Dani & Tendai's Cozy Wedding at the Providence Athenaeum in Providence, RI

We like to think that Providence is actually the coolest city on the east coast, although we’re admittedly pretty biased in that regard. When Dani and Tendai reached out to us and told us that they were planning on coming from Brooklyn, NY and inviting their family from all over the globe to celebrate their wedding here, we were incredibly excited. The Providence Athenaeum is a hidden gem in New England and to our knowledge there isn’t anything else like it. Edgar Allen Poe spent time at the Athenaeum, writing to a lost love, and little details around the space like the encased raven upstairs pay homage to his memory. Dani and Tendai choosing it for the site of their wedding meant to us that they both cared about atmosphere, and the Athenaeum is positively dripping with it. Perched atop college hill on Benefit Street, one of the most historic and beautiful streets in Providence, it stands stoically with it’s grand stone staircase leading up to the main entry way and doesn’t give much away about its cozy interior when looked at from the road. As soon as you step foot inside the smell of old paper and leather hits and the visual spectacle of walls covered from floor to ceiling in books of all shapes and sizes stuns. Watching guests arrive and seeing their jaws drop as they took in the sight is presumably exactly the result these two were hoping for, and for us it never gets old either.

Their wedding was on the smaller size and utilized what the athenaeum offers in such a smart way, thanks in part to Tendai’s expertise in exactly that: planning events in a way that makes efficient use of space is his job, and it showed. Dani got ready up top in the art room while the main floor in front of the circulation desk was setup for the ceremony. Guests looked on as Dani processed from upstairs where she peeked out at those gathered below before making her way down the main aisle towards Tendai. They read vows they wrote for one another, a few friends offered readings, and as soon as they were pronounced married the relief of pulling it all off washed over them. After the ceremony guests made their way down the main grand staircase into the lower level, which was setup for dinner, toasts, and dancing which made the evening flow incredibly organically. Their reception was marked by toasts from siblings and parents that caused raucous laughter and happy tears in equal parts, and coordinated dances along to Michael Jackson’s Thriller truly leaned into the vibe that is Halloween weekend in Providence. It was a beautiful thing to watch Dani’s family, mostly from the Boston area, and Tendai’s family, from both South Africa and Zimbabwe, meld in such a uniquely beautiful setting - and working so close to home after one of our craziest seasons on record was just the icing on top.

Venue: Providence Athenaeum
Coordination: Shannon St. Ours / SES Events
Catering: Easy Entertaining RI
Dress: Dani’s Grandmother’s dress (circa 1940!)
Menswear: Custom suit from Vietnam
Music: TSG Entertainment
Film/Processing: Kodak Portra 400 / Kerry’s Warwick Photo