Meredith: 27, from Des Moines, IA

Ryan: 27, from West Hartford, CT

Now reside in: New York City, NY

The Details

Ceremony: St. Andrew Church
Reception & Catering: The Sullivan House and Block island Gourmet
Rehearsal Dinner: Spring House Hotel
Photographer: Melissa Stimpson Photography
Videographer: Chris Walsh Productions
Music: Sugarbabies, Inc.
Flowers: Robin Hollow Farm
Cake:  Block Island Cakes
Wedding Planner: Blissful Events
Decor: Ryan Designs
Transportation: Rice Bus Charters

Before the Ring and Proposal 
Meredith and Ryan met at Providence College in 2009. The two were introduced by their mutual friend Conor Duggan, who was a classmate at Providence College.

Block Island Because......
Block Island quickly became Meredith and Ryan’s favorite place to visit when they started dating. Over the years it became very special to them, and then even more special when they were engaged on the island in September of 2017. 

Wedding Day 
Meredith and her bridesmaids enjoyed brunch at the 1661 Inn and got ready at the Mitchell Cottage while Ryan and his groomsmen relaxed and got ready at The Sullivan House. The pouring rain broke just before the ceremony at St. Andrew Church and held off until after their cocktail hour on The Sullivan House lawn where a double rainbow provided a great back-drop for photos. Guests enjoyed a raw bar and sushi on the lawn for cocktail hour before heading into the tent for dinner and dancing. They ended the night with a fireworks show and then headed to the after party at Yellow Kittens  

Wedding Weekend
A wedding website listed information on how to get to the island, where they had room-blocks, what to do, where to eat, what to see, etc. Save the dates were sent out early — almost 9 months in advance! 150 guests traveled from near and far  to the island for the weekend and enjoyed celebrations Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Thursday, those who were on the island met at The Oar to enjoy the sunshine and mudslides. Friday, the couple had their rehearsal dinner at the Spring House Hotel before a welcome reception on the back deck at The National Hotel.

Top 3 pieces of advice:
1. Be organized and prepared, but don’t be scared of the logistics of planning an island wedding
2. Be prepared for a full weekend of fun, it’s what makes a destination wedding so special.
3. Give your guests tips on where to go and what to do while they are on the island – we used our wedding website for this and people loved being able to visit our favorite spots on the island.