Maki & Hudson's Cozy November Wedding at The Redwood Library in Newport, RI

Maki and Hudson reached out to us in early 2025 to tell us about their plans for a moody, cozy wedding and reception at The Redwood Library in Newport and we were instantly intrigued. They told us they wanted to really craft a wedding day that felt warm, intimate, and like the coziest mid-November dinner party. Curious about the venue since we’d not been, we discovered that it’s actually the oldest purpose-built library in the country and has been in continuous use since it’s opening in 1750. Newport’s full of wild spots like this and we were so excited to see how their plans would turn out after reading a bit more about it.

Maki started her day just a few minutes walk from the library while Hudson got ready with some friends across the street at the Newport Art Museum. Skies were clear and bright and temperatures hovered in the mid-40s with a slight breeze making it feel a bit chillier - overall a gorgeous late autumn day. They first saw one another in a section of the museum, surrounded on all sides by artwork. After reading their vows to each other and poking around the gallery space we explored a bit of the grounds with them before heading over to the library to check out the space. The library is incredibly impressive; vaulted ceilings and tall bookshelves create a sense of grandiosity while the floor plan maintains the intimacy Maki and Hudson were aiming for.

Their ceremony corralled guests into the reference room, a smaller section of the library located near the front entrance, and was adorned with almost wild looking florals, lit low and dramatic, and had just enough room for their around ninety guests. San-san-kudo, a traditional Japanese sake ceremony conducted by Maki’s step-dad Terry, officiating and readings by Hudson’s father LeGrand, and the warmth of all their closest family and friends made the ceremony feel incredibly cozy and uniquely them. Dinner and toasts between rows of books gave folks the chance to catch up in the dim ambiance and characterful floral arrangements, loose pomegranates and grapes gave the table scapes a look all their own. A fun and dramatic outfit change for Maki and guests were invited to the main entryway for cake cutting and dancing, and as the weather outside turned to a downpour folks got down. Maki and Hudson were, in a word, glowing. The sense of achievement was written across their faces as they danced around the floor, stopping to hug friends and relatives before falling back into the groove again together.

Venue: The Redwood Library & Athenaeum
Planning & Design: Sarah at Mavinhouse
Catering: Blackstone
Florals: Greenlion Design
Dress: Rebecca Schoneveld
Menswear: Gwynn’s
Hair/Makeup: Allison Barbera Beauty
Cake: Wingate Cake Design
Tunes: Sounds Buono
Videography: Maggie Barger
Rentals: Peak Events