Melissa Silver, 32, and Branden Watson, 31, grew up two hours from each other, he in East Freetown, Mass., she in Sunapee, New Hampshire. But it was in Denver that they met and fell in love  — the first year each had moved out there! How did Block Island enter the picture?

Ever since high school Melissa and her mother have been making a birthday trip to Block Island. “You can’t help falling in love with the island as soon as you step foot off the ferry,” says Melissa. You feel this immediate sense of calm and relaxation.” 

Branden fell in love with the island on his first trip out, too. “From the moment that we started planning until the actual day of our wedding, our vendors as well as the Block Island locals were so warm and inviting,” says Melissa.

They say they couldn’t have been happier with their ceremony and reception, both at Ballard’s Inn. To top the night off, “the crew at Ballard’s built a bonfire for us  and it was a truly perfect ending to our evening,” says Melissa.

Their advice to other couples planning a wedding on the island:

Create a wedding website as a centralized location for all info related to travel and hotel accommodations. 

Everybody is still talking about...

… the swim after the reception ended. Some of the guests jumped into the ocean fully clothed and proceeded to dry off in front of the bonfire.