If you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting Kennebunkport, you know the happiness that it radiates. It’s Maine all wrapped up in a sweet little seaside package, and happens to be the setting for this quaint affair captured by Emily Delamater. Complete with mini lobster rolls, a forest beautiful beyond words and a badass vintage Ford station wagon, it’s a New England lovers wedding dream come true. Head to THE VAULT for more!
From The Bride…Sam and I have been together for over 12 years. We got engaged while on a trip to Cape Cod during the summer of 2012. However, the wedding planning was put on hold in order to work on my parent’s house when it flooded during Hurricane Sandy. We are both DIYers, and did a great deal of the renovations ourselves. Although much of it was new to us, we learned as we went, watched a lot of the DIY Network together and made frequent trips to Home Depot every weekend. It was incredibly rewarding to step back, and see all the progress we had made when the renovations were complete.
Both of us are from New York, but we decided to get married in Kennebunkport, Maine. We first visited Maine over 10 years ago, and immediately fell in love with its natural beauty and coastal charm. That was our first trip together as a couple, and Maine has held a special place in our hearts ever since; we have often returned over the years. We envisioned having a small and intimate, rustic wedding with organic, natural elements, personal touches, and DIY details. We chose a palette of soft blush, coral, and peach, with navy accents for our wedding colors. Sam and I utilized many of the skills we had learned during the renovation process, and worked on a number of DIY projects together, including the Mr. and Mrs. chair signs, seating chart, table numbers, and the Just Married pallet wood sign. One of my favorite DIY elements was the large Polaroid frame, which also tied in with our mini Polaroid Save the Date magnets.
Surrounded by acres of Maine woods, Hidden Pond’s natural setting served as the perfect rustic backdrop for our wedding. Our ceremony was held outside at the Farm, one of two organic vegetable and flower gardens at Hidden Pond. Classic arrangements of white hydrangeas, dusty miller, and seeded eucalyptus in mason jars hung from the ceremony chairs with twine.
My bridesmaids and I arrived at the ceremony site in a vintage, red 1956 Ford Country Sedan Station Wagon from Hidden Pond named Bessie; it made for quite a memorable entrance. The morning of our wedding felt very surreal. After months of wedding planning, I could hardly believe the big day was finally here. It wasn’t until my bridesmaids and I were preparing to line up to walk down the aisle that it hit me that it was really happening. My dad walked me down the aisle to a string trio performing Canon in D, just as I had always envisioned when I imagined my wedding day. Anxiously waiting for me at the end of the aisle was my best friend. It had been a long journey to get to this point, and we looked forward to starting the next chapter of our lives together. Sam and I exchanged our vows in a short and sweet ceremony while surrounded by our closest friends and family. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed delicious Maine seafood, including crab cakes, mini lobster rolls, and shrimp cocktail, as well as the most incredible wood fired meatballs during the cocktail hour.
Afterwards, we took a trolley with our guests to our reception at the Event Barn at Hidden Pond. Full of natural decor and birch accents, a boat chandelier hangs from the soaring ceiling in the rustic yet elegant space, while a wall of French doors overlook the woods, creating the perfect ambiance for a relaxed, intimate dinner. Burlap table runners lined the beautiful reclaimed barn wood farm tables, and were adorned by organic arrangements of seasonal flowers grouped in mason jars, alongside succulents in wood slice planters. The wedding favors also served as the place cards, and featured jars of local Stonewall Kitchen blueberry jam in berry baskets. Our first dance was to John Legend’s All of Me, featuring Lindsay Stirling, a very talented violinist who Sam is a huge fan of. We then stole away into the woods with our photographers for what turned out to be some of my favorite photos.
The delicious Downeast lobster bake menu focused on “farm to fork” freshness, and showcased locally sourced foods, served family style. Our guests absolutely adored the food, especially the mini lobster rolls. In fact, several friends continued to rave about them long after the wedding. Sam and I both love sweets, so dessert was very important to us. Kara from Black Bunny Bakery did an amazing job on our two-tier wedding cake. We were so impressed by the incredible level of detail of the basket cake and sugar flowers. Many guests were convinced it was a fake cake for display purposes. It wasn’t until the cake cutting did they believe it was really edible. In addition to being stunning, the strawberry cake was delicious, and contained a mixed berry filling as well as a layer of lemon crème. The custom lovebirds cake topper I ordered from Etsy complemented the cake perfectly. The groom lovebird’s outfit is modeled after Sam’s navy suit, down to his succulent and white ranunculus boutonniere, while the bride lovebird’s hand painted bouquet is based on the gorgeous spring blooms and organic foliage in my bouquet.
We are so thankful for all the incredible, talented, local vendors who worked on bringing our vision to life. Our wedding came together beautifully with their help. We also greatly appreciate all our guests who traveled to Maine to celebrate with us, and helped make our wedding day special. Thanks to all the stunning photos our photographers, Emily and Matt Delamater captured, we’re able to look back on all those meaningful moments for years to come.
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Photography: Emily Delamater Photography | Floral Design: Minka Flowers | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Cake: Black Bunny Bakery | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Makeup: Making Faces Weddings | Hair: Jessica Todd Salon | Officiant: Charlotte Nolan | Ceremony Music: Southern Maine String Quartet | Transportation: Intown Trolley | Venue: Hidden Pond | Cake Topper: Red Light Studio | Furniture Rentals: Details Event Staging | Getaway Car: Hidden Pond | Hair Accessories: jennifer behr | Linen Rentals: BBJ La Tavola