A Whimsical, Romantic Wedding at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island

Liz Sweitzer (27 and a graduate student) and Andrew Matson (27 and a resident in orthopedic surgery) grew up together in Providence, Rhode Island, so when it came time to plan their wedding, the pair knew they had to be in their home state. To showcase the beauty and spirit of the Ocean State, they set their sights on Newport, an iconic seaside town with a long, rich history and striking scenery. “Newport in the summer is unbeatable,” Liz says. “It's such a vibrant and lively town, and we wanted our friends and family to experience that. Food, music, culture and shopping all wrapped up into a perfectly preppy town on the water made it a no-brainer for us as far as location.” For the couple's whimsical, romantic summer affair, the Castle Hill Inn seemed like the perfect backdrop, with its quintessential New England vibe, lush gardens, lighthouse and ocean views. The pair exchanged vows under an elaborate floral chuppah overlooking the water, followed by al fresco dinner and dancing on Castle Hill Inn’s expansive lawn. Flowers by Semia transformed the custom sailcloth tent into an elegant, romantic scene with striking arrangements of soft, full blooms and wild greenery in ivory and blush tones. “I left everything up to Semia. I told her the colors of my wedding, showed two inspiration photos, and gave her a couple of adjectives to describe the look we wanted,” Liz says. “She was so amazing. I just let her work her magic to create the florals.” Metallic accents, custom stationery and chandeliers introduced a regal note to the decor, while framed photos of the couple throughout their relationship added a sentimental dimension to the day. The band Eye 2 Eye brought the house down with endless upbeat hits, and Castle Hill delighted guests’ taste buds with a decadent spread of harissa-glazed lamb and lobster cakes. A tip from Liz: “Spend a good amount of time interviewing and researching your vendors before you book them. You will have such decision fatigue at some point. If you spend the time and legwork hiring vendors you trust, you won’t need to micro-manage and it will make your life much easier. Our vendors were amazing, and I trusted them completely to make stylistic decisions. It also freed up much more of my brainpower to focus on other areas of the wedding."