Planning a Micro Wedding in Providence

When my (now) husband Bryan and I decided to get married, we knew we wanted to do something a little different – no engagement, minimal fuss, and a very short guest list. A friend of ours gave us the best advice: plan your favorite date night and invite your friends and family. So that’s what we did. On display in our micro wedding was the city where we fell in love, Providence – and fun cocktails were a must, too.  

SETTING

The first step was deciding on the location. Having both lived in Providence for almost 10 years, we wanted our favorite scenes to backdrop the day: the skyline, our home on the East Side and its surrounding sights, and our favorite restaurants, bars, and hotels. We originally thought a City Hall ceremony would be the perfect fit, but wanting it to be a special moment for our immediate family and friends to share with us, we realized we needed room and a view. Once we obtained the permits from the Providence Parks Department three months before the date, it was official: Prospect Park would be the ultimate backdrop.

DINNER, DRINKS & DESSERT

Bryan and I had date nights all over the city, but there was always something special about Courtland Club, with its exposed brick, innovative cocktails, fun staff, and intimate size – the perfect fit for our wedding. We reached out to founder and director Jay Shechtman, secured our ideal fall date, and it was go time. (Pro tip: while we were luckily able to book the venue three months ahead, at least one year in advance is recommended.) Working with their team made it fun and easy to nail down the details of a vegetarian-friendly menu and the perfect his and hers cocktails, bringing our vision to fruition. 

We received the ultimate wedding gift from my childhood best friend’s mom – a custom dessert spread. An at-home gourmet baker, she whipped up three flavors of cupcakes, cheesecake bites, and the icing on the (figurative) cake: cookies decorated to look like our beloved cats. For a similarly customizable experience, I would recommend looking into Gingersnaps Bakery in Lincoln, Wright’s Dairy Farm in North Smithfield, or Sin Bakery in Providence.

FINER POINTS

For our invitations, we wanted to tell family and friends about the big day in a voice and design that sounded like us. We were lucky enough to work with Lois Harada from DWRI Letterpress, who walked us through color palettes and style, as well as wording. The result was a simple yet bold font that read, “EEEEK! We are getting married!” (one of our common sayings throughout the wedding planning process!) on lovely blush-colored invites. Just because we were going small, that doesn’t mean details weren’t important – we opted for custom coasters from DWRI, too.

The nice thing about a micro wedding is that you can get creative friends involved to help with DIY centerpieces, but for my bouquet, I wanted to bring in an expert. I described the simple yet romantic vibe I was going for, and Angela Rotondo, owner of Bloom Back Flowers in Wayland Square, recommended a cascading bouquet. She used pink and crimson tones to capture the feel of the day, and even made adorable complementary corsages and boutonnieres for the parents.

ENTERTAINMENT & AFTER PARTY

Looking for a DJ to set the tone of the night, we went with Gibran B, who works for LOWKEY PVD and came with rave reviews from a friend. Guests are still talking about how amazing he was at following the pace of the night and really contributing to the ultimate dance party feel (he even made an impromptu speech that had everyone in tears). 

To finish up the night, we headed to The Malted Barley on Westminster for an afterparty filled with pretzels, beers, and games, and then ended the best day and night of our lives with a stay at The Dean Hotel. 

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

After months of planning, stress, and unknown factors (hello COVID part two), we couldn’t have asked for a better time celebrating our love in our favorite spots, using local vendors, and seeing ourselves reflected in every choice. Even planning a small wedding can be overwhelming, but with teamwork, an amazing support system, and a few Excel spreadsheets, your wedding dreams can become a reality.