Ryng/Oaklund Wedding at Conanicut Yacht Club

  Eight years ago, Katie met Carl at the East Ferry Deli in Jamestown, where she poured him his daily cup of Joe before he set off on a lobster boat. Neither knew that the other was a student at the University of Rhode Island, that is, until Carl mustered the courage to ask his server out on a date, and all was revealed.
            The couple dated for more than seven years, and in that time would take frequent drives through Newport's Brenton Point. So it was on one of those drives into the wilds that Carl's big question came out of the blue. Katie said yes, and after making the customary celebratory phone calls, the newly engaged couple hit Newport for a wedding celebration with friends.
            With 150 guests in attendance, Carl and Katie became husband and wife at St. Mark church in Jamestown. Newport County was the natural choice for this day, since Katie had grown up in Jamestown, where her father, Stanley Ryng still lives and where Carl had fished the area's waters for many years. The choice of the Conanicut Yacht Club represented what Katie describes as "classic and fun without being stuffy. The CYC was beautiful," she recalls. "Wood floors and Nantucket gray walls. We really wanted the reception to be a party, a relaxed atmosphere."
            Dressing for the occasion can cause a bride to wither. But for Katie, her ivory-colored bridal gown in tissue taffeta designed by Mikaella was flattering and needed barely a stitch of alteration. With one of Mikaella's dress creations, a percentage of the cost goes toward breast cancer research. "My grandmother had breast cancer. Having to choose between two dresses, I loved, was made so easy by this fact."
            In keeping with the relaxed party atmosphere, soft colors of taupe and pink blended with the freshly cut dahlias from the garden of one bridesmaid's grandmother. "Gram said I could have the flowers that I wanted," says Katie. "I just needed to go over and cut 'em!" The evening was a cocktail reception. Hors d'oeuvres and fruit and cheeses commenced, followed by pasta and grill stations. "We served skewers and grilled pizzas. The weather was so beautiful that guests enjoyed the grill station out on the deck." The informality was a hit. "No bouquet toss, no garter toss, no dollar dance. We tried cutting out the things about a wedding that people just don't enjoy, like being stuck at a table with six strangers."
            Going "off Island" for their honeymoon in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, the couple had time to reflect on the biggest day of their life. "We honestly wouldn't change a thing. We were really excited to hear about our day from family and friends, who tell us that it was the best wedding they had ever been to. I know that everyone probably says that, but we took an untraditional approach and our guests had fun." That, too, went for Mr. and Mrs. Oaklund. - MP