Belle Mer Wedding, Newport RI — Liz + Ryan

Every so often, the Universe sends me clients so wonderful that I have to pinch myself to make sure this job is real. (For the record, all of my clients are wonderful!) Liz and Ryan’s unbelievably beautiful Belle Mer wedding was like something out of my DREAMS; blue skies, amazing family and friends, perfect venue, and two of the loveliest, kindest, happiest, and most photogenic people I have ever worked with. This day was the definition of Epic!

I knew Liz and Ryan were going to be great to work with after their totally smokeshow engagement session at Greenvale Vineyards in Newport. Liz is a natural beauty with a killer smile and such grace, and Ryan is movie-star handsome and so charming — together they just make everything look so easy and effortless. Their First Look at Gurney’s Newport definitely ranks as one of the best I’ve ever seen. The wedding party watched from the balcony up above while Liz walked the path toward Ryan and by the time she reached him, there were tears all around. Even Ryan (who knows that I think a crying groom is THE BEST present a wedding photographer can ask for) indulged me with some genuine emotion — can you blame him? LOOK AT HIS BRIDE!!!! She is truly sensational.

We walked the grounds at Gurneys for family and wedding party portraits, and then headed over to Belle Mer for a waterfront ceremony that was simple and sweet and filled with love. Belle Mer is truly one of my favorite venues to work in, not only for the location, but because the interior is filled with the most gorgeous light, and everything always looks so fresh and modern. Liz and Ryan and their wedding party made awesome entrances down the grand staircase, and then had a fantastic party. I highly recommend MIB2 as a wedding band — they kept the dance floor packed and had a really unique sound.

While I was editing these photos, I kept thinking of something that Liz told me when I first started talking to them about their wedding photography. She told me that she and Ryan were truly each other’s best friends, and I believe that shines through in every one of these images. The love, respect, and happiness that these two show to each other is breathtaking, and I feel so incredibly honored to have been able to work with them. They set the bar sky-high.

A big thank you to Alex for coming along with me as a second, and my heartfelt gratitude to Ryan and Liz and their families for allowing me to be a part of this special day. Happy Love!

Venue // Belle Mer
Makeup Artist // Lauren Vancheri
Hair Artist // Jaime Maloney
Florist // Stoneblossom Florals
Caterer // Belle Mer
Band // MIB2
Bridal Attire // Claire Pettibone