Kitty and Henry’s winter Rosecliff Mansion wedding had the elegance of both Christmas and New Years, along with the beauty of the newly renovated Rosecliff Mansion.
“With its celebrated heart-shaped grand staircase and the largest ballroom in Newport, this elegant mansion overlooking the Atlantic Ocean recalls lost Gilded Age summers filled with extravagant parties like the one featured in 1974’s The Great Gatsby, which filmed scenes at Rosecliff. Commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899, architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. After the house was completed in 1902, at a reported cost of $2.5 million, Mrs. Oelrichs hosted fabulous entertainments here, including a fairy tale dinner and a party featuring famed magician Harry Houdini. Rosecliff is now preserved through the generosity of its last private owners, Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe of New Orleans. They gave the house, its furnishings and an endowment to the Preservation Society in 1971.”
Kitty and Henry met at the Tennis Hall of Fame one fateful summer and immediately clicked. Their love for tennis, the ocean, and their families led them to plan the wedding of their dreams in Newport, Rhode Island. The weekend kicked off with the Rehearsal Dinner at the Clarke Cookhouse in downtown Newport.
The couple was married before 225 guests at St. John Episcopal Church, followed by the elegant, white-tie reception at Rosecliff Mansion. We caught the last bit of light for the day at their first look and portraits. The golden light on the front of the mansion with the lights twinkling from inside look magical. The heart shaped staircase portraits are some of my favorites from the day as well.
For the ballroom, the couple chose a lavender uplighting and gold tones throughout. It was a cozy reception with sentimental toasts (and everyone in tears!) and iconic first dances to Louis Armstrong. Dancing followed with hits by Boston Premier and a special song by the bride to the groom!
It was a winter Rosecliff Mansion wedding I won’t soon forget! Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson!
Featured in Quest Magazine (page 90).
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