INFLUENCER: A

By Elyse Major

My goal is to create a destination with a vibrant hotel social scene and an innovative music scene through our LIVE@ Aloft performances. I want to create a community of followers that’s always on the lookout of what’s next at Aloft because the unexpected happens here!

I’m ordained through the American Marriage Ministries and can perform ceremonies in any state. My best friend was having a small ceremony and asked me to perform their ceremony. I was honored and humbled and took the job very seriously. It was by far one of the coolest and most humbling things I’ve done so far.

Do your research and be sure to meet them in person. Interview them as if it were for a job. They should be able to align with your personality and vision for your special day. Be sure to review your goals for the tone for the ceremony and day. They should be open and willing to help and guide you through the process, able to customize the ceremony to your needs, and be open to answering any questions you have. They should be familiar with the state marriage laws and have the marriage license completed, signed, and mailed/dropped off post the ceremony in a timely manner. When in doubt, ask a special person in your life to get ordained to perform your ceremony. It’s always a memorable moment for both the couple and the person getting ordained.

I have an amazing support system and an incredible husband who cheers me on every step of the way.

Providence is so quaint; I love finding trendy pieces at NAVA on Wickenden Street and local home accessories and gifting ideas at Homestyle on Westminster. I enjoy discovering new bars and restaurants with friends or learning a new skill with my husband like taking a class with New Harvest Coffee Roasters on the art of espresso. My favorite restaurant without a doubt is Red Stripe – their Portuguese Mussels & Frites are obnoxiously delicious and always consistent. I love the lively atmosphere, service, and sourdough bread – simply delish!

By Callie Bisset

If you attended an outdoor fair during the warmer months, you may have caught a sighting of a vintage Volkswagen modified to display and sell bucketfuls of flowers. Mobile floral trucks like Saunderstown-based Buttercup the Flower Truck and The Wildflower Truck pop up at festivals and in popular downtown areas offering build-your-own bouquets from their custom flower bars, along with single stems, and Insta-worthy photo backdrops to showcase your masterpiece. These vehicles are not only eye-catching, but also offer a new take on buying flowers – and just might be perfect for your shower, rehearsal dinner, or wedding!

Touted as the first mobile floral truck in Rhode Island, The Wildflower Truck has grown quite a following since its conception in 2017 by husband and wife Krystal and Nick Furney. In the spring and summertime, the white VW outfitted with a canopy reminiscent of a covered wagon can be found at events such as the Providence Flea, offering a wide selection of varieties and arrangements, plus trinket trays made of pressed petals and leaves in resin.

“The truck catches customers’ eyes first,” explains Lauren Scowcroft, owner of Buttercup the Flower Truck, who first began brainstorming the concept while she was out of work during the pandemic. As the options for indoor business were limited, the idea of a shop on wheels made the most sense. Scowcroft and her husband spent a year and a half searching for the perfect vessel, a 1974 Volkswagen van they relocated from Florida. Today Buttercup rolls onto the scene with a bright blue exterior and wood paneled sides.

The primary seasons for floral trucks coincides with what’s blooming. This year due to the warmer temps, Buttercup was mobile until December, which allowed Scowcroft to offer a selection of holiday greens before the truck was carefully stored away; the nature of a restored van requires careful maintenance and upkeep during the colder months. Scowcroft aims to source locally when possible and currently partners with wholesaler RJ Carbone Floral Distributors in Cranston. She hopes in the future to team up with a farm and offer exclusively local-grown flowers.

The mobile format helps each business gather a following and connect with new customers. The location dictates foot traffic, especially when parked in a bustling downtown. Visitors may be stopping just to pick up a coffee and notice the buzz-worthy setup. According to Scowcroft, Buttercup – often found in downtown Wakefield or South Kingstown – draws visitors of all ages; many love snapping photos with the van and the vibrant cargo. Older folks love to stop and

Wildflower Truck

Buttercup the Flower Truck

reminisce on their memories of the old-school VW vans. Even those not going with intent to buy flowers often end up picking out a bunch.

The trucks can also be rented out for private events such as bridal showers, offering a memory-making experience. Buttercup recently received an inquiry regarding popping up at a wedding and inviting guests to create a custom bouquet as their thank you gift. The Wildflower Truck is currently expanding to offer floral delivery. Both trucks can be found popping up throughout Rhode Island starting in spring. Learn more at Buttercup the Flower Truck: ButtercupFlowerTruck.com, @buttercup_theflowertruck; The Wildflower Truck: WildflowerTruck.com, @thewildflowertruck

Wedding THE Venue Brenda and Dan set their sights on the Ocean State, a place near and dear to both of them, and stumbled across Shepherd’s Run, a winery that was scheduled to open later that year. They were charmed by the sprawling field of grapevines, gleaming stone mansion, and, of course, the delicious wines. But what made it extra special were the estate’s gardens, which would serve as the perfect, flower-filled ceremony space. “We believe the season symbolizes beginnings and positive changes, with warmer weather, blooming flowers, birds chirping, “Have fun with it! and a palpable buzz for the year to come,” be- When you book the gins Brenda Maher of her and husband Dan’s late-April wedding. “We viewed it as a great time of the year to celebrate the beginning of venue, go out for a nice dinner. When you our marriage with friends and family.” Brenda and Dan both hail from Connecticut, spent summers in Rhode Island, book the band, break out in your b t dance and attended UConn – but their paths nev- move. It can be easy er crossed until one fateful January night at a bar in Hartford in 2016. As Brenda puts it, “we literally danced the night away and to get str sed by the details, but celebrating our lives were changed forever.” Four years later on a much-needed family getaway, Dan popped the question as the sun set over Narthe ‘chec ’ off your list will keep it fun ragansett Town Beach. “We ate, we laughed, and memorable!” we drank. It was a very special night.” After soaking in their engagement, Brenda and Dan began to plan their springtime nuptials with the season in mind, inspired by beautiful blooms and a palette of THE Dr s peachy pastels that enhanced the historic beauty of their venue, Shepherd’s Run in Even Brenda’s dress featured floral lace, a purposeful touch to complement the season.South Kingstown.

“We chose neutral, airy, light colors featuring peach, blush, and off-white tones,” Brenda explains. These choices appeared in the floral-embroidered table linens, invitation suite, and flowers.

Late April offered plenty of options, including ranunculus, parrot tulips, hydrangeas, roses, baby’s breath, and white O’Haras, which were carefully curated by Wakefield-based floral studio Flowerthyme.

THE Special Touch Painted oyster shells with their guests’ names added a personalized seaside touch to the place settings (and was one of Nicole’s favorite details).

The Ocean State holds a special place in the hearts of Nicole and Kristen, who are originally from New York and Massachusetts respectively. It’s where they first met their freshman year at college, and where their friendship flourished into something more. So, after the couple got engaged in 2019, it was a no-brainer to pick Rhode Island as the setting for their wedding.

“Kristen and I love the summer,” shares Nicole, reminiscing on warm-weather days and trips to the beach. They originally picked a date in June of 2021, but like so many couples, made the difficult decision to postpone it by a year due to pandemic and vaccine rollout concerns.

“Choose a season you love so the incorporation happens naturally,” says Nicole. “If you love summer, you can incorporate things you love about it into your wedding like fruity cocktails, ice cream, color choices, and decor.” THE Menu From an abundance of seafood, to fruity signature cocktails, to a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream bar, Kristen and Nicole’s wedding didn’t just feel like summer – it tasted like it, too!

Designed by Cranston-based Golden Gate Studios, the centerpieces and bouquets starred blue and green hydrangeas punctuated by white roses. “What is more summer?” insists Nicole.

“Our colors were dusty sage, dusty blue, and gold,” says Nicole, who drew inspiration from Blithewold’s natural beauty. “We chose a dusty palette so the vibe felt light, airy, and summery.”

“Kristen and I knew we wanted a venue on the water,” Nicole explains, and they immediately fell for Blithewold’s harbor views. The beautiful mansion, manicured gardens, and outdoor tent sealed the deal, granting the couple’s wish for an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour.

PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER:

BAKER: Ellie’s Bakery | Providence CEREMONY: The Pavilion at Grace Church | Providence

“Fall is by far my favorite season,” says Lisa MacGregor, who could never imagine getting married any other time of year. “To me, it is the season of romance.”

Lisa met her husband Billy on a blind date in 2016, and two years later – in the fall, of course – the couple got engaged. “It’s a pretty funny story,” Lisa shares of the proposal, which was carefully pulled off by Billy despite the fact Lisa woke up with a horrible cold that day. “I was so grumpy with him.” She now laughs about the ruse of being coerced to go to downtown Boston for a friend’s fake work presentation. But once Billy got down on one knee at the same spot they first kissed, it quickly turned into one of the happiest nights of her life.

When it came to planning their November wedding, Lisa let the time of year as well as the Gilded Age vibe of their venue lead the way. “Little touches and accents here and there are more than enough,” Lisa explains. “The season will also speak for itself.”

Lisa and Billy’s color scheme featured burgundy and blush with lots of shimmering gold accents that Lisa felt meshed with the ornateness of their venue as well as the warmth of autumn. These appeared in the florals and decor elements, many of which Lisa savvily sourced from Facebook Marketplace and Etsy.

THE D sert Instead of cake, the couple took dessert in a new direction with the help of Providence’s popular French bakery, Ellie’s. “We did a macaron tower along with mini tiered cakes, including a carrot cake with salted caramel buttercream and apple cider tartlets.”

After living in Rhode Island after college, Lisa fell in love with Providence and often grabbed dinner and drinks at The Dorrance. The “old-world charm, ornate beauty of its marble floors, original stained-glass windows, and dramatic high ceilings” made it a rich, romantic venue for their big day.

The couple worked with New Englandbased Leslie Lee Floral Design to make Lisa’s Pinterest board come to life with a gorgeous selection of palette-pleasing blooms, particularly red roses.

“I wanted our wedding in the winter specifically for this color scheme,” Tara explains of their navy blue, white, and silver theme. This winter-perfect palette was infused into every last detail, including the flowers, table linens, centerpieces, and even the cake.

THE Decor Everything was satin, glass, or silver, so every surface shimmered. Tara describes their centerpieces as nothing short of magical: tall white floral arrangements with white branches and hanging gems that glittered when they caught the light.

The couple’s cake was certainly a show-stopper, with four tiers of navy blue and white buttercream, accented by navy blue roses, shimmery silver sprinkles, and a matching silver topper with the newlyweds’ names. The custom creation was designed by the talented Silver Spoon Bakery in East Greenwich.

THE Special Touch As Tara and Kevin embraced for their first dance, a rolling white mist at their feet gave the illusion that they were dancing on clouds.

Licensed in RI & MA