Sammy + Frankie

Rosecliff Mansion | Newport, RI

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The day started with a surprise. Frankie had arranged for their two dogs to be there for portraits; watching Sammy’s face change in that moment is one of my favorite things I witnessed all year.

From there, the day unfolded at Rosecliff, a mansion so full of Art Nouveau grandeur that it practically became the mood board.

They said their vows outside on the grounds, overlooking the water, right as the late afternoon light turned that particular gold that makes everything already look like a memory. And when the ceremony ended, the Hot Tamales Brass Band led the processional out, turning what could have been a quiet exit into its own little parade.

Then came the toasts, Sammy’s mom, the author Jodi Picoult, took the mic, and the whole room went quiet in that specific way it does for someone who really knows how to hold a crowd. 

What stays with me about Sammy and Frankie is how young they are and how sure they already seem, of each other and of what they’re building together. This day was proof of that, start to finish.