Rich and Tara grew up in Madison and Clinton, right near each other, but didn’t meet until they were at UConn. They had mutual friends, so they often hung out together as a group. One night, Rich invited Tara over to watch Disney movies, which Tara loves, and they’ve been dating ever since!
Rich and Tara got engaged in Naples, FL on Vanderbilt Beach. In October 2021, after a day full of activities, the couple went down to the beach to watch the sunset. Rich insisted that they take a picture together with the sunset in the background, so they set their phones up with self-timers, but really Rich was setting his up to video the proposal. They stood together with their arms wrapped around each other watching the sunset, and then Rich got down on one knee. Tara says the rest was a blur, but she’s sure she said “Yes!” Tara was beyond surprised and overjoyed; it was truly a dream proposal!
Having both grown up in beach towns, Tara and Rich knew they wanted to have their wedding on the water. Summer is their favorite season in New England, and they love being outdoors, so those were two details they wanted to include. Saybrook Point Resort & Marina really stood out to them because they loved the outdoor ceremony location and the ballroom was beautiful, with a whole wall of windows looking out onto the water. It had everything they were looking for, making it perfect for their wedding venue!
The color palette was pastel blues and pinks mixed with whites, greens, navy, and wood tones. Tara really wanted to incorporate her favorite flowers: peonies, hydrangeas, and lilies into the bouquets and floral arrangements as well as eucalyptus. The stationary also featured pale pink hydrangeas, which matched the bridesmaids dresses. For the table center pieces, they chose wood lanterns with candles in the center and florals wrapped around the lantern which gave a summertime coastal vibe to the decor. Tara and Rich chose twelve of their most favorite memories and pictures from their 7 years together and used those as table numbers. They correlated the memories with the people at the tables to give their guests something to reminisce about and to show them how special they were to the newlyweds.
Instead of a traditional guest book, Tara and Rich chose to make corn hole boards and have everyone sign them. One of their shared hobbies is making corn hole boards for their family and friends, so they thought this would be a special way to remember their guests and would be something they used for years to come!
Tara and Rich, your day was so fun and memorable! We hope you enjoy your photos and have an amazing honeymoon in January 2024!
