Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

8.20.2011 ~ Emily + Wes

Newagen Seaside Inn ~ Southport, Maine

Wes and I met in high school. He was the senior I had a crush on, I was a freshman. 4 years later, after high school we saw each other again, and started dating. Wes and I had been together for a little over 6 years when he proposed. He had a bit of a dilemma, because he really wanted me to help him design the perfect ring that I would love forever, but I love surprises!

Wes asked me to help design a ring in August 2009, and didn’t mention it again. On my birthday he came home with a dozen roses and proposed! I was taken completely by surprise! When he walked in, I said “awww, I love you!” and he replied “Do you love me enough to marry me?” and pulled out the ring. I was ecstatic! He then took me to dinner for my birthday to celebrate, and told me that it was important for him to surprise me, by proposing on my birthday (he knew I wouldn’t expect that) and to do it in our first home together.  It was absolutely perfect.

Wes and I really knew that we wanted to have our wedding on August 20th, from the start. We both love Maine in August, and it was exactly 7.5 years after our first date. Both our parents were married in late summer in 1973, and have been married for 38 years. It was the perfect day for us to get married. We also knew that we wanted to be able to see the ocean on our wedding day. We really wanted to stay in the Mid-coast area, and that limited our search.

We chose the Newagen, because start to finish, they were amazing. When I first visited the Newagen to see the venue, Jason (innkeeper and event planner) gave us a very detailed tour and really took the time to answer all of our questions. We spent about 2 hours there, and never felt rushed. This feeling of complete comfort with the Newagen carried through our entire planning process. We went there for a tasting, and the food was incredible. Once we found the Newagen, it became a very easy choice,  it was truly a perfect location. One of our favorite things about the Inn was that it was only our guests there, we had the whole place! It was wonderful to go walking around the grounds and run into your family and friends.

Our day was incredible! I woke up and it was VERY foggy out, and I was a bit sad. The view at the Newagen is spectacular, so I was really hoping it would clear up before the wedding started. All day while getting ready I was nervous and hoping the fog would clear. I have to say, although we have been together for over 7 years, I was still incredibly nervous! When Deb brought me down to see Wes for the first time, I was shaking like it was our first date. As soon as I saw him, my nerves were completely calmed. It was the perfect way to prep for a day that can be stressful and go by too quickly. Seeing him, and being with him for that time before the ceremony relaxed me, and helped me enjoy the day more… I realized I had nothing to be nervous about!

One of my favorite parts of the day was completely surprising Wes when I arrived on a Marine Patrol Boat. He is very astute and pays attention to detail, so I was thrilled that I could pull it off without him knowing. I’ve heard the look on his face was priceless when he figured out what was going on, I wish I had seen it! And, by the time our ceremony started, the fog had completely cleared, and it was the most perfect beautiful day.

I have heard stories since our wedding day that when I didn’t immediately appear after the last bridesmaid (I had to be quite far away to arrive by boat), people were quite concerned. I heard there was a bit of a ‘nervous giggle’ that went around the group, as people started to worry I wasn’t going to show up. I asked Wes about it later and he said, “I knew you would be there.”

I also really cherish the memories of our first dance; we took many many dance lessons, and still managed to mess up our choreography… Regardless of that, we had a great laugh, and so much fun dancing and trying to remember what we were supposed to do!

All in all, I wouldn’t change a thing about our wedding day, other than to make it longer! It was perfection, and we have such fond memories of that day!

Photography:  Deborah Zoe Photo
Hair:  Bonnie’s A Cut Above
Venue:  Newagen Seaside Inn
Gown:  Allure – Andrea’s Bridal in Portland, Maine
Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse
Wedding bands: Emily – GM Pollack & Sons, Wes – Cross Jewelers
DJ:  Direct Effect Entertainment Productions
Makeup Artist:  From This Day Forward
Bakery:  Fields of Cake
Catering: Newagen Seaside Inn
Stationery (all paper products): Hullabaloo Studios
Florist: Always & Forever Florist
Tent: Marshall Tent
Photo booth: Portland Photo Booth Company

8.27.11 ~ Vera and George

Portland, Maine

George and I met when I was still in high school. I adored his sense of humor and his genuine kindness. Our love grew out of a friendship. He knew how to make me laugh; we just shared everything in common, even our love for comedians. When we first met I felt an instant connection but I never thought or even considered dating him- he was just someone I got along with. It wasn’t until later that I realized I couldn’t live without him. Our relationship was long distance- he lived in New Hampshire and I lived in Maine. We talked every day and whenever I’d have a day off or if it was the weekend he would drive up to see me. We would always go to the Old Port and walk around to look at the different shops, and just to hang out at our local coffee shop. We enjoyed walking together even when it was unbelievably cold outside.

As time went by our love grew stronger and on our one year anniversary he proposed on our trip to Boston. It was absolutely perfect. He serenaded me, there were fireworks and he asked me the one question that I’d been waiting to hear. Our wedding was August 27th, the entire week I dealt with the fear of Hurricane Irene. Every time I watched the news or turned on the radio a newscaster would say how horrible of a weekend we were going to have with rain, wind and one unhappy bride. This was something I chose not to believe I knew the weather would be absolutely perfect. Also the fact that I’ve been praying for good weather on my wedding day ever since I was five may have helped out a little bit.

So come Saturday I woke up and anxiously peaked out the window. There was nothing out there besides blue skies and the sun shining down from above for me and for every other bride getting married in Maine! After getting ready with the girls we took the limo to Old Port where George and I would see each other for the first time on our wedding day. I thought the Old Port was the perfect touch because that’s where our love and relationship grew. The whole morning I was so anxious, nervous and awaited what this day would be like. It wasn’t until George turned around that all of the feelings of nervousness disappeared and pure happiness flooded across my face. The ceremony was touching and exactly what I pictured the moment to be like. After the ceremony the reception awaited us and there we got to eat and enjoy not just the touching speeches everybody had for us but all of my planning and decorating come together. The time we had for a quick photo shoot right after the reception was our moment to escape all of our guests and just to enjoy our first day as husband and wife. Then we grabbed our wedding party and headed off to Old Orchard beach for some fun. Old Orchard was the perfect way to end the day- there were a ton of people congratulating us and the lights from the carousel created a dreamy atmosphere.

Vendors:
Limo – Atlantic limousine
Reception Decor – Balloon Magic
Catering – Family and Friends
Photographer – Yuriy Manchik Photographers
Videographer – Aperina Studios

10.9.11 Chris and Meg
Stage Neck Inn ~ York Harbor, Maine

Planning our destination wedding had its challenges, but in the end it was absolutely perfect! The decision to have a destination wedding was pretty simple, we live in Chicago and our families and friends are spread across six states and two countries so they would all be traveling anyway. After a weekend in Maine enjoying the local attractions and visiting possible wedding venues, we fell in love with the area and knew it would be perfect for our wedding. York Harbor is breathtaking, and has the comforting small town feel where everyone knows each other. The main drag up the coast is lined with multiple bed and breakfasts, each one more charming than the next… and there is so much history in the area. October paints a canvas of vivid fall colors as the leaves begin to change, and just makes you relax.

Both of us are big foodies, so we decided that food had to be one of our two planning priorities for the wedding (tied for first was photography). We would have the photos as memories for years to come and recognized that item as a long term investment. Lobster is so prevalent in New England, specifically Maine, so instantly that became a mini food related theme. We had a small guest list (40 total) and thought a lobster bake rehearsal dinner would be a perfect kick-off for the weekend festivities! Since we had a small group it would be intimate and everyone could socialize and get to know one another before the reception.

We had a strict budget, coupled with my love of crafts and planning from 800 miles away a stage was set for our “dressed-up-casual” evening escorted by UPS next day delivery! It was important to me that every detail be personalized and all the pieces fall into place for the big day. With the help of my wonderful groom, bridesmaids, and the staff at the Stage Neck Inn all the pieces came together for an amazing, unforgettable evening.

photographer: Whitney, emilie inc. photography
venue: Stage Neck Inn, York, Maine
florist: Flowers by the Sea
dj: Fred Pappalardo
cake: Confection Art
gown: Victoria Sdoukos at Boutique Victoria

8.20.11 Allison and Matt

How We Met
Allison and Matt met in 1994, but remained just friends for ten of those seventeen years. Their paths continued to cross in Colorado, Cape Cod and Boston. However one night, brimming with confidence, Matt saw an opportunity to take this friendship to another level. Apparently he had misread the situation.

It was bad.

Witnesses claimed it was the worst public humiliation they had ever seen. Crash and burn. Denied. Summarily rejected.

Over the next several months, based on unsubstantiated optimism, Matt continued to pursue Allison. Some may call it stalking, while others would classify it as persistence, but eventually Allison acquiesced and agreed to a first date.

Which brings us to the first date. By all accounts, the cliched Halloween night in Salem was going well. After taking ghost tours, visiting pumpkin patches and haunted houses the young couple decided to have a romantic dinner on the waterfront. The conversation had a nice flow. There weren’t any awkward pauses. She was laughing at the right moments. He was listening intently and asking appropriate questions. Even the waitstaff and fellow patrons seated in close proximity seemed to be rooting for the underdog. And that’s when Allison informed Matt of her plans to go on “8 Minute Dating” the following Wednesday. She would meet several men in eight minute intervals, she informed him, and could choose the man with whom she had the best chemistry at the end of the evening.

Being a man, Matt didn’t want to tip his hand so soon in the relationship, or relinquish his final shred of dignity. So he calmly put down his napkin, cleared his throat and looked Allison directly in the eye—and begged her not to go.

She didn’t.

Long Island, Maine

Allison’s first memories of Long Island are from her early childhood, growing up with her brother, Aaron, and older sister, Meredith, in Portland, Maine. Allison’s grandmother, Polly Cushing Clough, spent many summers on the island, one of six islands in Portland Harbor served by the Casco Bay Lines ferries. The entire island was once owned by one of Polly’s ancestors, Ezekiel Cushing, who purchased it in 1732, willing the island to his children when he died in 1765.

Polly, her parents, and her four sisters and four brothers, spent many summers on the island, staying in a one room schoolhouse with blankets hung from the rafters to make bedrooms. As children, Polly remembers going to the back door of her grandfather’s hotel, the Casco Bay House, to get a freshly baked muffin. The Casco Bay House was one of several huge hotels built on the island during the late 1800s, when thousands of summer visitors came by boat to get away from the summer heat in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

Allison, Aaron and Meredith spent many summer days on the island with their mom and grandmother, swimming in the cold surf, building sand castles and playing with their cousins. Every July, they join lots of Cushing descendants in a family reunion, which brings more than 100 relatives from across the country.

In 1998, Allison’s mom, Paula, was visiting cousins on the island when she learned that a small summer cottage at the East End was for sale. She jumped at the chance to own a small piece of this special place, and the rest, as they say, is history. In what is certainly a “meant to be” scenario, Paula learned the day she bought the cottage, that the person who first bought the building was Hannah Cushing, who, she later learned, was her sixth cousin.

The little cottage, at 1106 Island Avenue, was built around the year 1905 to serve as the Mariner Post Office. Paula has a photocopy of an old post card of the building hanging in her cottage. The 22 by 22 foot building was originally located at one of the island’s notable sites, a sharp curve at the bottom of a hill, appropriately named “The Wicked Corner.” When the post office closed, probably in the 1920s, it was moved by two oxen to its present location, about a mile away. A kitchen and bathroom was added, and the cottage has remained essentially the same since that time.  When Paula bought the cottage, the original mail slot was still in place on the porch.

Now Meredith, Allison and Matt, Aaron and his wife Rachel, and their two year old son, Ronan, have their own place to gather on the island every summer. Aaron and Rachel were married on the island, in front of Paula’s cottage, in 2008.

Allison’s wish to be married on this very special island, came true this summer when family and friends gathered at the Drake’s, also located at the East End, just a short distance from Paula’s cottage, to celebrate Matt and Allison’s wedding.

Photography:  Erin Kate Photography
Ceremony/Reception:  Drake’s Cottage, Long Island, ME
Bride’s Gown:  Filene’s Running of the Brides
Hair/Makeup:  Julie Donovan, Beauty on the Beach, Portland, ME
Groom’s Attire:  Tommy Hilfiger
Caterer:  Sam’s Great Northern Lobster Bakes
Invitations:  Handmade by Bride & Groom
Flowers:  Sawyer & Company Flowers
Cake:  Barbara Johnson
DJ:  Mike Falco, Camco Productions