Otto + Kelley by Hope Allison Photography - Together Journal

I think we knew pretty early on that it was something special but after we moved to a new town together and lived with each other for the first time, it really sealed the deal

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

Kelly – We met in 2018 while we were both living in San Francisco. Our first time meeting was at a brunch in the Marina district. I remember thinking he was charming and hilarious. The rest was history after that day and I still find him hilarious.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

Kelly – Yes, Otto proposed while horseback riding last summer in Park City. Horseback riding is one of my favourite activities so It was really special to have our engagement happen while doing one of my favourite things. After the proposal, we went back to our house to find both of our families had flown in and were waiting to surprise us. We spent the rest of the weekend celebrating with both of our families.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…

Kelly – I had a very specific vision in mind from the start. I referred to it as a “classy coastal spring garden party”. I didn’t want there to be an overpowering theme and I wanted to make sure I gave the natural beauty of our venue the limelight it deserved. In an effort to keep our design relaxed and natural, I really leaned on our flowers and the bridesmaid’s dresses which brought in all my favourite spring colors. We kept our reception tent very light and airy with natural colored linens, floral tablecloths, wood-coloured chairs and white bars. To bring the coastal elements into our reception tent we added chandeliers that looked like they were made of sea shells, subtle shell details throughout our tablescape and even had “East Coaster” and “West Coaster” signature cocktails as an ode to our east coast and west coast families. I think our wedding might have been an exact 50/50 split of east coast and west coast people.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

Our venue! We instantly fell in love with Castle Hill Inn. While touring the venue I felt that same “if you know you know kinda feeling” but with a place. It was my dream venue. It perfectly encapsulated the quintessential coastal New England charm that I’ve been in love with my whole life. Panoramic views of Narragansett Bay, white Adirondack chairs covering their oceanfront grass lawn with sailboats continually passing by. It was definitely a splurge but it was truly worth every penny. We were able to save on decor because the venue in itself was so gorgeous and brought natural elements to the wedding that I did not want overpowering it with excessive design. The ceremony location was right next to our reception tent which made the transition from our ceremony to reception easy and seamless. After our ceremony, they were instantly greeted with trays of cocktails and sparkling wine.

This really allowed everyone to enjoy every minute of the wedding without having to travel to a new location. Every person on the Castle Hill team was beyond accommodating and made the process feel really easy – which I never expected wedding planning to feel. They have the wedding thing down to a science and I felt a sense of trust and reliability from the very start. Everything about the venue from the scenery to the food and the to service, was 10/10 and our guests still continue to rave about it.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

My bridesmaids were the true MVPs and made my mix-match dress vision come to life. The dresses together ended up looking better than any Pinterest or mood board I could have made. Mix-match dresses were something I felt very passionate about having for several reasons, I did not want my bridesmaid to have to buy one specific dress and I wanted to give them the flexibility to find something that they felt their very best in and could hopefully wear again. I also felt the mix-match look contributed to the natural feel that I wanted to keep throughout our wedding. I gave they a colour palate and a mood board and they executed flawlessly.

Seeing all of the dresses lined up together was such a special moment because, for one, I was not sure how it was actually going to turn out but most importantly they all truly looked like themselves. I felt that each one of their dress choices represented their own personality and style so well. Their dresses also acted as a big focal point to the ceremony decor and complimented our flowers and venue perfectly. Mix-match bridesmaid dresses are such a fun way to get creative and add a unique touch to your wedding because no other wedding will (likely) have all the same bridesmaids’ dresses.