The water brought poet, writer, bookseller, and book publicist Brookes Moody and Zach Mueller, a yacht manager at Marine Construction Management, together. Under the same boating company, he was the captain of Sightsailer, while she was a crew member on the schooner Aquidneck. They remained in loose contact over the years and reconnected at the Newport Folk Festival in 2021; after that, they began a long-distance relationship.
After two years of dating, Zach proposed at his family’s cabin in Madeline Island on Lake Superior. It was a serene setting by the water’s shoreline, complete with two fawns stopping to take a drink. There, Zach got down on one knee and asked Brookes to marry him. She was wearing a green sapphire ring that he had gifted her for their two-year anniversary, and he moved it to her left hand, after she excitedly said yes. An engagement ring appointment was already set up for when the two returned home.
Brookes and Zach’s wedding venue was the sight of their first kiss, her family home in Jamestown, Rhode Island. “Originally my great-grandparent’s summer house, the home on the water has been in the family since the 1950s and is so meaningful to me,” she explains.
Aesthetically, Brookes describes the wedding as more whimsical and delicate versus bohemian or rustic, and nature and color played big parts of the day, reflecting the couple’s own personalities. The bride recalls Wallace Stevens’s poem “Not Ideas About the Thing But the Thing Itself.” “Authenticity is a principle I think about a lot, especially in regard to aesthetics. For example, a nautical aesthetic can veer dangerously into the category of caricature, but Zach and I aren’t the idea of sailors,” Brookes says. “We’re the thing itself. Just as the location is the thing itself, not recycled ideas of what New England is. We wanted to wordlessly communicate that through our aesthetic.”
To bring their vision to life, Exquisite Events Planning took the planning reins, while Erin McGinn was behind the lens for the summer weekend.
For her wedding ceremony wardrobe, Brookes shopped locally at Lady Sycamore in Wickford, Rhode Island. There, she found the Scarlette from Flora Bridal’s 2022 Golden Collection and Sarah Flint block heels that she customized herself. On the morning-of, New Leaf Studio gave her a natural bridal glam look. Zach had a custom suit created at Michael Hayes in Newport, and their flower girls looked adorable in DÔEN dresses.
On June 22, 2024, Brookes arrived to say “I do” on her parents’ sailboat, a Bristol 35.5. “The moments before the ceremony spent with my dad and bridesmaids puttering around the West Passage of Narraganset Bay were so happy and supportive—exactly what I needed to stay calm before docking and walking down the aisle/dock in front of my family home,” she shares.
The bride walked down the aisle to “This is Him” by Virginia Coalition—one of her and Zach’s favorites—played by steel drummer Gregg Charest and a makeshift family band, consisting of her uncle, cousin’s fiancé, and a family friend. She met the groom and their officiant, JC Calcerano, under cedar trees at the edge of the water, decorated with florals by Young Designs.
The day was tested when rain started falling and some guests ran for cover under the cocktail tent. “Luckily, we had already finished most of the ceremony. Our stalwart wedding party and a handful of hardy guests stayed in the down pour under a handful of umbrellas, as we wrapped up the remainder of the vows,” Brookes recalls. “Contrary to what one might imagine, the rain energized the crowd and kicked off the party on a cheerful note. Everyone was so ready to party after getting drenched.”
The recessional was intended to be soundtracked by “There Will Be Time” by Mumford & Sons—“an appropriate lyrical mash up of wedding vows and T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,’ but the rain did not allow for that,” Brookes shares. “Happily, the family band regrouped and preformed the song on our porch during the cocktail hour.”
The pair kicked off the formal fête by taking to the custom floor with a floral motif by Tie That Binds for a first dance to “That’s All I Need” by Magic Sam. And after a delicious dinner by Pranzi, the newlyweds cut their chocolate almond wedding cake by Isis Cakes, which exceeded the bride’s expectations.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream Summer Solstice Ethereal Disco,” as dubbed by the couple, began in the house with DJ Nook. Light-up flower crowns, sparkle wands, and late-night bites kept the energy high. “The party was still going very strong when Zach and I made our exit sometime past 1 a.m.,” Brookes says. “I want nothing more than to go back and relive this party with all my favorite people around me.”
