SEPTEMBER 17 , 2022 LAURA MICHAUD PHOTOGRAPHY
The Meet Cute : Grace was cutting her teeth as a young magazine journalist at Rhode Island Monthly magazine when she met John . The company had just hired him as an intern after his twin sister finished up her own internship and suggested he might be interested in following in her footsteps . “ But it wasn ' t as simple as meet and fall in love . Instead , it was really my friend ( and fellow employee at the time ) Kait who nudged us together ,” Grace explains . One day when Kait and Grace were sitting outside on a bench eating lunch , Kait noticed John reading alone on a bench nearby and invited him to sit with them . “ I was a little peeved about it at the time ; I am notoriously skeptical of new people , and as an introvert , prefer the comfort of conversation with people I already know ,” Grace says . “ But , little did I know that Kait was really doing me a favor .” After John finished his internship , he mustered up the courage to ask Grace out on a date — and she said no . “ Then after another few fits and starts , I finally admitted , I kinda like this guy ,” she says .
THE DETAILS
Ceremony Location : Prudence Island , RI Reception Location : Private residence in Scituate , RI Reception Catering : Oberlin ; Captain Steve ' s Shellfish Catering Reception Makeup : Courtesy of the bride ’ s cousin Bridal Attire : Selkie ' The Ivory Angel Mini Bustle Dress ' Groom ’ s Attire : Jos . A . Bank Decor : Found by the bride at local thrift shops , antique stores and Savers Florals : Black Cat Flower Shack Transportation : Prudence and Bay Islands Transport
The Planning Process : “ It was pretty low-lift planning it ; it felt more like planning a vacation and a big party than a wedding ,” Grace says . She and John didn ’ t go the traditional venue route ; they wanted something a little more intimate , curated and reflective of them as a couple . So , they held a simple ceremony on a beach on Prudence Island followed by a potluck . For the reception , which was held a week after the ceremony , Grace ’ s inspiration came from New York-based food artist Laila Gohar , as well as other whimsical people in the food realm . “ The most important thing for me was good food and drink — we had Oberlin cater and also had a raw bar , in addition to batch whiskey sours , margaritas , wine and beer ,” she says . “ And we decorated everything at the reception with frilly , gorgeous flowers from Black Cat Flower Shack .” The theme for the reception was “ under the sea ,” so small touches like antique glass fish jars as vases and herb butter Grace shaped to look like shells were incorporated throughout the space .
The Location : John and Grace spent some of their first dates sailing to the rocky beach on the western side of Prudence Island , and throughout the years it has been the site of many of their seafaring adventures . “ It ' s a wild , beautiful place where you can see osprey diving into the briny depths to hunt , and where everyone waves at you as they trundle by in their cars ,” Grace says .
The Personal Touches : The couple used a lot of family heirlooms as decor , including lace doilies from John ' s nana ( some of them she made herself !) and candleholders that belonged to Grace ’ s grandmother .
ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2023 | 57