On a hot and humid early September day 2014, these two High School sweethearts tied the knot at the fun and casual Kempenaar’s Clambake Club. Kelsey & Johnny are one of those couples that just seem like they were meant for each other and you cannot imagine it any other way. The road to their wedding day was one that everyone had been waiting for and it was nothing short of amazing.

Kelsey and Johnny were guests at Chuck & Ashley’s wedding the year before, and we were so happy when they called upon us to help them with their own wedding. Their genuine excitement about their big day was infectious and we often found ourselves going above and beyond to make sure every single detail was perfect for them.

Kelsey and Johnny’s main request was that we keep the Clambake true to itself and it’s history, but that we provide their guests with something they had never seen there before. Johnny has been working with his family at the Clambake for as long as we can remember; most of their guest list had been to an event there at one time or another, so it was really important to them that their wedding not seem like ‘just another bake’. Kelsey had a vision of a rustic elegance with bright pops of coral and teal, other than those key points they put their faith in us to execute the day of their dreams.

We started with their wedding suite, a custom designed invite, RSVP, and Reception Invitation Card. We used a tonal variation of her coral bridesmaids dresses as the main color and accented with teal and grey. We printed everything on a linen cardstock that gave the suite a bit of texture.

Since Kelsey and Johnny were full service clients, we had a blast coming up with all sorts of ideas and creations for their decor. We were able to incorporate many handmade items for them including the ceremony and sweetheart backdrops, escort card and welcome table displays, custom screen printed napkins, custom oversized letters and a really fun chevron photobooth backdrop.

We wanted the main dining tent to be the most visually striking; we wanted to maintain the fun family style dining set up of the Clambake that everyone knows and loves, but surprise guests with the decor. We came up with an array of hanging vases that ran the length of the tables as well as bright coral table runners laid over white linens. Kelsey wanted the reception to glow, so we filled the tables with candles and wrapped trees in twinkle lights. We accented the table with small floral displays scattered throughout, and provided each guest with a custom napkin, and a food tray with their name and dinner selection.

Kelsey, Johnny, their family and friends were all such a pleasure to work with. We couldn’t be more grateful for such wonderful clients.

KEMPENAAR'S CLAMBAKE | NEWPORT, RI WEDDING