A Romantic, Blush-Inspired Real Wedding at The Chanler at Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island

Kelsey Caffny and Caleb Avery met in the Fall of 2010, during their freshman year at Furman University. One weekend, Kelsey’s best friend (and future maid-of-honor) invited her out to a casual group dinner. Unfortunately, she failed to mention that she had invited Kelsey on a double date where she happened to be the fifth wheel – made even more awkward by the fact that it was a four top booth, and Kelsey had to sit in a chair at the head of the table. 

“It was at that four top booth at a Cracker Barrel in Greenville, South Carolina that I first met Caleb and got to witness my future husband on his first date with another girl,” she says. “Soon after my embarrassing fifth wheel experience, Caleb got my number and began pursuing me. Although I made it clear that I didn’t want a boyfriend, his Southern charm must have worn me down; because before I knew it, we were dating and have been inseparable ever since.”

The proposal took place during the summer of 2013, between junior and senior year of college. Spending some time at Kelsey’s family’s summer home in Cape Cod, the couple went for a walk one morning on a private beach. There, Caleb handed Kelsey a stack of cards and instructed her to read them out loud. 

 “As I began reading them, I realized they were the same cards I had given him two and a half years ago as a Christmas present when we first started dating,” Kelsey describes. “On these cards were wishes that he could cash in at any point like, ‘One home cooked meal,’ or ‘One free back massage.’”

The final card was one that Caleb had never cashed in – “I’ll say yes to anything you want, no questions asked.” As Kelsey read it out loud, Caleb got down on one knee and said, “I finally know what I want. Will you marry me?”

Thanks to wedding planner Amy Kimball, Kelsey found the wedding planning process to be relatively stress-free. She had always envisioned having a wedding by the water; so when Amy first brought the couple to the Chanler in Newport, Rhode Island, they immediately fell in love with the venue. It was exactly what Kelsey wanted – the perfect mix of elegance and intimacy.

The wedding day was a blur of nervous excitement. From her bedroom window, the bride could see her groom standing under a canopy of roses, and still vividly remembers the anticipation and happiness she felt as she thought of their life together.

For the wedding décor, the event space was awash with a feminine color palette of soft pinks and creams. The reception was held in a tent overlooking the ocean, and soft candlelight was paired with an abundance of flowers, creating an intimate yet sophisticated ambiance.

“One of my favorite moments was when all the guests lined up with sparklers to create a tunnel to our first dance,” says the bride. “As we walked through the fireworks from a nearby beach and lit up the sky, it made an already special moment feel that much more magical. It truly was my dream wedding.”