Romantic and Timeless Newport Wedding at Rosecliff Mansion

There are very few places in America as special as Newport, RI in my humble opinion. Not only is it a sentimental place for me, my husband and I visited for our honeymoon. The rich history, lavish buildings and reputation as a sailing mecca make this town hard to compete with! Jackie and Matt clearly felt the same way about Newport after spending a year living there. More particularly, Rosecliff Mansion. Jackie remembers standing in the middle of the ballroom at Rosecliff on one of the Newport mansion tours, and thinking to herself, this is where I’m getting married. Fast forward to October 2022 and she and Matt were exchanging vows at their Rosecliff mansion wedding.

I knew that Jackie was as excited about the different prospects that Newport had to offer her as I was! When I arrived at their rental home – the same home they rented for a year when they lived in Newport – there was an actual trunk full of details for the wedding day. From custom crest labeled coffee cups to custom labels on miniature bottles of Prosecco. Custom invitation suites to cotton fiber parchment letters from Jackie to Matt and Matt to Jackie. There was not a single detail overlooked by Jackie and her wedding planner, Em Devaud. While this attention to details clearly signifies a Type A personality, Jackie let loose and had fun from the moment I arrived. I can hardly get anyone to spray a bottle of champagne on their wedding day, let alone doing so twice. We popped champagne in our robe and again in our wedding dress!

Along with the visible details of the day, were the more sentimental ones that made Jackie and Matt’s day so special. Their first look down by the marsh that their rental home overlooked. After their first look, Jackie and Matt took a moment to share their vows privately with each other before heading back to the house to pop more champagne with their bridal party! This wedding day was one celebration after another, and this was long before the ceremony. We sprayed champagne, we tossed petals. We even had confetti poppers!

Before heading over to Rosecliff, we made a stop at the end of Ledge Road to take pictures on the rocks with the ocean crashing below. The wind was howling, but Jackie and Matt didn’t even seem to notice. They walked all over the uneven boulders and Matt even spun Jackie and dipped her like they were on flat ground.

Once we arrived at Rosecliff mansion for the wedding, we were able to take a rest from the wind and take advantage of the beautiful elements of the house inside and out. The staircase was lined with colorful florals, which only added to the natural beauty of the architecture. Out back, overlooking the sea, blue and white flowers were set to a semi circle where Jackie and Matt stood for their ceremony. The florals that adorned the aisle made Jackie and Matt look like they were completely encased in flowers and it was magical. I absolutely loved that Matt’s Dad officiated the wedding. He even stood from the location of where he would have sat in the front row so that Jackie and Matt had to look out toward their family and friends. Such a beautiful way of conducting their ceremony!

As the sun set toward the end of the ceremony, the twinkle lights set into their ceremony florals sparkled. Once the guests headed to cocktail hour, we saw the moon big, bold and pink, shining over the water below. Jackie literally ran toward the water and we took pictures of them in front of their special moonlight.

I have spent the last twenty years of my life touring the great houses of America. It’s a past time of my husband’s and mine. I’ve listened to the history, read the books about the revolutionaries, heard about the lavish house parties of the Gilded Age. At Jackie and Matt’s wedding, we actually got to enjoy such a party at Rosecliff. It was certainly one for the books.

Jackie and Matt, we are so happy for you! Your wedding day was so beautiful and special and we are so happy to have been able to capture all of it!

Venue: Rosecliff Mansion, Newport, RI

Wedding Planner: Em Devaud Events

Photographer: Lauren Kearns Photography

Hair: Hair By Halli

Makeup: Alexandra Dale Make Up Artistry

Wedding Dress: Suzanne Neville & Wedding Atelier

Invitation: Paper Tree Studios

Engagement Ring: The Clear Cut

Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale

Florist: Greenlion Design

Caterer: Blackstone

Linens/Rentals: Peak Event Services

Videographer: Artistic Wedding Films

Live Painter: Linda Marino

Photo Booth: Luke Renchan Entertainment

Cake: Confectionary Designs

Entertainment: C-Zone Entertainment Greg Capozzi

End of Night Car: Newport Classic Cars