Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon Kick Off Wedding Weekend with Romantic Sunset Cruise in Rhode Island

Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon have kicked off their fairy-tale wedding weekend!

On Friday, the soon-to-be newlyweds treated their loved ones to a romantic “welcome cruise” on the Schooner Aurora in Newport, Rhode Island.

“It’s all our close friends and family, and the wedding party will come. There will be food and drinks, and hopefully we’ll catch the sunset if it’s nice out,” Haibon, 30, told PEOPLE exclusively ahead of the festivities. “I’m very excited for that.”

Rhode Island is especially meaningful to Haibon, who grew up and worked in Warwick before heading out West for his stints on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, during which he met Iaconetti.

“I really just want people to love New England!” says the reality star. Adds Iaconetti, 31: “It’s super romantic.”

Earlier this year, the couple — who also put their love on display in their YouTube series What Now? — said planning their wedding has “been an amazing experience.”

RELATED: See Every Photo from Bachelor in Paradise Star Ashley Iaconetti’s Rom Com-Themed Bridal Shower

With the help of their wedding planner Troy Williams, Iaconetti and Haibon’s journey to their wedding day has been smooth sailing.

“I always imagined myself a bride-zilla because I like to have control of things,” said Iaconetti. “I’m typically the opposite of the ‘go with the flow’ mentality.”

The couple went public with their relationship in May 2018 with an emotional episode of Iaconetti’s digital show The Story of Us (produced by Kinetic Content).

Celebrating Iaconetti at her bridal shower last month, the couple’s close friend Jade Roper Tolbert — who gave birth to a son earlier this month — reflected on their love story.

“It just feels like everything’s come full circle for her,” said Roper Tolbert, who also fell in love with her husband Tanner Tolbert on BiP. “It just feels so right. Ashley is going to be the most beautiful bride ever.”