Preppy Kate Spade-y Library Engagement Photos in Rhode Island

Kerrin and Chris decided to have their engagement session at The Providence Athenaeum, a darling library and cultural center in Rhode Island which includes antique card catalogs, sliding ladders and, of course, beautiful old books. I just love the classic, preppy, Kate Spade-y feel of this shoot! And the Athenaeum was also a perfect spot for Kerrin and Chris to pay homage to the course of events which brought them together {Kerrin explains - just scroll down!} / Photos by Erin McGinn.

Says Kerrin, "Chris and I met in an American Literature class at Providence College. He was helping me to understand Leaves of Grass, a classic (and very abstract!) work by Walt Whitman, who is one of Chris' favorite writers. After class, I went to his dorm to borrow his text copy because he always gave these great responses when called on by the professor. (In truth, I was also looking for an excuse to get to know Chris better...) Chris looked puzzled when I showed up at his door asking for his voluminous notes because he hadn't written ANYTHING down! It was all up there in his brilliant literary mind. My true motives were discovered and we started dating shortly after that class.

We took our engagement shots at The Providence Athenaeum because we loved the sliding ladders and vintage study nooks - it even has a rare first edition of Leaves of Grass as a featured display! As book lovers, our plans for a Great Gatsby-themed wedding extend the American literature motif to Linden Place in Bristol, Rhode Island, where part of the 1974 version was filmed."

After the session, Kerrin and Chris took a short walk around Providence to enjoy the crisp fall air.

Thank you so much to K+C for sharing their story and to Erin McGinn for sharing her lovely photos! xx.

Timeless {Legacy} Elopement in New England by Erin McGinn

I love the simplicity, intimacy and romance that go along with eloping. Bailey and Garrett were originally planning a big country club wedding but decided to change gears and opted for a private elopement. You may remember this cute couple from their darling engagement shoot that I shared in the fall. / Photos by Erin McGinn.

Says Bailey, "Garrett and I had started to plan the big to-do - at the country club, upwards of 200 guests, etc. And then one day we had a serious conversation about whether or not this is really what we wanted to do. Did we want to spend a year of our lives dealing with the stresses that inherently come with planning a wedding? Did we want to spend all of this money? We were honest with ourselves and each other and decided that the big wedding was not for us. The only detail we really cared about was saying "I do". So, after receiving some great advice from [our photographer], we found an officiant and a location and all of the other details just fell into place.

I guess you could say eloping in itself is a family tradition. My parents eloped and my mother's parents eloped. My grandparents eloped in the 1940s while my grandmother was in nursing school at Newport Hospital. At the time, if the school had found out about her marriage, she would have been kicked out of the program. They were able to keep the secret until she graduated and my grandmother had a long career in nursing. I'm actually following in her footsteps again, as I will be finishing nursing school in May.

We chose to get married at the Providence Court House out of convenience, honestly. It was centrally located, the officiant was right there and there was a beautiful park right across the street for pictures. Once we arrived, I was so happy we had chosen the court house. The marble floors, big beautiful windows, old elevators and other little details were perfect for us. The only way it could have felt more like "eloping" is if we had gone to Vegas :)

Bailey + Garrett's Love Story:

Garrett and I met on Match.com! We both had only been using the site for a short time but we knew this was it. We were pretty much inseparable from the beginning... We truly enjoyed spending time together, laughing together and dreaming about the future. Garrett is everything I wanted in a man, and more. Our relationship is based on open communication, honesty, valuing each other as person, genuinely caring for and supporting each other and committing to working through every bump in the road that will come our way. We met in January, were engaged in May and eloped in October, one year to the day prior to our original wedding date. It's been a crazy, whirlwind year and neither one of us would change a moment of it.

Finding the right dress was the hardest part! I knew I didn't want a typical wedding dress. I wanted something knee-length and champagne colored. I purchased and returned probably six different dresses. I found one I liked, had it altered and one week before the wedding, decided I actually hated it. I did some last-minute online shopping and found the perfect dress from J.Crew with all of the details I wanted. It was simple, elegant and it fit me like a glove, right out of the box. If it hadn't been the one, I was getting married in jeans and a t-shirt... Thankfully that didn't happen!

I was happy that we made the day special by including a photographer, a limo, getting my hair and makeup done and spending the night at the Biltmore. We celebrated our love for each other the way we wanted to. And because we included Erin on our day, we were able to share it with family and friends who weren't with us."

Thanks so much to Bailey and Garrett for sharing their sweet day and to Erin McGinn for sharing those lovely photos. xx

Bailey leaves us with some parting advice: "Don't worry so much about what other people are going to think. It is impossible to make every person happy or to live up to what they think you should do. You can only do what is right for yourself and your significant other - what makes the two of you happy. At the end of the day, the people who matter are going to support your choices and your love for each other unconditionally."

Credits: Erin McGinn Photography / Hair and Makeup: Jennie Kay Beauty / Dress: J.Crew / Getting ready location - Biltmore Hotel

Intimate Dockside Boutique Hotel Wedding in Newport, Rhode Island

Just arrived home from Paris and I'm exhausted from our jam-packed {but oh-so-fun!} weekend - I'll share all the adventures with you soon but today I have an incredibly beautiful New England wedding to share. I just adore Erica and Allen's day and I think you will, too! Lovely images by Erin McGinn.

Says photographer, Erin McGinn, "Erica and Allen were the epitome of beachside chic. Their intimate dockside wedding at 41˚N in Newport, Rhode Island was bathed in the most beautiful sunlight. The girls in minty light blue and the boys in navy paired with all white flowers was the perfect palette for the day. We photographed all around the property of the boutique hotel from the abalone lined entry way to the boat-lined docks and the contemporary lounge area. It was so much fun to be able to enjoy the day alongside Erica and Allen, who kept me laughing all night."

Says Erica, "We chose 41 North because it was on the water, simple, white (I love white) and felt relaxed yet chic and sophisticated. It’s just a cool place (kinda like Allen). Neither of us wanted a super formal, over the top wedding. We really just wanted guests to relax and HAVE FUN in a really pretty place! The guest list included family and very close friends that may as well be family – we took forever to decide what we wanted to do for our wedding (elope? Islands? Maine? Newport?). We landed on RI because if you ask Allen, I LOVE IT HERE! I really do, he tried to get me to move to a million places but I just couldn’t bring myself to move away- he ended up here because he’s the best!"

Such a picture-perfect day! Wish I could pack my bags and head for New England right now. ;)
Congrats to Erica and Allen and warm thanks to Erin for sharing these gorgeous photos. xx.

Credits:
Photography: Erin McGinn Photography / Venue: 41˚ North Newport, RI/ Dress and Belt: Ivy and Aster from The White Dress by the Shore/ Shoes:Coach / Flowers: Flowers by Bert and Peg / DJ: Murray Hill Talent/ Makeup: Jane Sincere / Hair: Laurie McGowan of Moss Salon / Video: Mike Picard Motion Pictures