A gorgeous day for a fall OceanCliff Hotel wedding!
What led you to decide to celebrate the wedding the way that you did?
Rhode Island has always been a big part of Moira’s life growing up, and is also the place where Jordan proposed to Moira. Together we decided to plan our wedding in a place that was sentimental to us both. We had always envisioned getting married in the Catholic church, so when we found out that the Chapel at Salve Regina was available, we were excited to move forward with our wedding plans. The OceanCliff Hotel offered us a beautiful view of the ocean and a perfect place for us to celebrate.
What was the biggest adjustment from what you originally planned? How were you able to handle it?
As a COVID bride and groom, there were constant adjustments that had to be made regarding our original wedding plan. Jordan proposed in September 2019, and we planned our wedding on Labor Day Weekend the following year in 2020. COVID obviously caused us to push this out, to which we had to move the wedding to April 2021, and then eventually out to November 2021. Wedding planning can be an extremely stressful process, and layering on a global pandemic definitely created a significant amount of additional stress. We had to work with our venue and vendors and were grateful for their flexibility and support throughout the process. We actually decided to get married in an intimate elopement with only our parents, siblings, and grandparents in April at our local church. Even though this was not what we originally planned, it ended up being a perfect way to celebrate with our closest loved ones. By the time November 2021 came, all our built up stress and anxiety finally went away, and we ended up having the most perfect day.
What was the best part of your wedding?
After so many challenges and postponements, having the ability to have a “normal” wedding with all of our friends and family was the absolute best part. We constantly worried that new COVID restrictions would pop up, and our initial vision of our wedding would never come to fruition. We had so many guests traveling from all over the country and world, and were so happy they were able to come and celebrate with us. So many people supported us along the way and it was so evident that everyone just wanted to create the best and most memorable day for us – it was truly a celebration to remember.
Was there anything that surprised you about your wedding?
We are a pretty traditional couple and always envisioned the initial “first look” being when Moira walked down the aisle in front of all our friends and family. However, walking down the aisle with every guest looking at you and seeing your first reactions was daunting to us and might take away from such an emotional moment. We discussed our options with Angie and decided together that a “first look” would give us the ability to enjoy some time alone and soak in the moment. We were so happy with our decision – it gave us an opportunity to slow down and process such an important day in our lives, especially knowing how fast the day comes and goes. It also allowed us to not take away from our cocktail hour, giving us more time to spend with our guests (and to enjoy some hors d’oeuvres!)
What were some of your favorite images from your fall OceanCliff Hotel wedding?
It’s hard to pick a favorite when all of them are so incredible. The images from the “first look” are some of our favorites. Angie’s calm demeanor put us at ease during our first look, making the photos look natural and allowing us to live in the moment. You can see the raw emotion within the pictures, which can be exceptionally difficult to capture. These are photos we will always cherish.
Since having to move our wedding through three different seasons, bad weather was always something in the back of our minds. November weather is unpredictable, but we luckily had a beautiful sunny day, which allowed Angie to capture some incredible lighting and a stunning sunset.
Any advice for couples going through this process or about to go through the process?
We would tell couples to seriously consider the “first look”. Once again, it allowed us to share an intimate private moment during a hectic day, and also gave us a ton of time back to enjoy our cocktail hour with friends and family. As a groom, I didn’t feel like it took away from the moment Moira walked down the aisle – it was still just as emotional. If anything, it relieved us of our nerves and made it feel more natural.
We also advise couples to sit down before all the wedding decisions begin, and communicate with each other about your vision for the day. Talk about what is important to you and how you want the day to unfold.
Venue: Oceancliff Hotel
Portrait Location: Ochre Court Newport
