Amy and Adam’s Block Island wedding, which took place during a hurricane, unveils how a couple can prepare for the worst while making the best out of a gloomy situation.
Photography by Coli Michael Photography | @colimichaelphotography
Encountering wet and cloudy weather on your wedding day is frustrating at first, but you’ll soon realize that embracing the rain allows you to ditch sweating the small details. Strong winds and a torrential downpour — ahem, Hurricane Ian — might require you to take drastic measures.
For the past eight summers, Block Island has been Amy and Adam’s sanctuary. When the pair booked the Spring House Hotel as their wedding venue, they didn’t expect anything more than some light rain. In fact, they were optimistic the weather on the October date would mimic the forecast from the year prior.
“October 1, 2021, was a gorgeous sixty-five- degree day,” says Amy. The day they booked the venue, Amy said to Adam, “As long as there isn’t a hurricane, we can still get married outside under the tent since it can withstand torrential rain, just not hurricane winds.” As if there was some reverse psychology at play, the weather vowed to give them just that — a hurricane.
Amy and Adam were forced to pivot their entire wedding plan. While half of their guests couldn’t make it to the island, the other half resorted to staying overnight after the wedding or had to fly
back to the mainland in a jet.
“I cried. I was angry. I was mad. It wasn’t fair,” Amy says. “This was a day I had planned, envisioned and dreamed about for over two years. Accepting the reality of the situation was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through.”
The couple moved the ceremony indoors, where the roaring fireplace warmed up the guests. For the reception, they ditched the escort cards and opted for open seating. With all this change, Amy demanded at least one request despite the daunting climate — a photo at Mohegan Bluffs with her husband.
“We had a ten-minute lull of rain, so we took full advantage,” Amy says. “It was so windy, we lost four umbrellas due to the forty-five-mile-per-hour winds.”
Around 3 p.m., Coli of Coli Michael Photography led the couple to the bluffs, where the sky was momentarily calm. After hiking down the steps in their drenched wedding attire, Coli clicked the photo, capturing one of Amy and Adam’s favorite moments.
“What matters are the important things — the people who make your day what it is, and the person
you are choosing to spend your life with, in a place that is special to you,” says Amy.
Despite the unwarranted turn of events, the pair refuse to let an unchangeable occurrence shatter their opinion of the wedding. It also proves how powerful the strength of community is, and how devoted vendors are the glue to your big day.
“Our wedding was the most magical day of my life,” says Amy. “Seeing how everyone came together to support us despite the odds really showed me how much we are loved. Our vendors were the most amazing people who did whatever it took to make it to the island. I can’t thank them enough for their part in making this day everything I imagined it would be.”
Venue: Spring House Hotel, Block Island | Hair and Makeup: Complex Beauty/Alexa Northrup | Bridal Attire: Alexandra’s Boutique, Fall River, MA | Groom’s Attire: Carol Anthony Tuxedo, Cranston | Florist: Painted Rock Flowers | Entertainment: 7 Day Weekend | Lightning and Drapery: Ryan Designs, West Warwick
