Three Wedding Dresses, Two B.C. Cheerleaders, and One Newport Ceremony

August 16, 2024
Belle Mer (Longwood Venues & Destinations)
Newport, Rhode Island

When it comes to couples who fall in love with each other and Boston, there’s no better example than Elizabeth Pehota and Matthew Keemon. In fact, the city plays a major part in their story. After meeting at Boston College and bonding as stunt partners on the cheer team, the future bride and groom continued their partnership personally and professionally by cheering together for the Boston Celtics, running the Boston Marathon, and supporting and enjoying the city’s sports scene. It’s a journey they describe as defined by love, shared adventure, and teamwork.

After more than a decade of dating, the couple—Elizabeth, now a media personality/influencer, and Matt, working as a CTO—got engaged in an unusual yet apropos way under the guise of an awards ceremony that the groom’s company was holding in Florida. “His colleagues emailed me and asked if I would like to host the opening video,” Elizabeth says. “My parents have a house there, and we were visiting for a week in winter, so the timing was perfect.” It turns out the ruse paid off, and instead of the “planned” segment, Matt got down on one knee. “I was speechless when he was proposing because I was so impressed he caught me by total surprise, and I didn’t see it coming. My whole family was in on it.” Of course, everyone was also all in on the wedding, which was held at the Belle Mer in Newport, Rhode Island.

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

THE VENUE

With Newport Bridge and the sunset over Narragansett Bay as the backdrop, Belle Mer served as a stylish and elegant destination to celebrate the couple’s union. One of the venue’s luxury event spaces is the Water Salon, which boasts sparkling crystal and soft whites as the design aesthetic and a wall of glass doors that open to a large lawn with picturesque views of the ocean.

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

THE WEDDING DRESSES

“Good things come in threes” was the case for the bride’s wedding dresses. For the ceremony and early reception, she wore a custom Martina Liana strapless gown from VOWS Bridal in Watertown. Next came a glamorous glitter ball gown from Milan boutique Nadine Milano, which Elizabeth found on the couple’s last-minute excursion to see Taylor Swift amid the event-planning stress. When the wedding ended, Elizabeth changed into an elegant, limited-edition bridal mini dress by RosieEtienne.

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

THE WEDDING STUNT

Because cheerleading has had such an impact on the couple, they often perform a stunt—where Matt lifts Elizabeth high in the air—at get-togethers and special occasions, so of course, their wedding had to include one, too, especially since it’s something family and friends love to see. “There was something so beautiful about doing this stunt at the biggest moment of our lives,” the bride says. “I think it symbolized that we plan to continue to live that metaphor—lifting each other up every day—even as we get older.”

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

THE SURPRISE GRANDPARENT DANCE

To honor her grandmother, Mimi, Elizabeth and her cousins shared a dance with her to Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind,” the favorite song of Elizabeth’s late grandfather, Pop, who recently passed away after a decades-long battle with Alzheimer’s. As the only living grandparent at the wedding, the bride thought it was the perfect way to celebrate Mimi. “We didn’t tell her we were doing it in advance. That was really special because she had no idea it was coming, and it was such a surprise,” Elizabeth says.

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

THE DEDICATED TABLE

Since the couple wanted to honor several loved ones who had passed away, they decided to have a special table dedicated to them. “We basically created it as generations of love stories, so it was detailing the different generations of love that led us to one another,” Elizabeth explains.

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

THE SAME-DAY WEDDING EDIT

Wedding videos are always a fun way to look back on your special occasion, and it’s rare that couples get to do so in real time. But with the help of Chris Walsh Productions, Elizabeth, Matt, and their guests were able to enjoy an expertly edited four-minute video during the reception. Final clips were shared that featured highlights of everything from morning preparations and the ceremony to the first dance and the bride’s late-night dress change.

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

Band Legends of Summer
Cake Cakes by Capo
Champagne Cart Chic Party Carts
First Dance Windrose Coaching
Flowers Flowerthyme
Groom’s Attire State & Liberty
Hair Rhode Island Wedding Hair
Makeup Beauty By Nelse
Photographer Ella Farrell Photography
Videographer Chris Walsh Productions
Wedding Bands and Jewelry Hannah Florman

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

Photo by Ella Farrell Photography

First published in the print issue of Boston Weddings 2025 with the headline, “Elizabeth Pehota & Matthew Keemon.”