A Classic Romantic Wedding At Rosecliff In Newport, Rhode Island

You could say there were fireworks when Clara Hayat first met Jason Allen—it was at a 4th of July party at Clara’s parents’ house. The couple first locked eyes through a glass door, and they had such a strong connection that they spent the rest of the day talking. By the end of the night, they each knew that they had just met someone special. 

“We exchanged numbers and ended up hanging out almost every night that week!” Clara says.

The proposal came as a total shock to Clara. After traveling to Turks and Caicos for a girls’ trip, she was waiting at the airport for a shuttle pickup when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Clara turned around to find Jay down on bended knee “I was so filled with emotions that I didn’t say yes or hear anything. I was too busy kissing him and crying from happiness!” Clara says. 

When discussing where to host the wedding, Newport was suggested. Jay, who hails from Vermont, had visited Newport with his family as a child and remembered it fondly. Clara had never been, so the two decided to take a trip to check out the town’s wedding venues.

“Despite the torrential downpour we experienced that weekend, I fell in love with Newport,” Clara says.

As soon as they walked into Rosecliff, a mansion modeled after the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles, they looked at each other and said, “This is it!”

With guests traveling from all over the United States and Europe for the wedding, the couple wanted to make it a weekend affair and really show off New England. They kicked off the festivities with a traditional New England clambake on the waterfront pavilion of the Hyatt Regency Newport on Goat Island. 

Clara had lots of fun planning the clambake, ordering personalized bibs, napkins and lobster cookie escort cards.

“It was the most beautiful setting, and the food was delicious,” she says. 

The big day was perfect, with the sun casting beautiful pink lighting upon their ceremony on Rosecliff’s lawn overlooking the ocean. They moved to the terrace for cocktail hour and then into Rosecliff’s regal ballroom for the majestic reception.

Inspired by the grandeur of the mansion, they decided the décor should be very elegant. Using a gold and petal pink color palette, tables were strewn with lace tablecloths, gold flatware and pink roses and hydrangea. 

As awe-inspiring as the reception décor was, Clara’s favorite moment was their first dance. They’d been taking dance lessons for months and she’d been nervous about how it would turn out. “We had so much fun during the dance, and it was great to see all that hard work pay off,” Clara says.

Since one of the bridesmaids was getting married in Greece two weeks after their wedding, Clara and Jay honeymooned in the Greek isles. They enjoyed the amazing beaches, sights and food and thought it was especially nice to end the honeymoon surrounded by friends and family at Clara’s bridesmaid’s wedding.