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This Bride Wore A Carolina Herrera Dress with a Dramatic Blue Sash to Her Wedding at the Iconic Castle Hill Inn

By Shayna Seid | Photography by 

Corinna Raznikov Photography

Kaitlin Fobare met Robert Owen on her first night out in Boston, after she made the move post-graduation. Rob claims to have no recollection of their first encounter, but Kaitlin remembers meeting Rob, and they quickly formed a friendship. The following spring, Rob took Kaitlin on their first date to Coppa in Boston’s South End. After dating for three-and-a-half years, he proposed two days before Thanksgiving while with her family at their house at The Tryall Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

After contemplating saying “I do” in the same place where they got engaged, they decided they wanted to get married somewhere more convenient for all of their guests. Kaitlin’s mother suggested the iconic Castle Hill Inn in Newport, and it became the only venue the couple considered. “Rob and I visited Castle Hill for the first time in the middle of huge snow storm,” Kaitlin says. “But we still loved it immediately.”

Once the venue was booked, the bride took her design inspiration from the Ralph Lauren-designed Round Hill in Montego Bay. She aimed to emulate the combination of preppy classics and laid-back beach vibes at her glamorous, seaside soiree.

To help design and plan the entire day, they hired Sarah True of True Event. Kaitlin and Sarah formed a quick friendship and stayed in touch post-wedding. In fact, as of the beginning of this year, Kaitlin joined the True Events team. Inspired by her own wedding planning journey, she wanted to explore a more creative career after being in finance for so long, and this was a serendipitous fit!

Kaitlin found her wedding dress at L’elite Bridal with her mother and one of her sisters. She fell in love with Carolina Herrera‘s “Hunter” dress, which was part of Herrera’s last collection as creative director. The design had a dramatic bow on the back, which the bride switched out for a navy one right after cocktail hour. “The colored bow was my mom’s idea, and I loved it for its uniqueness,” Kaitlin says. For beauty, Jennie Kay Beauty created a natural makeup look, with accentuated brows and warm shadow, and a low bun.

Rob wore a custom midnight navy tuxedo by Suitsupply, while his six groomsmen and two best men wore navy J.Crew Ludlow suits with light blue Salvatore Ferragamo ties. The bridal party all wore Katie May’s Intrigue gowns in navy, and Kaitlin’s sisters, who were the maids-of-honor, both wore the Liu dress, which had a slightly different neckline than the bridesmaids’ looks. On the day of, they all also put on Lauren Huddleston pearl drop earrings, gifted by the bride.

The Thursday before the big weekend, Rob and Kaitlin made it official in an intimate church ceremony, and as a result, the bigger service was kept light and quick. On the lawn at Castle Hill, Father Nathan Humphrey officiated the wedding, which was delayed by 20 minutes due to golf ball-sized hail. “I was VERY anxious going into the ceremony. As soon as I walked down the aisle and the ceremony began, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I was so excited and relieved to be standing next to Rob,” the bride says.

After saying, “I do,” cocktail hour began in the tented area. The main tent, for dinner and dancing, featured iconic bold navy and blue stripes and white linen panels with navy trim. Tables were decorated with beachy accents like cobalt blue glasses, palm fronds, and rattan chargers. Kaitlin had grown tired of the all-white floral trend, so she mixed her arrangements up with raspberry pink flowers, designed by Stoneblossom. “I’ve always loved the pink bougainvillea in Jamaica, so we used that as inspiration to create bouquets and arrangements with an organic vibe,” she says.

Once guests had dined on the delicious meal, the 13-piece Emerald City Band really started the party. On the dance floor, dancers in sequin bodysuits joined everyone to keep the energy up. If people needed a break, they were welcome to the bonfire with s’mores or the massive candy bar too. During a quiet moment, the newlyweds had their first dance to “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison. 

The formal reception ended at 11pm, but the band was quick to lead everyone to the after-party steps away in the Castle Hill Inn mansion. “In order to host our after-party here, we were required to book out the hotel for the entire weekend. This was well worth it, as it was an absolute blast. We all had a ball partying the night away in a private mansion overlooking the ocean with a full open bar.”