Stephanie and Austin’s Newport Rhode Island wedding at Regatta Place was recently featured in Style Me Pretty, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this beautiful celebration! This couple values time spent with family and friends above all else, and their waterfront wedding perfectly reflected that priority. With stunning bay views, lush garden florals, and thoughtful details at every turn, their day was a true reflection of who they are as a couple.
Planning a Newport RI Wedding at Regatta Place
Newport, Rhode Island has always held deep meaning for Stephanie and Austin. Year after year, they returned to this coastal town for romantic getaways, creating memories that would eventually lead them back to say “I do.” When it came time to choose their wedding venue, they wanted a location that honored their history together while creating a foundation for their future. Regatta Place, with its waterfront setting on historic Goat Island overlooking Newport Harbor, became that perfect choice. It’s a place they could one day bring their children and share the significance of where their marriage began.
What drew them to this Newport RI wedding venue was how naturally it aligned with their aesthetic. The combination of sophisticated event spaces and relaxed waterfront charm felt authentic to who they are: a couple who appreciates both polished elegance and genuine fun. From our first venue tour together through the final details, I worked alongside Stephanie and Austin to build a vendor team they trusted and design a celebration that told their unique story.
Romantic Floral Design by The Dirt Empress
Every wedding begins with a vision, and for Stephanie and Austin, that vision centered on bringing the romance of a summer garden to life along the harbor. The Dirt Empress understood this dream immediately and translated it into breathtaking floral installations that enhanced rather than overshadowed Regatta Place’s natural waterfront beauty.
The blooms themselves told a story of abundance and organic elegance. Snapdragons reached skyward alongside delicate larkspur and dramatic delphinium, while garden roses added their classic romance. Locally sourced dahlias and zinnias brought seasonal authenticity, and lisianthus offered soft texture throughout. Together, these varieties created arrangements that felt gathered from a coastal estate garden rather than designed in a studio.
The floral journey began the moment guests arrived. A pergola entrance, completely enveloped in blooms, set the tone for what was to come. As guests made their way to the ceremony, they discovered flowers adorning the dock where cocktail hour would later unfold. The ceremony itself was designed to frame the harbor views while adding just enough romance to mark the significance of the moment. When guests stepped into the tented reception, they found themselves beneath a canopy of greenery draping from every beam and chandelier, as though dining in an enchanted garden pavilion.
Tables featured a thoughtful variety of floral presentations: some held elevated compote arrangements while others showcased intimate clusters of bud vases. Sage green taper candles added romantic ambiance and reinforced the color story that tied the entire celebration together.
Designing a Cohesive Waterfront Wedding Reception
One element served as the visual thread connecting every aspect of this celebration: sage green. This soft, organic hue appeared in the bridesmaid gowns and reappeared in the napkins folded at each place setting. It shimmered in the goblets, catching candlelight, and glowed warmly in the tapered candles themselves. Rather than feeling repetitive, this intentional weaving of color created a sense of harmony that made the entire event feel considered and complete.
Working with Peak Event Services, we selected foundation pieces that would let the florals and personal details shine. Light champagne linens provided warmth without competing for attention, while elegant white chargers gave each place setting a refined base. The sage goblets and coordinating napkins brought the color story full circle, connecting the bridesmaids standing beside the couple to the tables where guests would celebrate with them.
Tables featured a thoughtful variety of floral presentations: some held elevated compote arrangements while others showcased intimate clusters of bud vases. Sage green taper candles added romantic ambiance and reinforced the color story that tied the entire celebration together.
Personalized Details Throughout the Celebration
Petal & Ink created a custom welcome sign and seating chart that set the tone the moment guests arrived in the courtyard. The designs complemented the lush florals throughout the celebration, adding another layer of thoughtful detail to the overall aesthetic.
The true magic was in how the personalized touches carried through the entire experience. Serif and Sans created custom invitations that introduced guests to the aesthetic before they ever arrived in Newport. The floral motifs and sophisticated color palette from those invitations carried through to every printed piece on the wedding day: custom menus at each place setting, place cards that helped guests find their seats, and signature cocktail signs that added personality to the bar. Custom cornhole boards invited guests to play on the dock during cocktail hour and into the evening. It was a perfectly on-brand touch for this fun-loving couple.
Stephanie and Austin, thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey from that very first venue tour to the moment you celebrated with everyone you love. Watching your vision come to life at Regatta Place and seeing the joy on your faces as you shared it with your family and friends was the best part of this entire process. See more from this beautiful Newport Rhode Island wedding on Style Me Pretty.
Planning a Newport RI wedding or celebrating anywhere throughout New England? As a Newport wedding planner, I’d love to help you create a celebration that’s authentically yours. Contact Something Bleu Weddings to get started planning the wedding of your dreams.
Kind Words from the Couple
“We couldn’t have imagined our wedding without Julie Riley as our planner who made sure our weekend went exactly as planned! She had great relationships with the vendors, which made choosing them a very easy process. Julie was also very cognizant of our budget and ensured that our cost stayed within our allotted range. She provided thoughtful and timely feedback when there were certain elements we considered adding to our wedding. We were also very impressed with how responsive Julie was considering the additional weddings she was planning and we never felt like she wasn’t prioritizing us. On the day of our actual wedding, Julie and her assistant were on top of everything allowing us to enjoy the day stress-free! Our recommendation comes with high regards and we couldn’t be happier with how our wedding turned out!”
Newport Rhode Island Wedding Vendor Team
Venue + Catering: Regatta Place
Planning + Design: Something Bleu Weddings
Photography: Jessica K. Feiden
Videography: Moments by Ziggy
Entertainment: Wilson Stevens Productions
Florals: The Dirt Empress
Rentals + Linens: Peak Event Services
Invitations + Wedding Day Paper Goods: Serif and Sans
Signage: Petal & Ink
Cake: Bella Confections
Hair + Makeup: Upstyle Co.
Bridal Shop: Vows
Dress Designer: Enaura
Bridesmaid Dresses: Revelry
Groom’s Suit: Suitsupply
Transportation: Limos of Newport and Providence
Water Taxi: Pineapple Sailing
Getting Ready Hotel: Newport Harbor Island
