A Spring Affair at Rosecliff Mansion Inspired by Art, Poetry and the Two Places Their Love Story Began

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

With a vision of old world romance, iconic poetry, and lush florals, the only fitting option when it came to wedding colors was soft and subtle pastels. Throughout the wedding, white, pale pink, lavender, and light blue tones were used.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

The couple wanted the aesthetic to be very representative of the way they feel about each other. Their story is very fairytale in the way that they met and in how they continue to view their relationship, even now. They feel very fated to have met each other, and a lot of inspiration came from the places their love story played out: Charleston and England, more specifically. In addition to the art and poetry Danielle had fallen in love with throughout her lifetime: Shakespeare, Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, Emily Dickinson’s work, and a few Taylor Swift lyrics.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

Danielle and Josh first “met” in Charleston, South Carolina. It was the Summer of 2016, and they were 22. Danielle had just graduated from university and was working as a manager at the front desk of the Renaissance Charleston hotel in South Carolina. Josh had recently signed for the Glasgow Rangers and had travelled to South Carolina with the team for pre-season training. As fate would have it, the team was staying at the Renaissance Charleston hotel. “Met” is in quotation marks because even though Josh and the team stayed at the hotel for about two weeks, and Danielle was often at the front desk when Josh and the team were lounging in the lobby, Josh and Danielle never spoke to one another. However, a few days after the Rangers left the hotel to return home to Scotland, Danielle found a private message from Josh on Twitter. Josh had asked the valet for Danielle’s first and last name on his last day in Charleston. Many years, Instagram DM’s, WhatsApp messages, and FaceTime dates later, Josh flew Danielle out to England so they could meet in person for the first time. They both knew there wasn’t anyone else they wanted to be with after that trip. They dated long-distance for almost two years before Josh proposed to Danielle in October 2022 at the top of a hill in the Peak District.

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]The dress, designed by Berta, featured a stunning corset design with dazzling beading throughout. Keeping up with the fairytale aesthetic, Danielle’s gown gave off a subtle shine with every turn she made. She paired it with a chic pair of Dior sling-backs to complete the elegant look.[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]

When choosing each bridesmaid dress, Danielle wanted them to be unique to the very incredible woman wearing them. Danielle thought having varying patterns, colours, and styles is always more visually interesting, but because each individual in her bridal party has been so invaluable in how they have impacted her growth as a person, she knew their dresses had to be representative of that. For example, Shannon, one of the maids of honor, wore a very timeless Cinderella blue gown. The color blue is often associated with calmness and tranquility, and this is what she has always been for Danielle. A constant, calming, and guiding light throughout her life, beginning at university. Alia wore a gorgeous pink, floral dress as she represents a very powerful female role model for Danielle. As a scientist, a baker, a tennis star, and the cousin in Danielle’s “sisters” group chat that always keeps their spirits super high, she’s been a constant reminder for Danielle that you can be anything you want to be, even if you want to be more than one thing at more than one time. Every single design choice throughout this wedding has a huge background meaning, which is subtle to most, but meant a great deal to Josh and Danielle.

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Josh’s tailor, Freddie Grant, created custom two-toned suits for the groomsmen, and even traveled from the UK to Newport to be onsite all wedding day for any fashion needs. [/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

The food and signature cocktails were also reflective of not only the seaside setting, but the couple’s favorite things. Classic New England bites were passed during cocktail hour, like mini fish and chips, paired with lavender-topped signature drinks. For her, the Lavender French 75, and for him, the Elderflower Mocktail.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

Florals were romantic, lush, and garden-inspired. A cascading design on the entry staircase was a favorite detail. Danielle and Josh were surrounded by a grounded floral arch during the ceremony. Danielle wanted the focal flower to be garden roses in pastel shades with a delicate touch of blue to complement the groomsmen’s attire. The Bridesmaids carried bouquets of sweet peas. Peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, delphinium, and sweet pea were featured throughout each design.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

A classic three-tiered cake dressed in florals sat in the dessert room at Rosecliff, allowing for a private moment between Danielle and Josh to enjoy their first slice.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

Poetry was a constant throughout the design as a major source of inspiration. Emily Dickinson’s books of poetry were gifted to the bridesmaids, quotes were used throughout the paperie design, and invitation designs (moon, statues, stars) were all found throughout the Rosecliff grounds.

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

Not pictured in the gallery, but thought it might be worth a mention: we included butterfly wax seals on our Save The Date letters. This was a more private reference to a miscarriage that we had experienced earlier in the year after we were engaged. We refer to him or her as our “butterfly baby” as we viewed them as a beautiful butterfly that just couldn’t stay. This is all the more meaningful considering I was 24 weeks pregnant at the wedding with a baby girl joining us in October – her due date being very close to the day Josh proposed and the anniversary of my grandfather’s passing.

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

My vision for the Find Your Seat element of the cocktail hour was brought to life by Laura Elizabeth Patrick, who created all of our wedding Paperie. It is meant to look like a fine art painting of the rolling hills of the Peak District in England, where Josh proposed to me privately in mid-October. He had called my father beforehand to ask for permission, only to find out that the day was especially meaningful as this was also the anniversary of my grandfather’s (on my dad’s side) passing. The excerpt from Shakespeare’s Great Expectations presented on the ceremony programs is an element that Josh and I know draws on incredibly relevant parallels to how we came to know one another. Our lives would have been very different had that one very fateful day in Charleston, South Carolina, not occurred. You will notice a Taylor Swift lyric included on the wedding invitation suite. This is also an ode to that very specific way in which Josh and I saw each other for the first time.

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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]

We chose Rosecliff Mansion sight unseen and despite never actually having been to Rhode Island. I remember seeing it for the first time during my search online and telling my father there was no other venue in the United States that I could get married at, lol. It was stunning and the perfect backdrop for the aesthetic I knew I wanted to create. Rhode Island was also an ideal halfway point between Josh’s friends and family, located in England, and mine, located all over the US. If you’ve ever been to Newport, it goes without saying that it is simply a lovely place to visit. We appreciated the idea that our closest friends and family would experience this very special piece of the US, as nearly none of our guests had ever been there, especially our UK guests, as Newport is not a well-known US holiday destination for them.

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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