A Virgin Islands Romance Blooms into a Nantucket Wedding

English poet John Donne once wrote, “No man is an island.” This notion that people are connected to each other rang true for Charlotte Kinard and Matthew Snider, a Boston couple who found love on a private island and have never looked back.Mere weeks after their meet-cute at a local bar in October 2019, Matt left for the U.S. Virgin Islands to start building Lovango Resort & Beach Club (the third property of his family’s business, boutique hotel chain Little Gem Resorts). A COVID lockdown enforced during Charlotte’s first trip to St. Thomas turned her short visit into a five-month adventure.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Isolated on Lovango, the couple leaned into being together. “It was a sink or swim situation for our relationship—and we definitely swam,” Charlotte says. She eventually moved there, and after two years of getting the property up and running, they returned together to Boston for the next chapter.

A February 2023 proposal led to a trip down the altar on another island—Nantucket. On May 11, 2024, the couple took over another Little Gem property, the Nantucket Hotel, after sharing their vows at a little lawn oasis on Brant Point, with a dramatic wind off the ocean. As “Here Comes the Sun” played for the wedding procession, the sun came out from behind the clouds and warmed everyone up for the ceremony. “We like to think it was those who couldn’t be with us shining down,” Charlotte says.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The Details

The Dress

The two-piece Kyha Studios set captured the blend of modern and classic vibes Charlotte wanted for the big day. “When I tried these pieces on, I felt confident and powerful,” she says of the corset-and-skirt combo. The bride added straps to ease the fuss of a strapless bodice.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The Invitations

“We didn’t want über-traditional things like large invites covered in cursive,” Charlotte explains. The couple worked with Inviting Company to create a unique suite that exuded elegance with simple fonts, untraditional invite shapes, and sweet watercolor floral illustrations.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The First Dance

The couple’s first dance was an acoustic version of “Latch” by Disclosure, featuring Sam Smith. “Two minutes in, we had our band [Radiance via Wilson Stevens] start playing the full-blown song so that everyone stormed the dance floor to dance along with us,” Charlotte says.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The Signature Cocktails

Throughout the evening’s festivities, thirsty guests sipped on signature cocktails—a very clean, no-frills spicy margarita called the “Spicy Char” and a “Matt-hattan.”

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The “Cake” Cutting

Instead of a traditional confection, the couple brought in a pizza from their favorite place on Nantucket—Steamboat Wharf Pizza—for a late-night slice. The shop wrote “Just Married” in ricotta, and the couple cut the pie while surrounded by guests. A dessert bar was covered with Bartlett’s Farm pies, Downyflake donuts, and homemade cake pops.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The After-Party

As the band played “London Bridge,” guests were escorted into the hotel’s downstairs yoga studio retrofitted into Club Snider. “We kicked it back and leaned into the vibe,” says Charlotte of the neon signs, disco balls, dance floor, and late ’90s rap spun by DJ Lay ZBoy.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The Late-Night Snacks

The couple trucked in gallons of their favorite sauces—honey mustard from Ma Magoo’s in Cambridge; ranch from Union Park Pizza on Newbury Street; and buffalo sauce from the Brotherhood of Thieves on Nantucket—to soak up an array of after-party mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, and fries from Stubbys Nantucket.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The Bouquet

A gentle nod to early spring, the florals were simple but impactful, surrounding the chuppah, aisles, and reception tables in the light pinks, greens, and sweet neutrals of pea vines, smilax, jasmine, wild spray roses, and peonies. For the bridal bouquet, Charlotte chose a small posey of lily of the valley.

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

The File

Band Radiance via Wilson Stevens
Bride’s Dress Kyha Studios from Ceremony
Bride’s Shoes Stuart Weitzman
Ceremony Music Naavi Strings
DJ DJ Lay ZBoy
Flowers Flowers on Chestnut
Groom’s Tux State & Liberty
Invitations Inviting Company
Makeup Darya Salon and Spa
Photographer Jamie Mercurio
Planner Handy & Dallaire Events
Rentals The Event Rental Co.
Rings ADCO Diamond
Videographer Rebecca Drouin

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

Photo by Jamie Mercurio

First published in the print issue of Boston Weddings 2025 with the headline, “Love Island.”