This love story is sponsored by: PARADISECOAST.COM/WEDDINGS
A Romantic Summer Beach Wedding in Rhode Island with Neutral Tones
Brianna Yotides and Brandon Jones first met at the University of Texas at Austin in 2016. At the time, Brianna was working in the recruiting department for the Longhorn football team while Brandon was the big, five-star recruit that year who everyone was looking to impress.
“I hosted he and his best friend, Josh, on their junior day visit,” Brianna shares. “And so the story goes: The first time he ever saw me, he told Josh that when he arrived on campus, I was going to be his girlfriend. Very confident! Although I told him many times that I wouldn’t let him take me out on a date because it interfered with my job, he was very persistent; and we finally got permission to date as long as Brandon was serious about us. Thank goodness for Coach Strong!”
“I truly think we had the most incredible wedding day we could have ever dreamed of.”
After dating for four years – three of them, being long-distance – Brandon fulfilled his lifelong dream of being drafted to the NFL by the Miami Dolphins. With her job being based in Texas, Brianna decided to stay at their home during Brandon’s rookie year.
“I’m a little older than Brandon,” she says, “so I had started my career while he was in college, but I traveled to Florida every weekend to visit for his games. After the season was over, he came back to Texas, and we took a couple of trips before he started to train for upcoming year. I work at a sports agency, and he became a client of ours when he was drafted. So my boss and a couple of friends helped him plan a fake work trip to Miami for an autograph signing, which was pretty normal for that time of year. He actually proposed on his birthday weekend, so he told me that he had this signing in Miami, and we could turn the weekend into a birthday trip for him too.”
That Saturday evening, the couple was getting ready for dinner at their hotel on the beach when Brandon disappeared. Brianna was too preoccupied with getting ready to notice at first; but when she did, she received a text to follow the path down to the beach. Abiding by her instructions, she found Brandon waiting with the most beautiful picnic set up on the sand, complete with champagne and flowers everywhere.
“I had always told him what I envisioned for my dream proposal one day, and he executed it to perfection,” she adds.
When the wedding planning process began, both Brianna and Brandon knew they wanted a summer beach wedding. Since they’re from Texas, they had to get a bit creative when deciding upon the perfect wedding destination. Most of Brianna’s family is from Massachusetts, and she grew up spending a lot of time at their second house in Cape Cod. Brandon had come to love the area as well over the years, so they toured a few venues at the Cape, hoping to find something they loved. However, nothing felt like the right fit.
“My cousin was married in Newport, Rhode Island the summer before and I absolutely loved the vibe of the town, so we decided to go check it out again,” Brianna explains. “As soon as I toured our venue, Newport Beach House, I knew it was the one. I FaceTimed Brandon and he fell in love with it too, so we booked our venue before we were even engaged since everything was filling up quickly because of COVID. At the time, I had been following a couple of wedding planners for inspiration but had always been obsessed with one that I found via a client’s wife who had the most absolutely stunning wedding. After speaking with the ladies at BTS Event Management on the phone once, it was a match made in heaven! I seriously can’t say enough about those women and how amazing their work is. I’m lucky enough to call them friends now and they already know they will be planning all of my future life events!”
Leading up to the big day, Brianna recalls being in tears all week because the weather report showed a 70% chance of rain – not an ideal situation, with the ceremony and cocktail hour being outside on the beach. While she knew her planners would make it work no matter what, it wasn’t what she originally envisioned for her romantic, summer beach wedding.
“Most of the people who traveled to Newport for our wedding had never been to the East Coast before, and we were so excited to show them our special place,” says Brianna. “So I was anxious until the morning of the wedding. When we woke up Friday morning, the weather suddenly switched, and it turned out to be the most breathtaking day we could have ever asked for. Everyone around Newport was saying how it was the prettiest weather they had experienced all summer. We were warned that on the day of, there would be things that would go wrong, but I truly think we had the most incredible wedding day we could have ever dreamed of.”
The couple describes their reception as a “modern-day fairytale,” with a décor scheme that was timeless, romantic, and highlighted their love of neutral tones. There were some standout graphic design elements that tied together their bar design, menus, dance floor, and several other printed details. The bride and groom are also “over-the-top obsessed” with Chris Brown, so some of their favorite song lyrics were even incorporated into the big day. To top things off, the food was delectable, and the newlyweds danced the night away surrounded by loved ones.
“The following day, we headed straight to our honeymoon in St. Kitts,” says Brianna. “We knew nothing about it but chose the location because it was close to Miami and Brandon had to be back for training camp in the next couple of weeks. We stayed at the most amazing boutique resort that had not even opened to the public yet, Sunset Reef, and had the best week. We were able to experience the island like locals and met the most memorable people on that trip. My birthday was in the middle of the week, and Brandon planned a special night with the hotel GM where they literally put on an entire fireworks show for us during dinner to celebrate. It was an unforgettable week to top off a perfect wedding.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location & Catering: Newport Beach House, Middletown, RI; Planning & Event Design: BTS Event Management, Phoenix, AZ; Floral Design: Flowers by Semia, Providence, RI; Rentals: Uniquely Chic Events, Lincoln, RI; Lighting: Boston Audio Rentals, Boston, MA; Linens: Peak Event Services, Woburn, MA; Entertainment: Murray Hill Talent – Felix Herbst, Danvers, MA; Ceremony Dress: Galia Lahav; Reception Dress: Bronx and Banco; Grooms Attire: Custom by Chad Johnson; Engagement Ring: Custom by Aura Diamonds, Dallas, TX; Hair: Cassandra Broccoli, Newport, RI; Makeup: Erica Wright – Glam Done Wright LLC, Pawtucket, RI; Dance Floor: Shout! Graphic Print & Solutions, Flemington, NJ; Photography: Jaimee Morse, Phoenix, AZ