Melanie & James - Interfaith Seaside Wedding at The Dunes Club in Narragansett, Rhode Island
New York City based sweethearts, Melanie and James (Jim) tied the knot in June 2019. The couple reached out to us to create a custom ketubah for them after seeing the ketubah we’d made for their friends Michelle and Ian.
Their special day was held at The Dunes Club in Narragansett, RI, a very special place for the groom’s family, who have been members there for generations. Jim grew up spending his summers on the beach at The Club, and Melanie joined him there for summers once they met, so they knew The Dunes Club would be the perfect venue for them.
In planning their wedding, the couple worked with Leila Ryan Events, a local Rhode Island wedding planner, who helped them find the right vendors and made it easy for them to include elements from each of their cultures and family traditions in the ceremony.
Their beautiful floral chuppah was created by Sayles Livingston and incorporated Melanie’s grandfather’s tallit as the canopy. They also included the kiddush (a Hebrew blessing over wine to sanctify a Jewish holiday or festival), the seven blessings, and breaking the glass. At the end of the ceremony, Melanie and Jim walked back up the aisle to the music of a bagpiper - an ode to his Scotch/Irish heritage.
Their gorgeous floral arrangements and Melanie’s bright bold bouquet were also created by Sayles Livingston.
Melanie’s elegant strapless dress was designed by Rita Vinieris and purchased at Kleinfeld's in NYC. She fell in love with the incredible softness of the fabric, and the fact that it had pockets! Jim looked dapper in a navy tux from The Black Tux. Both of their wedding bands and jewelry were from R&R Jewelers in NYC.
When creating their hand-painted hand-lettered ketubah, it was important that we represent both of their faiths in the text. Jim identifies as Quaker so instead of the traditional Hebrew, they used a Quaker text. The artwork features a tranquil scene at The Dunes Club, framed by a spray of pink peonies like the ones in Melanie’s bridal bouquet. Ruby, their beloved pet poodle was also included, tiny and staring out at the sea.
Sin Bakery in Providence created their beautiful four tier chocolate bourbon cake vegan wedding cake with flowers cascading down the front, and a custom bobblehead of Melanie, Jim, and Ruby the poodle on top.
Thank you, Melanie & James, for sharing your beautiful wedding photos with us! We hope your lives are filled with love, joy, laughter, and many more summers at the beach.
Leave a comment