This Couple Wed in the Church Where Jackie and John F. Kennedy Were Married—And Then Partied at Newport's Rosecliff Mansion

Madeline Hirsch Stamp, the news director at InStyle and Byrdie, and her now-husband, Justin Stamp, were set up on a blind date in May 2017. The orchestrators of their love story? Her mom and his aunt. “They suggested we meet in New York City, where we both lived at the time,” Madeline says. Justin had a picture of Madeline, but she truly went into the date blind. They met for a drink in the East Village, ended up at a rooftop party for the evening, and finished the night with a late-night pastrami sandwich from the legendary Katz Deli. “It was epic,” Madeline remembers. In December 2021, the couple took a trip to Rome; Madeline spent some time showing Justin all her favorite spots she discovered when studying abroad there. They hiked to the top of the botanical gardens to catch the view at sunset—and Justin surprised Madeline by getting down on one knee.

The two knew they wanted their wedding to be an unforgettable party, and, as history buffs, they wanted to choose a historical venue. They hosted their October 28, 2023, wedding ceremony at St. Mary’s Church, followed by a reception at Rosecliff in Newport, Rhode Island. “Both are so much a part of the history and fabric of Newport!” the bride says. The 1970s version of The Great Gatsby was filmed at Rosecliff, so the couple channeled the Gilded Age via the décor, throwing in some contemporary details, like ghost chairs and plenty of greenery, for contrast. They teamed up with Leila Ryan Events to pull off a gala-inspired wedding for their 205 guests. Don’t miss all of the personal touches, including the Chicago-style late night snacks, all photographed by Savanna Sturkie Photography.

The couple worked with Champagne and Ink to create their invitation suite, which featured a custom monogram incorporating their first initials, an illustrated map of Newport, and patterned lined envelopes. The suite had a custom vellum jacket featuring an illustration of Rosecliff's front doors; it was finished with a gold wax seal.

Before the festivities began, Madeline shared Champagne with her bridesmaids. They got ready in pink satin pajamas with feather cuff details. As for the beauty editor's approach to wedding-day glam? “I really just wanted to look like the best version of myself that day,” Madeline says. “That meant playing up my natural features with a classic soft cat eye, a nude pink lip, and a subtle ‘60s-inspired half-up hairstyle that had plenty of volume, but kept my hair out of my face.”

Madeline loves a pouty lip, so she made sure hers were slightly overlined and finished them with Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk lipstick.

Madeline always dreamed of wearing a Vivienne Westwood wedding dress. “She’s been a favorite designer of mine for years, and her penchant for corsetry and drama just felt right for the setting and my personal style,” she says. When she saw this gown with a draped neckline, corset bodice, high slit, and long train, she knew it was the one. She wore her mother’s diamond earrings as her "something borrowed," and blue Manolo Blahnik pumps for her "something blue" (she kept flats at the ready for dancing). Her favorite accessory, though, was a pair of semi-sheer white opera gloves. “Between my shoe change, veil (which came off pretty quickly), and gloves, it really felt like I wore a few different looks, despite never changing my dress,” Madeline says. She held an asymmetrical bouquet of white, blush, and yellow florals with pops of greenery.

Madeline’s seven bridesmaids wore black Reformation dresses with fringe detailing along the bottom. “It felt like a fun take on the flapper dress,” Madeline says. They held smaller versions of her bouquet.

Justin wore a classic wide lapel tuxedo from Suit Supply paired with his Oliver Peoples glasses. He got a haircut and a close shave before the big day. He spritzed on Givenchy's Gentlemen cologne as his wedding day fragrance, which was a gift Madeline brought him from Paris. The groomsmen donned classic black tuxedos to match Justin.

Guests traveled to the ceremony in a white trolley, while Madeline took the ride with her dad in a vintage car.

The couple’s niece was their flower girl; Madeline’s godson served as the ring bearer. She wore a white dress with bow details and matching shoes, while he sported a mini tuxedo. “The funny thing about their trip down the aisle,” Madeline says, “was that it was a bit of a disaster at rehearsals, but went off without a hitch on the wedding day!” 

The couple’s ceremony took place at St. Mary’s Church, which is where Jackie and John F. Kennedy were married in 1953. Madeline and Justin loved the look of the historic church, so they simply added two floral planters that matched the bride's bouquet on either side of the altar.

Madeline’s father escorted her down the aisle as a violinist played “Air” by Bach. The couple wanted to save their first look for this moment, so they skipped seeing each other before the ceremony. “No regrets!” Madeline says. “I’m so happy we didn’t prioritize photos over memories.”

The service itself was a family affair: Justin’s uncle, a priest, married them. The couple exchanged traditional Catholic vows and then recessed back down the aisle to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Guests and their wedding party were waiting to celebrate with streamers just outside the church’s doors.

Madeline and Justin took some time between the ceremony and reception to pose for portraits around the grounds of Rosecliff with their photographer.

Guests gathered inside the mansion for the couple’s reception, where grand staircases, ornate moldings, chandeliers, and hand-painted ceilings created a feeling of opulence. “The venue comes with a lot of visual interest without doing much,” Madeline says. “Our task was to modernize the space.” They paired round tables with ghost chairs, glassware, and greenery centerpieces in glass vases to create a floating effect as a nod to the cloud covered ceilings. Place settings included mixed and matched china with blue and pink floral patterns for a touch of maximalism against the all-white linens.

The couple worked with their florist and cake designer to cover their confection in "blooms" that spoke to the bride’s bouquet. The dessert included shades of pink, white, green, and various types of florals arranged in an asymmetrical design. “All the flowers on the cake were actually edible sugar flowers—it was truly a work of art!” Madeline says. The five-tiered vanilla pound cake had both almond filling and brown butter filling, along with buttercream. “I am obsessed with cake, and this truly, truly was divine,” the bride says.

Madeline and Justin shared their first dance to “Friday I’m In Love” by the Cure. “We did get married on a Friday, after all,” she says. Madeline then danced with her father to “Our House” by Madness, and Justin took a spin with his mom to “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys.

The couple listened to heartfelt speeches from their loved ones as they enjoyed dinner. Their menu was a mix of Rhode Island seafood specialties and Midwestern favorites, like steak and roast beef. “Our big thing was that we wanted something for everyone, and I think we achieved it,” Madeline says. They served a French 75 as her signature cocktail and a dirty martini as his. “Those are actually our favorite drinks, but they also fit the wedding vibe so well,” the bride says. “It was very roaring '20s!”

Madeline and Justin knew they wanted guests to party the night away, so they prioritized finding a band that would keep everyone on the dance floor. “Generally, we wanted everyone to dance, so disco (Blondie), '80s dance (B-52s), and modern favorites (MGMT) were all on the list!” says Madeline.

They partied so hard, Justin’s newly minted wedding ring flew off his finger on the dance floor. Luckily, one of his siblings found it for him!

Towards the end of the night, Madeline and Justin brought out Chicago-style hot dogs and pizza. “I grew up in Chicago, so it was great to bring some of the Midwest to our wedding,” Madeline says. The couple was too busy mingling with guests to get a full meal, so they were grateful to enjoy hot dogs on the dance floor later. “Something about eating a Chicago-style dog in black-tie attire in a Gilded Age home felt so right,” Madeline says.

The couple spent their honeymoon in London and Paris. To couples planning a wedding, Madeline has this advice: “It’s going to be stressful. Go in knowing that, and you’ll be able to support each other through it all!”