Wow, wow, wow. Where has the time gone? Our summer season has officially come to a close and we are finally getting back to our blog! Did you miss us? Lucky for you, we have some great content and exciting new projects in store for you. In fact, we thought we’d start off with a bang (quite literally) at Layla and Ben’s magical wedding weekend at the Aquidneck Club in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Layla and Ben’s love story began at Harvard University where they found themselves bonding over their “poor singing abilities” while at an a capella party. Needless to say, they hit it off and quickly became inseparable. The two dated throughout their time at Harvard, with frequent breakfast dates in the dining hall before class. Before long, Ben found himself planning an elaborate surprise proposal for the love of his life in the city the two loved most— Boston.

As their Boston wedding planners, when we first met Layla and Ben their vision was clear. They wanted to design a wedding that effortlessly blended their cultures and identities, with Persian, Arab, Hawaiian, and American elements incorporated throughout the weekend.

New Englanders born and raised, Layla and Ben wanted to showcase the beauty of summer in New England, from focusing on seasonal and regional flowers, to utilizing local vendors as much as they could (keeping in mind that June is the peak of wedding season in Newport!). One of our favorite odes to New England was the couple’s welcome dinner, where they chose to have a traditional Rhode Island style clambake at Gurney’s Resort and Spa, complete with steamed lobsters and mussels to welcome everyone to the island! The night was a classic New England experience, accentuated with tasteful cultural touches such as their welcome bags with custom designed Farsi calligraphy and luscious Hawaiian leis that the two wore throughout the night.

The cultural components of their wedding helped shape many of decisions throughout the planning process. Persian ceremonies are typically held in the beautiful gardens of the bride’s home, often hosting hundreds of people. As a result, knowing that they wanted a Persian ceremony, the two only looked at venues in New England that could accommodate an outdoor ceremony. Eventually, the two decided on the Aquidneck Club, a beautiful private golf and country club located just miles from the heart of Newport, RI.

Wedding day was an absolute dream. Layla and Ben woke up to the most beautiful June weather- full sun without a cloud in sight. The two got ready with their respective bridal parties and exchanged heartfelt letters to one another. Ben wore a classy midnight navy Armani tuxedo with a Cartier watch and a pocket square that was hand-stitched by his lovely bride-to-be. Layla wore a romantic Enzoani gown and Pronovias veil with delicate floral detailing that effortlessly cascaded down to the floor. In true Persian wedding tradition, she wore a selection of Jewelry that gifted to her by close family and friends. Her siblings gifted her a bracelet from Adamas Fine Jewelry in Boston, while her parents gave her a Tiffany & Co set that previously belonged to her mother.

Ben designed Layla’s engagement ring with Adamas Fine Jewelry, a three-stone ring set in platinum with an emerald cut center diamond and two trapezoid cut diamonds flanking. Layla’s wedding band is from Shreve Crump and Low - an asscher cut eternity ring - and Ben’s wedding band was made in Iran at Platin Jewelry, the same jewelry company that made Layla’s grandparents’ wedding rings. Made with Iranian gold, the ring’s inner surface is inscribed with the couple’s names in Farsi.

The first look was one of Layla and Ben’s favorite parts of the day. While they were originally hesitant on the idea, they said that it ended up being the perfect moment for the two of them to be alone together before all of the beautiful chaos that comes with wedding day. Not to mention- these photos are absolutely stunning. We swear you can feel the joy exuding from them!

After the first look, the two set sail on the Narragansett Bay. When your wedding is held at a stunning oceanfront venue and your groom has a deep love for boats, seizing the opportunity for a glamorous shot on the water is an obvious must! ⁠Lucky for Layla and Ben, the Newport Classic Yacht Company had them covered. As a surprise, our Brilliant Event Planning team adorned the boat with luscious florals by Fig and Squill and a bottle of champagne for the two to celebrate!

What you don’t see in these photos, is the bottom stud of Ben’s tuxedo flying off his body and into the ocean. Luckily, Layla used her quick-thinking to grab her bouquet and hide the unraveling portion of the tux (all while trying to stay balanced on the back of a boat)! Never a dull moment, but the pictures came out pretty great anyways, and it makes for a hilarious story! They also deserve some major props for not falling into the ocean themselves!

One of the most meaningful parts of the planning process was planning the ceremony with Layla’s mom. Knowing that they wanted to do a Persian wedding ceremony, Ben and Layla asked for her help since neither of them had been to a Persian wedding - or at least not for a long time. Layla’s mother took this request to heart and wanted to make sure that they had a ceremony that was truly and uniquely theirs.

The Sofreh was a labor of love. Layla’s parents gathered every single piece themselves and meticulously mapped out where everything would go. No really - they drafted architectural floor plans and everything! Central to Persian ceremonies are a focus on community, nature, and symbolism to ensure a happy life for the couple. Everything under the Sofreh is placed with intention and meaning, including items such as books to symbolize wisdom, roses and flowers to perfume and beautify their life together, candles to illuminate their life, sweets and pastries to share with their guests, and a mirror to reflect their future together.

Complimented by a beautiful summer color palette and gorgeous floral arrangements from Fig and Squill, the Sofreh was the perfect centerpiece for the couple’s Persian ceremony.

Another detail that truly melted our hearts was the couple’s ceremony music. As a composer, Ben took it upon himself to ensure that the music was perfect for his bride-to-be. The two had a special love for Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. In fact - before the two were even engaged, Layla had long since decided that it would be her processional song! However, in order to make it all the more special, Ben curated an original arrangement of the song for Layla to walk down the aisle to. With the help of Vintage String, Ben’s arrangement came to life as Layla made her entrance down the aisle, making the moment even more beautiful and sentimental than we could have ever imagined.

For their stationery, we worked with Champagne and Ink to create the invitation suite of Layla and Ben’s dreams. Every detail was uniquely crafted to reflect their love story. From pistachio envelopes, hand-designed paisley inserts, and personalized vellum wrapping with the couple’s Farsi calligraphy emblazoned on it, the local Newport stationers truly outdid themselves.

When it came time to design their day-of stationery Layla and Ben knew that they wanted guests to be able to look at the programs and follow along with the details of the ceremony without it feeling overly pedantic. Champagne and Ink worked with them to design custom visuals of each Sofreh item and what each of them symbolized. This was the perfect way to make sure that their guests felt welcomed and included throughout their ceremony.

Continuing the outdoor celebration, guests enjoyed UK-inspired cocktails while taking in the beautiful ocean-front view at the Aquidneck Club. Guests were also welcomed to partake in a friendly game of Bocce as an ode to Ben’s late grandfather whom was known for his deep love for their family’s annual summer bocce tournaments.

Planning a tented wedding means that we get to build everything from the ground up, giving the clients complete creative freedom! Typically, this means that we spend about two to three days building out the reception space. However, this particular tent install required a significant amount of planning in advance due to the fact that we had less than one day for the entire installation. Despite all odds and with the help of an outstanding vendor team, we made Layla and Ben’s vision turn into a reality.

Their goal for the tented reception was to lean into the feeling of being in nature together. The warm summer color palette continued throughout the tent, with cool pops of blue that contrasted with the evening’s gorgeous pink and orange sunset. A clear top tent with an plethora of twinkle lights casted a romantic starry night illusion throughout the space. It was truly like something out of a fairytale.

When it came to cake, Layla and Ben knew that they wanted to do something that stood out, make it a moment. So after giving a few words of thanks, the two invited their guests outside of the tent for a cake cutting. As their knife slid into the cake, our team cued the fireworks, and the band burst out into song. It was such an incredible moment and set the the tone for the rest of the evening!

Congratulations Layla and Ben! It was truly a weekend to remember - thank you so much for letting us be a part of it!

A huge thank you to all of the incredible vendors that made this weekend possible! Same-day tent installs are never easy, but this dream team made it look like a piece of cake!

Layla & Ben | Coastal Fairytale in Newport