Olympic Swimmer Elizabeth Beisel Marries Jack Nichting in 'Whimsical' Barefoot Beach Wedding! (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Jack Nichting and Elizabeth Beisel celebrate their wedding in Rhode Island on Sept. 7, 2024.Photo:Frame and Anchor

Frame and Anchor

Beisel, 32, tells PEOPLE that she and Nichting, 29, had a few important non-negotiables for their big day — including saying “I do” in a “barefoot in the sand ceremony.” Overall, she says, they were aiming for “very laid-back vibes.”

“We wanted a day that felt like us … and that highlighted our beautiful home state of Rhode Island and the people that make up our community,” continues Beisel, who won both a silver and a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. “Every single one of our vendors was either a friend or a local Rhode Island staple. We are immensely proud of where we live and the people who make it special.”

Elizabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting kiss at their beach wedding ceremony in Rhode Island.Frame and Anchor

While she describes planning the wedding as “insanely stressful” — they opted not to hire an event planner and the athlete was overseas working for NBC at the Paris Olympics in the month leading up to her nuptials — everything went off flawlessly in the end.

Beisel and Nichting exchanged rings — aKevin Duris Studiosband for the groom, and aShahla Karimidesign for the bride — before they were officially declared husband and wife.

Elizabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting celebrate their wedding ceremony in Rhode Island.Frame and Anchor

“It was incredibly empowering, and I loved everything it symbolized for me as a woman,” she adds of the bittersweet experience.

“I had my eyes on this dress long before I was even engaged,” the athlete tells PEOPLE. “I loved how uniquely beautiful it was and how it mirrored the relaxed but elevated vibe of a beach wedding. Most importantly, I felt like myself in it.”

Jack Nichting and Elizabeth Beisel pose at their Rhode Island wedding.Frame and Anchor

For the reception at the historicCasey Farmin Saunderstown, Beisel changed intoCult Gaia’s “Bebe” minidress, which perfectly captured the wedding’s theme and ambiance with its intricate beaded marine landscape design.

“It wasn’t white, and I didn’t care,” she says of the striking look. “It was exactly what I envisioned myself in. The dress was hand-beaded with the colors of the ocean — cerulean, pearl, green and hues of light blue — which matched my love for the ocean and how our entire wedding day centered around it.”

One of Elizabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting’s non-negotiables as having a barefoot beach wedding ceremony.Frame and Anchor

Beisel and Nichting’s favorite restaurant in Rhode Island,Perro Saladoprepared the dinner which included chips, tostones, homemade guacamole and salsa on the tables to start.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Guests then dined on build-your-own burrito bowls with cilantro lime rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, chipotle street corn, lettuce, cilantro, jalapeños, cheese, tamarind-braised beef, chicken tinga and house-made spicy tofu, along with a vegan chipotle aioli and chimichurri sauce to finish.

The charcuterie table at Elizabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting’s Rhode Island wedding.Frame and Anchor

In a special touch, Nichting’s mother, Lisa, made her son and daughter-in-law’s wedding cake — a three-tier carrot cake with cream cheese frosting — in a tribute to Nichting’s late father, David. One of the couple’s best friends, Hannah Arczynsk, hand decorated the cake with flowers.

“The cake was just for us, so we had our favorite local ice cream shop,Baron’s, scoop six of their top flavors for our guests throughout the night,” Beisel adds.

The oyster and shrimp boat at Elizabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting’s Rhode Island wedding.Frame and Anchor

When it was time for the newlyweds to share their first dance, they had the perfect tune for the occasion.

“Jack and I both play music, so we went to a local Rhode Island studio called Big Nice and recorded our first dance song, which was a cover ofEd Sheeran’s ‘Tenerife Sea,’ " Beisel explains. “We didn’t tell any of our guests, so what was already an intimate moment was even more special for us.”

Their wedding weekend capped off with a farewell brunch at a park on the harbor in downtown Newport, and then Beisel and Nichting enjoyed a “mini moon” in Montauk, New York. They are planning “a proper honeymoon” in Patagonia next year.

Jack Nichting and Elizabeth Beisel at their Rhode Island wedding.Frame and Anchor

Reminiscing about their special day, the couple — who first met while traveling and got engaged in July 2022 on Cape Elizabeth in Maine — says their wedding “couldn’t have been more perfect.”

“All we cared about was being barefoot on the beach and having a day that felt completely true to us and what we valued most,” Beisel tells PEOPLE.

Elizabeth Beiseil and Jack Nichting run barefoot on the beach at their Rhode Island wedding.Frame and Anchor

The pair are looking forward to all the big — and small — things about married life.

“Being married means no matter what, we always have someone we can lean on, count on, and trust in,” Beisel says, jokingly adding, “Honestly, Jack is just stoked to finally wear his wedding band. I’m stoked I can officially rely on Jack to do all the cooking for the rest of their lives — cooking is not my strong suit.”

The two say they have “a long list of dreams” they hope to chase together. For Beisel, that includes pursuing a new career as a touring violinist/instrumentalist while running her charity,Block Cancer. Jack will continue his work in humanitarian assistance, while “finding a better balance between work and spending time at home with his wife and friends.”

Along the journey, Beisel says, “we both have a guaranteed cheerleader [in each other].”

source: people.com