OceanCliff, Newport – Alexa and Mat’s Wedding
It’s not often that a middle school crush turns into a lifetime love, but that is exactly what happened. From the very first moment Mat saw Alexa in their 6th grade math class at Thayer Academy in Massachusetts, he admits he had a crush on her. The pair started dating in high school and then off and on in college, but as time went on it became apparent that this was more than a school-age crush. They were really meant to be.
On a freezing cold mid-December night they took a walk though Boston’s Public Garden. As they reached the bridge in the middle of the park, Mat popped the question. Everything was perfect. Alexa said, “He had planned a romantic dinner at No. 9 Park in Boston and before I could call my parents, he surprised me with both our families waiting for us at the Four Seasons to celebrate! Such an amazing night!”
And before they knew it they were making wedding plans. Newport, Rhode Island was immediately on their short list of possible wedding locations because it had sentimental value to them. They had taken one of their first vacations together to Newport and stopped to have a drink at the historic OceanCliff resort and they fell in love with the location. When they got engaged, they knew they wanted to consider this spot as their wedding venue. “We choose OceanCliff because everyone there listens to your vision for the day and it really becomes so special and individualized, even though they do so many weddings per year. The reception room and wrap-around windows were perfect!”
Equally important to them was the selection of the historic Emmanuel Episcopal Church in downtown Newport for the ceremony. “Mother Anita was so wonderful, and the stained glass and wood that surrounded the church was stunning,” said Alexa.
Alexa’s nine bridesmaids included her sister as her maid of honor, her cousins, and her best friends from childhood. Mat’s groomsmen included his brother as his best man, his cousin and his closest friends. “Our wedding was made up of everything and everyone we love!”
There were so many gorgeous details. Alexa’s bouquet of white roses was classic and like everything else on their wedding day was made more meaningful by including a family tradition. “My grandmother’s prayer book that she walked down the aisle with was attached to my bouquet, which was so meaningful to me!”
“My mother and father both walked me down the aisle, which was so special.” Alexa said her favorite moment was when “We became husband and wife I was so happy and thrilled! When we were on the altar I took the time to look out into the pews and see how lucky we were to have so many family and friends there to share in our day!”
It was a gorgeous early fall weekend. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the lawn as sailboats passed by in the late afternoon sun. As the sun slowly set, guests moved inside for dinner and dancing. The room looked amazing with abundant floral arrangements by Toni Chandler Design that included pops of orange since that is the main color of Thayer Academy where Alexa and Mat and so many of their guests met. The cake was classic and beautiful with fresh flowers on each tier.
The Boston-based band Kahootz had everyone on their feet. “They are amazingly talented and keep up with the current hits. We love all types of music – hip hop, jazz and country. Our first dance was a medley of ‘Into the Mystic’ and ‘Free’ by the Zac Brown Band. I also danced with my grandfather to a Irish song which was such a special dance for me”.
“Our families and friends love to dance, we picked a lot of fun dance songs and Kahootz nailed them. Everyone was dancing all night long, and we had so much fun we did not leave the dance floor most of the night. ‘Living on a Prayer’ and ‘Shout’ were traditional hits for everyone. Our family and friends are so important to us and we just wanted to have a blast with everyone and wanted people to relax and have fun, and I think we definitely accomplished that! The dances with my new husband, father and grandfather were so special and memorable. Dancing the night away with our guests was something we will never forget!”
Alexa and Mat, there were so many wonderful moments from the first planning conversations about what might be, to your engagement session when we spent time getting to know each other better to all the fun-filled moments on your gorgeous, picture-perfect day. Thank you so much for asking us to be with you on your wedding day, Susan & Lynda