Kate and Patrick met and fell in love at Boston College and a few years later, Patrick proposed on a romantic trip to Paris. Together, the college sweethearts planned a polished and preppy wedding at The Watch Hill Chapel and Weekapaug Golf Club in Rhode Island – right across the street from where Kate grew up! As a professional wedding planner and designer for Kate Murtaugh Events, Kate made sure every last detail was thoughtfully planned out – it was important for the couple to have their day showcase their shared love for the beauty of Rhode Island summers and New England charm. A palette of white and navy stripes accented with pops of coral and pink set the preppy nautical tone and the couple included 400 milk glass vases from the family’s personal collection filled with lush pastel arrangements by Blue Butterfly Florist to dot the reception tables making the venue look especially magical. / Images by Adeline & Grace Photography.
Says Kate, “I am not too ashamed to admit that I am the bride that dreamed about her wedding day from the time I was a little girl. I always dreamed of getting married in my hometown, the seaside community of Westerly, RI. I dreamt of my wedding overlooking the water, picking my bridesmaids and color schemes, walking down the aisle at the Watch Hill Chapel and having the best darn dance party ever. What I didn’t realize as a little girl was not only would my dream of a Rhode Island wedding come true but it would also prove to be better than my imagination because I walked down the aisle to my college sweetheart and the best guy around.
One of the highlights of planning was working with our friend Kearsley Lloyd Sweeney of Kearsley Lloyd Designs. We worked with Kearsley to create a custom watercolor anchor monogram that was used on everything from our invitation suite to the cocktail napkins, a custom corn-hole board to entertain guests at cocktail hour, and even as embroidery on Patrick’s custom wedding day shirt. Kearsley also created our save-the-dates, invitation suite and signage – all inspired by the iconic Rhode Island wave license plate. Thanks to her creative genius, our theme was brought to life in the most beautiful and memorable way.
Like my dream as a little girl, our wedding day started at The Watch Hill Chapel. The simplicity and raw beauty of the church made for an unbelievable setting for our ceremony. Musicians and vocalists from The Granite Theatre, a local professional theatre where my mother is the resident choreographer, provided beautiful musical arrangements throughout our mass. One of the most special moments of the day took place as I walked down the aisle with my dad. As a special surprise to my groom and as an ode to both of our families’ Irish heritage, a bagpiper escorted us to the altar. With the bagpipes in the background, the look on Patrick’s face when he first saw me walk down the aisle was a look of pure love and excitement. Kate & Patrick’s Love Story | Patrick and I met our sophomore year at Boston College in accounting class. Through mutual friends, we continued to spend a lot of time together, and after a season of football games, study sessions and mod parties, we started dating. We have been best friends ever since, through college graduation, long distance, cross-country moves (twice), jobs, traveling the world and the adoption of the cutest French Bulldog, Ruby. Boston College led this Rhode Island girl to a boy from Chicago, and for that, I am forever thankful. After five years of dating, Patrick planned the most perfect proposal during a trip to Paris with my sisters. On a beautiful May evening on the Pont de la Tournelle – overlooking Notre Dame Cathedral – Patrick got down on one knee and proposed. Apart from our wedding day, it was the most beautiful day I’ve ever experienced.
Our theme also crossed over into the bridal party attire with our groomsmen wearing Nantucket red pants and Sperry Topsiders and my bridesmaids and I wearing Jack Rogers sandals – a signature staple seen all over the village of Watch Hill on summer nights. Weekapaug Golf Club provided the perfect backdrop for the vision we had in mind for our reception. Dinner and dancing took place in a Sperry Tent right off the second green overlooking Weekapaug Sound and about 100 feet from my childhood home – I grew up across the street. It was the ideal setting to capture the nautical beauty of our natural surroundings. Our vision for the wedding was preppy nautical with a touch of vintage glam. The color scheme consisted of white and navy stripes with coral and pink accents. I love how we incorporated small touches to make our day unique for us as a couple and memorable for our guests. From the colors on the napkins, to the signage, to the music being played, every little detail had a very special place in our hearts. Even our vendors were specially chosen, as I wanted our wedding to be as locally sourced as possible. All of the vendors had roots in Southeastern Rhode Island – from the Three Islands tunics worn by my bridesmaids pre-ceremony to serving Rhode Island’s famous Del’s frozen lemonade at cocktail hour.
I found my dress while looking for bridesmaids dresses at a local bridal shop. My mom pointed to the dress knowing I would love it and sure enough I fell in love. I asked to try it on and never tried on another dress. This was the one. It was probably the easiest decision I had to make throughout my entire wedding planning process.
My favorite part of the decor was my family’s vintage milk glass collection that we used with our floral centerpieces created by Blue Butterfly Florist. Over the years, my family has collected over 400 pieces while scouring flea markets and home sales across the country. It meant so much to me to be able to put our beautiful and incredibly unique collection to such important and memorable use. The bold white details of the glass worked perfectly with the navy striped detail of the table linens. We had so much fun placing all of our pieces and making groupings for all of the tables while ensuring no one table was the same.
Not that I’m biased or anything, but our wedding day was one heck of a day and party. We look back at each element of the day with true joy, whether it’s our first dance, our Rhode Island clambake dinner, the surprise-choreographed moonwalk from my dad (the father of the bride), or the roaring dance party with a professional cigar roller under the stars. It was a night to remember with every detail building on the next to create a true New England celebration!”
Kate’s advice? Breathe and smile. This is the happiest day of your life.
Kate and Patrick honeymooned to Southeast Asia.
Credits: Photographer: Adeline & Grace Photography | Ceremony: The Watch Hill Chapel | Reception Venue: Weekapaug Golf Club | Wedding Planner: Kate Murtaugh Events & Design | Florist: Blue Butterfly Florist | Bridal Gown: Allure Bridal | Groom’s Attire: Tom James Company | Bride’s Shoes: Jack Rogers | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Alfred Sung & Jack Rogers | Invitations and Paper Goods: Kearsley Lloyd Designs | Transportation: Rockstar Limo | Hairstylist: Tara’s Beauty Studio | Tent: Sperry Tents | Rentals (including linens): Rhode Island Rentals | DJ/Lighting: Power Posse Productions | Day of Coordination: Daly Planning | Photobooth: Candid Photobooth | Cigar Rolling: Boston Cigar Factory | Bridesmaid jewelry: J. Crew & Kate Spade | Bridesmaid tunics: Three Islands | Groomsmen shoes: Sperry | Groomsmens’ ties: Vineyard Vines | Groom shoes: Ferragamo | Groom’s bowtie: Vineyard Vines | Bridal Tunic: Positano | Wedding Video: https://vimeo.com/153301636
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