Jessica Leporacci & Adam Stadel
October 24, 2014
Channing Memorial Church and Belle Mer
Newport, Rhode Island
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
Forget Uber. Jessica Leporacci and Adam Stadel can thank a good old fashioned cab for their love story.
The couple met in 2004 on a London street corner, hailing a taxi. They remained friends for years and, after reconnecting in 2008, one thing led to another.
In September 2012, Adam proposed. “He had a real London taxi (there are less than five in the country) come to Newport,” says Jessica. “We walked outside on our way to dinner, and there was the taxi. Once we were standing next to it he proposed.” The couple hopped in the cab, popped champagne, and took a ride around Ocean Drive, on their way to the Hotel Viking for a surprise engagement party on the rooftop with their friends and family.
The couple wanted their British beginning to play a role in their celebration, so they put their creative minds to work. And the bride didn’t need a wedding planner—Jessica relied on her skills as an event planner in Newport, Boston, and NYC for her upcoming big day.
“We wanted the wedding to be glamorous and elegant, but also wanted it to be fun,” she explains. “We treated each segment of the wedding as an event within the big event. The ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all felt different. We tried to take our guests on a journey from the romantic ceremony to the fun cocktail hour, then onto the glamorous reception.”
Here’s a glimpse into their wedding day, a seaside celebration with its gaze set across “the pond.”
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
Jessica thinks of their entire wedding as a “traditionally nontraditional” one. The black Kate Spade heels were just the start. “Black is my favorite color,” she explains. “They’re traditional in the sense that they’re a gorgeous pair of heels, but nontraditional since they were black.”
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
The bride used navy blue fabric from her father’s tie to create a heart sewn into her dress. “My father passed away unexpectedly in 2007,” she says of this touch that doubled as her something blue. “We were very close, and I made sure to include him in every aspect of the day.”
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
Jessica’s “something borrowed” was a handkerchief of her grandmother’s that her mom gifted her. “Perhaps one day if I have a daughter, she will carry it too,” she says.
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
Jessica’s floral arrangement ended up weighing more than 20 pounds. “My arms were getting tired during the ceremony,” she says, laughing. The crystal appliqué was from her aunt, the tulle was leftover material from her dress, and on the backside of the bouquet was a heart shaped-locket with her dad’s picture.
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
As a nod to that fateful cab call in London, the couple included many British touches throughout the wedding, such as
these Union Jack socks for the groomsmen.
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
Both sides of the wedding party received shoes for the ceremony—the ladies, Betsey Johnson shoes from Sole Desire, one of the couple’s Newport shoe stores; the groomsmen, Bostonians.
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
“I love the juxtaposition the crystal chandeliers have with the tables,” Jessica says of the whitewashed farm tables with the glitzy ceiling lights. She also draws attention to white chargers with black menu cards. “It was also important for the napkin to not be part of the table design, so we draped them off the side of the chair.”
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
The sweetheart table was adorned in a silver glitz linen from Rentals Unlimited.
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
“We wanted to include a bit of London during the night,” explains the bride. “I found a 3D London Phone Booth to use as our photo booth area for the evening.”
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
The couple had a Polaroid camera available so guests could take their pictures, with instructions
to leave one and take one.
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
The couples gifted female guests with Union Jack infinity scarves, while male guests received Union Jack socks, attaching tags that told their love story.
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
The couple decided on dessert table, rather than the traditional wedding cake. Guests noshed on sweets such as date stuffed cookies, chocolate haystacks, pumpkin whoopie pies, and M&M cookies.
Photograph by Aurora De Luca Photography
They also had a popcorn table, featuring glass jars filled with popcorn in a variety of flavors—including, of course, Wedding Cake.
THE FILE
Bride’s Jewelry: Engagement ring from The Platinum House in Newport; band from Portobello Jewelers in Newport
Groom’s Band: His father’s
Catering: Belle Mer
Music: Crackerjack Entertainment
Gown: Sottero and Midgley mermaid gown from Alexandra’s
Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade
Florist: BlueGuava
Groomswear: Tuxedos from Men’s Wearhouse
Hair: Ranew Salon
Invitations: New England Invitations
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