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

Beisel's fellow Olympians came out in full force for the nuptials, among them Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel and Missy Franklin

From the Olympic rings to a wedding ring!

Three-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel tied the knot with Jack Nichting on Saturday, Sept. 7, on Bonnet Shores Beach in Narragansett, Rhode Island. They were joined by 140 guests, including fellow Olympic swimmers Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel, Missy Franklin, Cullen Jones, Katie Hoff, Natalie Hinds and Allison Schmitt.

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."

Befitting their vision and the oceanside venue, they leaned into a "whimsical, boho beach" theme, with a color palette emphasizing earth tones and muted colors and rustic flowers by Harvest Moon Florals. "We wanted everything to seem effortless and natural to complement the stunning Rhode Island shoreline as our backdrop," Beisel notes.

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.

The wedding festivities commenced with a welcome party on the beach on Friday night, Sept. 6. On the big day, guests gathered on the beach once again to watch the couple recite handwritten vows to each other in an emotional ceremony officiated by close friend Jesse Stokes.

Beisel and Nichting exchanged rings — a Kevin Duris Studios band for the groom, and a Shahla Karimi design for the bride — before they were officially declared husband and wife.

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Beisel walked herself down the aisle to an acoustic instrumental version of “Over the Rainbow,” performed by Acoustic Guitar Revival. "My dad lost his battle to cancer [in 2021]," she explains, "and I felt that if it wasn’t my dad walking me down the aisle, it wasn’t going to be anyone."

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

Beisel wore a two-piece “Behati” dress by Grace Loves Lace, featuring a cropped top with sheer sleeves and a full circle skirt in a burnout silk embellished with a floral motif.

"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."

For the reception at the historic Casey Farm in Saunderstown, Beisel changed into Cult 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."

As the celebration continued, the couple and their guests enjoyed a sprawling charcuterie table curated by Grapes & Gourmet and an oyster and shrimp boat from Watch Hill Catering.

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

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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.

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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.

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 of Ed 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.

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.

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]."

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