Christina & Rick

Christina McCarthy & Rick Darst | K+O Photo

Christina McCarthy & Rick Darst

September 28, 2019 at Gooseberry Beach, Newport

Newport native Christina McCarthy met Rick Darst during their second year of college, while she was attending Rhode Island College and he was next door at Providence College. The pair dated for seven years before Rick proposed alongside the Charles River in Boston. Since Christina had spent much of her childhood on Newport’s Gooseberry Beach, it seemed like an ideal place to say “I do.” But with no contingency plan in case of rain, it was a risky choice, as well. “I was a nervous wreck,” confesses Christina. “We checked the weather constantly.” Ultimately, the weather held out and Christina and Rick were able to exchange vows under a twig arbor just steps from the lapping ocean waves. — Sophia McCluskey, Newport Life magazine, May 2020

“Saying ‘I do’ on the sand over-looking Newport was amazing.”

Carpet diem

Growing up, Christina cherished visits to the beach with her father, but recent health complications had left him a double amputee. She and Rick ended up laying a long carpet runner atop the sand to help maneuver her father’s wheelchair onto the strand. “I was determined to have a beach wedding with my dad by my side,” Christina notes, “and that is exactly what we did! We couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Greens & sweets

After the ceremony, the wedding guests enjoyed a sunset cocktail hour on the deck of the Gooseberry Beach Club before heading into the reception hall, where they were greeted by a basket of flip-flops and encouraged to kick off their heels. Sheer white curtains, white string lights and luscious greens underscored the minimalistic-yet-elegant beach theme, as did the matching welcome signs and table markers. White roses featured prominently in the bridesmaids’ bouquets and the centerpieces, and were rendered in frosting on the wedding cake — which was augmented by cupcakes from The Mad Hatter and an array of sweets at the “Candy Bar.”

Where are they now?

The couple spent their honeymoon on Aruba, and even adopted a puppy named Jack while they were there. They now reside in Brookline, Massachusetts. Christina works as a property manager at the Abbey Group and Rick is an attorney at Brown Rudnick.

Featured Vendors

Photographer: K+O Photo
Ceremony & Reception: Gooseberry Beach
Caterer: Emery Catering
Flowers: Blooming Mad
Cake: The French Confection
Cupcakes: The Mad Hatter
Gown: Justin Alexander, Alexandra’s Boutique
Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie
Suits: The Groomsmen Suit
Hair, makeup: B Lovely Beauty Studio
Wedding Planner: Savanna Lott