The Newport Report! (as requested by Steve) About This Page:

[Bert & Sully]

Aaaaaaw [img]graemlins/cry2.gif[/img] now you're making me homesick! LOVE Vera Wang's stuff! Thanks for taking the time to share your weekend with us! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[whoSEZ]

Wow! Sounds like an incredible weekend -- thanks for the links; so much fun to peek at the mansions! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Glad to hear it all went so well.

Post a pic of you and Shawn in your wedding finery, okay?

[Belle*]

May 24 – The alarm goes off at 4:00 a.m. but I’ve been up since 1:00!! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Shawn wakes up and we shower and pack up the car and hit the road by 4:45. No traffic - just the trucks and us! We pull in to my parent’s driveway in Guilford at 5:45; my sister (the bride) answers the door still in PJ’s. We pack up the cars with everything and are on the road again by 6:45. We have in our car our luggage, my sister’s honeymoon luggage, the wedding gown, my mother’s gown, my gown, etc. It’s a little cramped! Luckily, there is no traffic on 95 North and we cross the RI state line in no time.

Now, I had not been to Newport in a long time and had forgotten about the bridge. We went over one little bridge and I’m thinking, “Oh that wasn’t bad at all!” Imagine my surprise a few miles later when I saw the real thing! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Not to mention the $2 toll! But the view was just gorgeous and the weather was perfect.

Following the directions, we took the Historic Newport exit off the bridge and drove down to Thames Street. We were staying at Vanderbilt Hall Hotel on Mary Street. We found it easily and it is in a great location right off Thames, a ½ block walk to the Brickwalk Market and another couple blocks to the Wharf area. Luckily, our rooms are ready even though it’s only just hitting 9:00. There are 52 guest rooms in this converted mansion and they are all decorated differently. We had Room 29, the music room. Kind of small but no smaller than a room at the All-Stars. A beautiful King Size Bed with a Goose Down Duvet and Pillows and an instrument-print comforter. There is a HUGE armoire for our clothes, a writing desk and a small occasional table with an antique radio on it that works. The attached bathroom had an adorable pedestal sink. The window had a great view of the wharf and marina.

We go downstairs, find my family and unpack the cars. My parents are in Room 21, the Nautical Room. Their room has what must be 16-foot ceilings, a King-size Tester Bed and a chandelier! The room has a second door that opens to a sitting room/foyer area.
Lauren is in room 19 and I don’t remember the décor because all I could see was the GIGANTIC 4 poster bed! Lauren and my Mom head out to Town Hall so Lauren and Greg (the Fiancé) can get the license and Dad, Shawn and I head out to look for breakfast.

We split up for the afternoon after getting the details for that night’s rehearsal. Shawn and I poke around the hotel a little, unpack and walk down to Thames Street. We grab lunch outdoors at the Seafare’s American Café. As we’re finishing our Fish & Chips (Shawn) and Whole Belly Clam Roll (Me) [img]graemlins/yuma.gif[/img] , my family comes wandering up and snags our table. Shawn and I go back to the room to catch up on sleep.

We sleep for an hour or so and begin getting dressed for the evening. We follow my family over to Ochre Court, another former Mansion that has been donated to Salve Regina University and is now the Chapel and Administrative Building. It is very ornate with a huge, beautiful stained glass window and a sweeping staircase that the wedding party will be descending. The rehearsal is, of course, organized chaos. I get to see the reading I am doing for the first time (Corinthians, sic.)

After the rehearsal, we head to Fort Adams State Park via Ocean Drive. What an incredible sight!! The waves crash right over the road. It is amazingly wild and beautiful. Eisenhower House is another former private home. A tent was set up on the lawn looking over the ocean. This party could have been the reception - flowers, a band, a dance floor, catering, favors, etc. And 120 people in attendance! The men all wore sport coats and dress slacks, the women linen dresses or silk sheaths for the most part. (Me included.)

After many speeches, presentations and introductions we headed back to the Hotel. The lights we dimmed, the bed turned back, the radio playing classical music softly and freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookies by the bed! Needless to say, we were asleep in seconds.

Saturday, May 25 – Wedding Day!!!!
We woke up around 9 and ordered room service as instructed by my parents. (Ooo, twist my arm!) Our next stop was the Newport Marriott to meet up with some family who had not attended the dinner then night before. We all went to the wharf where they went to lunch and Shawn and I hit Ben & Jerry’s. [img]graemlins/yuma.gif[/img]

Then back to the hotel for Shawn and I as the make-up artist and hairdresser were arriving soon. Shawn found my Dad and they went to go play pool in the Billiards room. I took a shower and endured a few hours of hair and make-up along with my Mom, sister and the bridesmaids. (For all you ladies who like the details – Lauren’s gown was a strapless white Vera Wang with a tiara and veil, my Mother wore a Wine colored Ball Gown with wrap, the bridesmaids wore Silver 2 piece Vera Wang dresses and I wore a beaded chiffon gown in a hyacinth blue. The men wore Tuxes, as this was a Black Tie wedding guests included. Shawn looked particularly dapper. [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img] ) Once we were all dressed and gorgeous, the limos arrived and off to Ochre Court we went!

The ceremony was beautiful, the weather gorgeous and my sister radiant. And I didn’t fumble my reading! Next stop, Rosecliff.

Rosecliff is one of the famous Newport Mansions that are now open for tours during the summer and fall. The receiving line was held on the Sweetheart Staircase and the reception in the Grand Ballroom. The cocktails were held on the terrace and the lawn. It was something out of The Great Gatsby and in fact, that movie was partially filmed there! For photos, check out www.newportmansions.org and click on Rosecliff.

We danced the night away, the bride threw the bouquet (aimed more like it at her new Sister-In-Law [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] ) and the newlyweds hopped in the waiting limo at midnight to spend the night at the Four Seasons Boston and fly to Italy the next day.

We returned to the Hotel, collapsed and woke the next morning bright and early to drive back to CT.

It was a Fairy Tale weekend. I just wish we could have spent more time enjoying Newport. Shawn and I are already trying to plan when we can go back!!

[PS - I LUV WDW]

Thanks for the report! Glad to hear that everything went well. Sounds like everything (setting, guests, bride and groom) were beautiful!

I really must get to Newport sometime, especially since we live only about 1 to 1 1/2 hours away and I've never been there [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[AKLRULZ]

Excellent - wow, what a storybook weekend, indeed! Thanks for the great report! It's been YEARS since we've been up to Newport!

[Beth L.]

Oh Sara, it sounds just like a fairytale wedding. I bet everyone looked just beautiful! I'm so glad you had such a good time. Newport is one of my favorite places in the world and it holds some very special memories for me. [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img] So tell me, did you get to shop? The shops are so great there and you can get just about anything! Next time you and Sean go, try having dinner at Christy's [img]graemlins/yuma.gif[/img] and see if you can't eat on the deck.

[DisneyFan]

Belle,
This is the difference between a East Coast person and a West Coast person. If you say Newport to be, you're going to Newport Beach California, near where I grew up. I've never been to Newport RI. In fact I only made my first trip to NY this past August for 2days. It was great, I loved it. I got to see(drive by) all the sites. Really glad now that I was able to be there.
Sounds like a wonderful time - and I'd love to go there. What wonderful sites.
DisneyFan

[Tara O'Hara]

Belle,

What a wonderful report! We went to Newport when my 17 year old was 1 [img]graemlins/cry2.gif[/img] ! I still remember the bridge and how storybook lovely the town is. We have a framed photo of my son in a diaper on our picture wall from there! It sounds like you had a terrific time and that the wedding was beautiful!

Tara
[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[ 06-07-2002, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: Tara McCusker ]