A Kennedy's Nautical Wedding in Montauk

Rory Kennedy grew up by the ocean, spending summers at her grandparents' home on Cape Cod and the beaches of Nantucket. So when her now-husband David DiCamillo proposed, she set about planning a wedding that incorporated the feel of an ocean town, and chose Montauk, New York as the location. "We wanted to get married near New York City, and I really wanted Dave and his family to feel as connected to the place we chose. Montauk ended up being the perfect combination of everything we wanted," Rory says.

On September 30, 2016, Rory and David invited guests to the Montauk Yacht Club, where Rory layered shades of her favorite color, blue, with light green and ivory to bring home the seaside theme. Take a peek at the refreshing coastal wedding, photographed by Whyman Studios, and see how the bride didn't let rain ruin her dream day.

"My mom is an artist, and I remember her doing a lot of watercolor painting when I was little," Rory says. While her mother now focuses on oil paints, the bride still wanted to include an homage to her childhood memories and commissioned a series of watercolor illustrations for the invitation suite.

Rory spotted her Carolina Herrera gown on the pages of BRIDES—but found out it wouldn't be in the designer's salon until the end of March. "I was nervous because, with our wedding at the end of September, it was really cutting it close," she says. Thankfully, as soon as she put on the silk taffeta ball gown, Rory knew it was the one. She loved the family connection, too. "Carolina Herrera made Caroline [Bessette-Kennedy]'s dress, and created a number of designs for Jackie [Kennedy Onassis], as well."

The bride paired the stunning design with equally beautiful (and delicately textured) Manolo Blahnik pumps and a lush bouquet of anemones, white scabiosa, blush garden roses, ranunculus, dusty miller, snowberries, lysmachia, and eucalyptus.

"I wanted my bridesmaids to feel beautiful and comfortable," says the bride. Her sister and sister-in-law were matrons of honor, in full-length Jenny Yoo dresses, one in deep blue and one in a sage floral print. Her maids of honor wore tulle skirts with lace tops, while her five bridesmaids wore similar skirts in ivory silk tanks. The mix of blue opal, sea glass, and sage floral prints gave the bridal party a layered look that was perfect for the coastal setting.

Dave donned a light gray three-piece suit, a white shirt, and a light blue tie. He wore a vintage tie clip from the bride's grandfather's political campaign, as well as a silver belt buckle that had belonged to her father. The groom and groomsmen all wore boutonnieres of white ranunculus and blue vibirnum.

With rain in the forecast, the couple decided to move their ceremony indoors, using the ballroom's fireplace and high ceilings to set the scene. A garland of eucalyptus, roses, and dahlia was draped on the mantel.

Rory's three nephews donned pin-striped suits for their trip down the aisle. "They couldn't have been more adorable!" says the bride.

The bride's brother escorted her down the aisle, where the groom's brother performed the ceremony. "It was personal, fun, and just the right amount of spiritual," Rory says.

The bride's pup, Boomer, made a special appearance, and barked as the couple shared their first kiss—timed so perfectly that guests swore Dave and Rory had trained him to do it!

Guests' table assignments were written on delicate shells, which were displayed alongside hydrangeas, roses, and candles.

At the reception, tables were topped with blue linens and centerpieces of antique hydrangeas, garden roses, dusty miller, and seeded eucalyptus. Each table was named for a place that was meaningful to the couple, complete with a watercolor illustration. Guests dined on a baby beet salad with warm goat cheese, seared salmon, roasted lemon and rosemary chicken, and jelly-filled croissants from The Bake Shoppe, a local Montauk favorite.

The newlyweds were seated at a sweetheart table in front of the fireplace where they exchanged vows. Their chairs were decorated with two signs—Rory's read "sláinte," a Gaelic toast meaning "good health" in honor of her Irish heritage, and Dave's read "salute," the Italian translation.

The couple's simple three-tiered cake had layers of white cake with vanilla mousse, fresh berry filling, and buttercream frosting.

"Enjoy being engaged as long as you can," says Rory. "The first month of our engagement was incredibly romantic—I walked around in a love-filled haze and loved every minute of it!" She also says to follow the advice you get about starting thank you notes early. "I have horrendous handwriting, which meant each note took extra time and concentration to make it legible. I kept putting it off, and after our honeymoon, ended up with a time-consuming project that would have been much easier if I'd written the notes as we went along!"