Cristina and Ryan | A Weekapaug Beach Elopement

Cristina and Ryan were married on September 16, 2023, at Weekapaug Beach in Weekapaug, Rhode Island. ‘Weekapaug’ is a Narragansett word meaning ‘at the end of the pond.’ The area is not as well known as neighboring Watch Hill, Rhode Island, even though it has had summer cottages since 1877. It was known as ‘Noyes Beach’ from 1701 to 1899, named after Reverend James Noyes, who purchased 300 acres

Fun Fact: Not only does each of them have an important ‘Storm’ in their lives (Cristina’s dog is named Storm, and Ryan’s friend Sarah’s fiancé is also named Storm), but they also narrowly missed one of the biggest storms set to make landfall on that exact date—Hurricane Lee. The icing on the cake was that they had the most gorgeous sunset!

I first met these two after being referred by their photographer, Christine, whose wedding I filmed almost a year before! They had sentimental touches throughout their day, such as flowers grown by Ryan’s mother, Holly, and Cristina’s brother, Joe, officiating their ceremony. These two were a dream to work with, and everything about this day was pure perfection!

Why did they choose Weekapaug Beach?

I’ll let Cristina tell you why.

“Something really crazy about our story is that we both grew up coming to the same stretch of the Rhode Island shoreline – Ryan’s family here in Weekapaug, and my family 2 miles down the road at Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown. This stretch of beach and our happiness here is so special to us.”

How Did You Meet and All About Your First Date.

“We met on Hinge in the summer of 2021, and had our first date on July 28th, 2021 at Chelsea Market.  Early into our Hinge conversation, Ryan started talking about how crazy it was that my dog was named Storm, because so was his best friend – crazy to think a little over 2 years later both Storms would be at our wedding! Ryan then asked me out on a Friday, to which I said no (I couldn’t give up a Friday night for a first date!), and then asked me for drinks the following week. I told him I’d love to go out, but not for drinks as I wanted something more unique/fun. 

We decided that we’d go to Artechouse, a digital art exhibit at Chelsea Market for our first date after I said no to drinks. It was perfect because we could also get food there beforehand. Ryan was working in finance, so he couldn’t get off work and over to Chelsea Market until 7:30. We decided to get food at Los Tacos 1, a very famous taco spot in NYC. Ryan came straight from the office and was wearing a purple check button down, I wore a black tank and jeans.

We got in line, and when it was time to order, Ryan ordered a singular taco. I panicked and only ordered one myself as well. We got one singular taco each, and sat outside at Chelsea Market where Ryan gave me the sped up version of his life story, and when he was done he took a breath and asked me mine. We then headed into the art exhibit, where we sat on the ground of the immersive show and talked and laughed for hours. 

I remember walking away from the date thinking how much I genuinely enjoyed it and had fun – it felt natural, easy, and was a great time. I was also hungry after just one taco. 

At the end of the date, Ryan admitted he was still living in Darien with his parents and searching for a place in the city, so he had to catch a train home. He went home and made himself a box of pasta. 

Many dates later, we both finally admitted to the singular taco mishap, but Ryan (who previously lived in Philly) claimed (and still does to this day) that in Philly 1 taco = 3 tacos. He learned that night that in NYC 1 taco = 1 taco.”

What they had to say about their experience with me.

“If there were more stars to give, we’d be giving them! Ashlee absolutely blew us away, and we could not be happier with the videos we have from our wedding day. She went above and beyond to capture every little detail and turn it into the most beautiful final videos that we will cherish forever and ever.

We have watched them countless times already in just a few days and cannot wait to watch for years to come. Ashlee was incredible to work with, from helping quell our concerns about videos in a hurricane (thankfully, the storm missed us in the end), to making sure we had all the special clips of my gram in our videos without us asking (my gram passed shortly after our wedding, before videos were finished).

Her professionalism, care, and sheer talent wowed us then and now as we watch the videos back and we could not be happier with the magical videos we now have forever!”

Bonus Video:

When it comes to the first look, I don’t always get audio that I end up using, or sometimes I just don’t get anything from the groom at all. But Ryan did not disappoint! I’ve never laughed at a piece of audio so much in my life!

Vendor Dream Team
Photographer: Christine Elizabeth Photography
Videographer: The Heartfelt Narrative
Reception Venue: Shelter Harbor Golf Club
Floral Arraignments and Arch: Broadview Garden Center
Dress: Covet Bridal
Suit: Suit Supply
Invitation Suite: Zola