Rebecca and Adam were married on a cloudy-turned-sunny evening in September in the tiny coastal village of Biddeford Pool, Maine.
Rebecca's family has vacationed in Biddeford Pool for decades--ever since her dad, one of ten kids, was a kid! Adam is from Cape Cod and works on a tug boat. So it was fitting for them to marry by the ocean, surrounded by family and friends, in a place that has been and will continue to be hugely signifcant in their lives. We even chose a high bluff above the ocean for their "First Look" location because that's where Rebecca's parents had gotten engaged years before. Significant, indeed.
When I arrived in Maine on Friday before the wedding, I rented a car and drove down to Biddeford Pool. You have to see the map to appreciate the unique setting:
The "pool" is a large tidal pool off Saco Bay, just south of Porland. The perimeter of the peninsula, dotted with houses and a handful of small businesses, is rimmed by some stretches of sandy beach and some stretches of rocky coastline.
When Mom and Flora and I were in Maine in July we drove out there to snoop around and get a sense for where this wedding would take place. Even in the height of Maine's summer, Biddeford Pool felt quiet and private -- an end-of-the-road kind of place where only those in the know go.
Rebecca and Adam put so many meaningful touches into their wedding day that helped make it a true celebration of their story. The ceremony took place on a lawn outside the shingled lodge of the Abenakee Club and the tented reception was held just behind the ceremony site, on a stretch of golf course that overlooked the ocean.
The afternoon before the wedding, Rebecca and her bridesmaids hand-painted beach rocks with personalized designs in blue, black, white, and gold to be used as "escort cards" for their guests. They made simple flower arrangements of hydrangeas and pale pink roses in Mason jars and, in a nod to Maine, birch covered vases.
The tables, named for nautical signal flags, were decorated with burlap runners and green napkins, creating a sense of relaxed elegance that nicely complemented the breezy setting . The dinner menu consisted of yummy sandwiches (like pancetta BLTs!), wraps, and salads, served buffet-style. Late at night, as the dance party wound down, a local pizza parlor in nearby Biddeford proper delivered plates and plates of cheesy pies. So good.
Adam's mother baked the three-tier wedding cake, which was decorated with sea shells and a barefoot groom character dangling a wedding ring off the end of a fishing pole because Adam's marriage proposal also involved a ring and a fishing pole.
A wire mesh lobster trab collected gift envelopes and, instead of a traditional guest book, guests signed a large nautical chart with the wedding date stenciled on it.
To be perfectly honest, however, my favorite element of this sweet wedding was the bride and groom.
Sometime in the after dark hours, as a foggy mist blew in from the ocean and surrounded the tent, I realized in a moment of particular clarity that I was crazy about this couple and was so thrilled to be a part of their wedding day, documenting the beauty of their love and their marriage celebration. I realized, as I mentioned earlier this year, that a great wedding ends with me feeling more than a little bit in love with my clients.
What a gift my job can be.
During our final phone call in the week before the wedding Rebecca said, "I have something strange to ask you but I think, based on some of your work that I've seen, that you won't mind..." She then went one to tell me that she'd stepped on a wine glass and broken open her foot, requiring 10 stitches to repair the sole of her foot. Such bizarre timing right before her wedding day. Would I mind taking a picture of her stitches and bandage to document her experience as a wounded bride?
Not at all.
