Bess Kalb and Charlie Harding Photographs by Robin Langsdorf
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Atlantic Inn 6.29.2013 She: 26, writer for a late night television show, from New York He: 27, works in partnerships at Google, from Maine Now live in California How did you meet? At a party during our last semester of college. I hit on him relentlessly. I went home that night and told my roommate that I was going to marry Charlie Harding. I’m paraphrasing because my grandparents are going to read this. How did he propose? He proposed at home. He woke me up to ask me, and I was pretty out of it, so instead of saying “yes” I said: “Whaaaat? Are you serious?” Like a Jane Austen heroine. Charlie: We had gone to Hawaii a few weeks before 24
and I thought about proposing there. But, ultimately, it’s kind of a trap to propose to someone on a remote island. It would have been an uncomfortable plane ride back if she said no. Why did you choose B.I. for your wedding? Block Island has always been a special place for us. As part of my plan to ensnare and marry Charlie, I took him to my family’s house on Block Island while we were dating. When we got engaged, we knew we’d get married here. How many guests did you have: 150 What did guests tell you about the wedding afterward? They were grateful to share our special day with us — and for the open bar. What do you think was the most unique thing about your wedding?
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We snuck “Goat Sacrifice” into our wedding program to scare our relatives. When the time came, my husband announced, “The goat couldn’t make it, so let’s move on.” What was the most popular food? Charlie:The sea bass. We put “local” on our RSVP card, so that sold it. I’m pretty sure it was local. Everything at the Atlantic Inn is delicious. When we first started coming to the island together years ago, we’d have mussels on the porch at sunset. Some of the best food on the island. What did you choose for favors? Personalized jars of Littlefield Farms honey, honey mustard, and cinnamon honey. The best honey in the world! Charlie: We wanted to share something from the island with our guests and support a local business. What was the most unexpected thing that happened? Charlie: The forecast said rain all weekend, but Block Island Weddings