Classic Green and White Rhode Island Wedding at Oceancliff

By Kevin Harson6 June 2025

Hunter Green, Black, cream and white

Jes, from Proper Fun – “While creating the romantic ambiance for this incredible celebration, we called upon all five senses to create the most memorable experience. We wanted Katie, Jon, and their loved ones to feel as if they were walking on air. Collaborating with Erica and her team, we were able to integrate the right textures, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile experiences to produce and harmonize with the existing gorgeous setting looking out over the ocean. We used masses of ethereal textures such as Baby’s Breath and Statice for the ceremony, and we gave the reception a bit more substance by using romance blooms and special artisan details such as homemade candles and linens consisting of modern lace provided by Nuage Designs. We framed the Cake and the Band with elements from the ceremony to keep that airy and ethereal feeling throughout the entire love story.”

Katie and Jon like to stay busy, so they got engaged the same day they closed on their first house! After taking the classic “SOLD” photo in front of their new home, Katie opened the front door to a path of rose petals leading to a light-up marquee sign that spelled out “Marry Me” in their new living room. Immediately after the “yes,” their dog Sloan burst into the room after waiting in hiding, scooping the ring box up in her mouth out of uncontrollable excitement. This day started both their wedding planning journey as well as their journey to building a home.

Katie found her dream dress at Winnie Couture in Boston, Massachusetts. To ensure the experience would always be something special to look back on, she flew her MOH in from California & planned a “find the dress” weekend with her co-MOHs & bridesmaids. It only took two dresses before she said yes, and this wasn’t a surprise to anyone. She selected a custom, intricate, floral lace sheath-style dress with a sparkling underlay & versatile, detachable matching overskirt…then celebrated with a glass of champagne!

Food & Drink: When Katie goes out to eat, she typically wants to order one of every appetizer on the menu, so her wedding was no different! With the Newport coastline setting the golden scene at cocktail hour, guests were greeted with northeast-inspired passed hors d’oeuvres ranging from clam chowder sippers with clam fritter dippers & crab cakes to tuna tartar spoons and scallops wrapped in bacon. Guests also enjoyed classic vegetable spring rolls, nim chow rolls, edamame hummus cups, and French dip crostinis with garlic-herb au jus. A charcuterie board & raw bar with oysters & shrimp placed atop a visual-display boat rounded out the cocktail hour dining experience. For drinks, guests were offered one of two signature drinks: a Maple Old Fashioned, selected by Jon, or a Spicy Margarita, selected by Katie. Beyond this, there was a wide variety of spirits, wines, beers, seltzers, and champagne. Dinner started with the local field greens salad, with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, shaved pecorino, fresh herbs, and a balsamic vinaigrette, all accompanied with bread and butter. Guests selected from the Tuscan chicken roulade with artichoke, sun-dried tomato, basil, & balsamic reduction, the slow-braised boneless short ribs with fresh herbs, caramelized pearl onions, crisp bacon, & bordelaise sauce, or the vegetable napoleon with jasmine rice, grilled seasonal vegetables, portobello mushroom & balsamic glaze. Late-night snacks are a must-have for this group, so once the reception transitioned to after-hours, guests indulged in cheeseburger sliders, pepperoni & cheese pizza, chicken tenders, and fries.

Jes from Proper Fun – “We used masses of German Statice and Baby’s Breath for the ceremony to create a very ethereal effect, and then during the reception we wanted to express pure romance while still expressing that ethereal feeling so we incorporated official romance blooms such as: Peonies, Lisianthus, Hydrangeas, Ranunculus, and Orchids. We didn’t use a lot of greens simply because we wanted there to be a dense cloud-like feeling to the arrangement.”

Katie and Jon’s stunning 5-tier white cake was created by Confectionary Designs. It featured delicate sugar flowers matching her bouquet, along with pearl piping and a shimmering white finish. We couldn’t forget their beloved pup, Sloan, so we had a custom ceramic figurine made of Sloan to be included as a charming touch on the cake!

Katie and Jon surprised guests with an appearance from everyone’s favorite Golden Retriever, Miss Sloan. Sloan strutted her stuff down the aisle with one of her first human friends, made her rounds at cocktail hour, saying hello to friends both known and new, tried to sneak a few oyster shells from the raw bar, and made her grand entrance at the reception. If anyone missed seeing Sloan steal the show in real life, her adorable face adorned decorative pillows placed around the venue. She also made a sneaky appearance on the wedding cake!

A year and a half before their wedding, Katie unexpectedly lost her only brother to a stroke. At the wedding ceremony, they kept a seat open for him next to her parents, with a special sign & flowers.

Instead of a written guest book, Katie and Jon asked their guests to leave them an audio voice message. A classic white telephone was set up for guests to call and leave voicemails for the newlyweds to listen back to for years to come.