health care and internalized ‘ practice what you preach ,’” Julia explains . “ Since we ended up with such a smaller guest list , we changed our venue to something closer to our hearts .” A friend of the couple generously offered their backyard overlooking Narragansett Bay for the ceremony while the mother of the bride kindly hosted the reception . “ We had struggled initially to decide if we should postpone the date , but eventually decided to keep it as we had been eagerly awaiting the day for so long — roughly seven years of dating !” Julia says .
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