Coco & Sughosh's Elegant Wedding at the Historic Old Colony House in Newport, RI

The most exciting thing about the description Coco and Sue gave us of their wedding wasn’t the part about it being in our home state of Rhode Island, or the part about it being a mix of American and Indian wedding tradition. Without a doubt the bit that got us most amped up was the venue: The Old Colony House in Newport. The fourth oldest statehouse still standing in the United States, the building itself was completed in 1741 and has been used as a barracks, a hospital, a courthouse, and was featured prominently in Steven Spielberg’s 1997 film Amistad. It is quite an interesting space to hold a wedding with it’s two story layout consisting of a cavernous downstairs common room with high ceilings, massive creaky wooden floor boards and period columns providing support for the upstairs court room complete with trailing wooden bannisters, a balcony overlooking downtown Newport, and of course a seat for a judge. This was hugely important for Coco and Sue, the architecture of the space, and they specifically noted that they hoped it would be a large part of their wedding day photography. Being connoisseurs of unique spaces and lovers of interesting architecture ourselves, we jumped with joy when we saw the space for the first time and started to process how it would feel to work with these two there. A beautiful mix of American and Indian wedding traditions welcomed guests in the upstairs courtroom with classical Indian prayer, garland and ring exchanges, and a closing of Shloka performed by Sue’s uncles. The semi-circular courtroom incorporated the crowd in a unique way, begging their presence and attention and drew the eye to where Coco and Sue were pronounced husband and wife. After the ceremony a stomping bluegrass band brought guests to the dance floor before toasts and smells of curry and spiced veggies wafted through the room. The DJ, operating beneath a period oil painting of George Washington, beckoned guests once again to their feet after dinner and closed the night out with hits both American and Indian. Photographing this wedding felt incredibly special for us because of the historical aspect and getting to take part in such a beautiful wedding in such a storied place was such a highlight of our year. We’re so excited to share some of our favorite images from this day.

Venue: The Old Colony House
Dress Designer: BHLDN, Jenny Yoo
Florals: Robin Hollow Farm
Catering: Rasoi Catering
Cakes/Pies: Sweet Berry Farms
Rentals: Peak Event Services
Coordination: Nikki Vazquez at Newport Historical Society
Music/DJ: Steve Cerilli/DJNook