Buxton Wedding Ideas and Inspiration

Rustic-Glam Wedding with a Sparkling Gold Dress

I love a bride who’s not afraid to add a dose of glam to a rustic wedding. And this New England beauty did just that starting with her Sarah Seven dress that’s a sparkly touch of gold. It was the perfect point of inspiration for A Family Affair Maine to infuse on-trend design moments into the setting’s natural beauty, from sequin tablecloths to Anticipate Invitations’ watercolor suite, and every detail in between. White Loft Studio captured the full gallery all waiting in The Vault.

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From the Bride… Sigh, where do I even begin? You’ll have to forgive me, as I’m still adorned in my blushing, awe-struck wedding day goggles. Absolutely every second of our wedding day proved to be my favorite moment…in life. If I were hard-pressed to highlight just a few special aspects of our favorite day, they’d be as follows:

Personal Moments

Every bride dreams of that tearful moment when she takes her husband’s hand in marriage, and subsequently gains a loving mother. Unfortunately, Jace lost his beloved mother, Ronda, 10 years ago to cancer. I was never afforded the honor of exchanging a mere hello, reminiscing over fond childhood memories, shrieking in excitement over our picturesque engagement or wedding day details, or exchanging a sincere ‘thank you’ for the amazing man she raised and gifted to me. In my heart of hearts, I know that if Heaven weren’t so far away, Ronda wouldn’t have missed a beat throughout the duration of the wedding planning process. In efforts of carrying along the amazing spirit of Ronda in our special day, I collaborated with our amazing wedding planner, Paula, and florist, Carolyn, from the beginning, ensuring that the front row bench be dedicated in her honor, saving her a front row seat adorned with her picture, a hand-painted name plate (i.e. saving her seat), and floral garland. I had also collected a piece of blue fabric from a piece of her clothing to have sewn into my dresses (i.e. something blue) in the shape of heart.

This entire process was captured on film by a close family friend at one of my dress fittings and gifted to Jace and his dad (as I pinned a replica of the heart sewn in my dress into their suit jackets) at the ceremony site prior to walking down the aisle. I really wanted them to have that special moment, raw, emotional, uninterrupted, together with Ronda prior to the mayhem of wedding festivities. The surprise was pulled off without a hitch and brought to complete fruition when Ronda’s “saved seat” at the reception was revealed at the end of the evening. I have no doubt that she was ever-so present in our special day.

Vows + Ceremony

We wanted our ceremony to be intimate and most of all, us. We poured ourselves into every heartfelt word of our ceremony, from the heartfelt ceremony script to our tearful (with sprinkles of sarcastic inside jokes) vows. One of Jace’s dear friends, Nathan, performed our ceremony. As if that wasn’t sweet and special enough, Jace’s dad, Ronn, was the best man. So much love in the small timeframe of 30 minutes!

Custom Monogram

Every wedding detail, from our initial save the dates, to our custom, ceremonial backdrop, adorned our monogram of love-struck, intersecting arrows (a clever nod to our serendipitous, travel-crossed paths) encompassed in our initials. To date, such arrows adorn the walls of our bedroom, quaintly placed over bed, as a constant reminder of our fateful love story.

Guest Seating Chart + Table Cards

Our seating chart, created in collaboration with our amazing invitation designer, resembled a Departure Flight Board (in reference to our initial meeting at baggage claim). Each table was adorned with a destination-themed table card (i.e. labeled by airport code, such as LaGuardia = LGA) of important and/or significant destinations over the course of our relationship, highlighting hand-painted watercolor skylines and brief descriptions of the significance of every location to us.

Lobster Bibs

No Maine weekend is complete in absence of a traditional, New England lobster bake and coordinating accessories. Our lobster-bake chic rehearsal dinner was hosted on the premises of the Barn at Flanagan Farm where every wedding guest received handmade Welcome Bags (i.e. including Maine Magazine; personalized thank you notes; lobster cookies; monogram koozies, custom-designed, keepsake lobster bibs; and ‘Welcome to Maine, y’all!’ gift tags).

North Meets South Food + Drinks + Details

Think fried chicken and waffles meets miniature lobster rolls; a Texas Twisted Tea (i.e. bride signature drink) meets a local Blueberry Mojito (i.e. groom signature cocktail); miniature TX pecan pies vs. traditional ME Whoopi Pies. Greeted with wedding invitations adorned with “Welcome to Portland, Y’all!” to a signature beer from every important location significant to us as a couple, Jace and I aspired to infuse our favorite aspects of our Southern homage meets Northern living in our big day.

Destination Setting

Any moment spent in Maine is a moment well spent in our self-proclaimed ‘happy place’ – they don’t refer to Maine as Vacationland for nothing! Therefore, when we began the wedding planning process, we knew that we wanted the occasion to encompass more of an extended family/friend vacation feel. Over 95% of our guests had never experienced the beauty of Maine prior to our destination wedding – it now sits at the top of their destination travel list.

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Elegant Autumn Barn Wedding in Maine

When one of our very own LBB members ties to knot, we know we’re in for an immeasurable amount of pretty, and Samantha of Gus & Ruby Letterpress‘ Maine nuptials? Well, it’s oh-my-goodness-GORG! An intimate outdoor ceremony abloom with love, Henry + Mac captured every darling detail. From their cozy barn reception complete with Beat Train Productions tunes, to hand-written notes for partygoers, and illustrated cocktail napkins, join us as celebrate the newlyweds in THE VAULT!

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From Henry + Mac…Peter first met Samantha when he visited her downtown Portsmouth, NH storefront on an advertising sales call. Though the couple first met in 2009, the stars didn’t align until 2011 when both were single and they had their first date in York, ME. Samantha, co-owner of the custom letterpress design studio and stationery boutique Gus & Ruby Letterpress, and Peter, who works in sales, knew that they wanted their Maine nuptials to feel romantic and intimate for their beloved friends and family. Guests were welcomed to the Portland, ME area with welcome boxes featuring custom-made gin distilled by the bride’s family friends, heritage tonic, cookies from their favorite Portland bakery, cheese and crackers made with love by the bride, her mother and maid of honor and even a die-cut letterpress printed coupon good for free Maine potato donuts from the Holy Donut. From an intimate ceremony officiated by the groom’s brother-in-law, appetizers inspired by the couples’ favorite meals together and custom cocktail napkins featuring an illustration of their beloved pup to hand-written notes that served as escort cards for each guest and family-style dinner served at cozy, candlelit tables, Samantha and Peter made sure the entire event felt like a true extension of their life together and that the focus remained on their commitment to one another and a joyful experience for their family and friends.

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See even more Maine weddings in THE VAULT!

Rustic Chic Barn Wedding in Buxton

Some weddings are so pretty and happy, its impossible for a smile not to reach across your face. Especially when the bouquet from Flora Fauna is this stunning. With planning + event design by Maine Seasons Events, every detail looks considered, and the bride as happy and relaxed as can be. Just take a peek at Emilie Sommer‘s pictures for a lot more prettiness where that came from.

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Casual Rustic

From Emilie Sommer… Cristin and John closed down the restaurant on their first date, and I can totally see why. These two are so interesting independently and together as a couple. I thoroughly enjoyed my every interaction with them since our first meeting a year ago, straight through til the end of their (most sweaty!) wedding day (truly, it broke heat records).

I beat the girls to the house after the salon, and so while our time to get ready before the ceremony was cut shorter than planned, Cristin, her ladies, and Henry the dog (as opposed to Henry her nephew) went about their last minute dressing completely cool. I even stepped in to help tackle the buttons on the back of her beautiful gown. No big deal. On our way to the church, Cristin realized she had forgotten a pair of cards she wanted to present to her parents on their ride. No big deal. Her dad forgot his notes to practice his toast. No big deal. And this continued throughout the day, Cristin, John and their families just going with the flow and enjoying the experience for what it was, not stressing about what it wasn’t. I loved that.

After the ceremony, a lovely mass performed by one of John’s childhood friends, we returned to the house for formal photos, a rather comical experience chasing occasional clouds for some nice soft light cover, chasing Henry (both the dog and the nephew), and chasing the couple as they went down to the boathouse in a gator. It was so nice to have this pause in the day to regroup and capture a bit of the property’s significance for Cristin and her family (and John, too, who has a boat at neighboring Handy Boat and spends most weekends in Maine on it).

Next, we headed over to the Barn at Flanagan Farm in Buxton, the Barn on Walnut Hill’s new sister property. Meagan of Maine Seasons Events transformed the space into a rustic, elegant atmosphere to experience the culinary creations of Masa Miyake in a lingering multi-course meal. Yum. After the sun set, Cristin and John took to the center of the floor for their first dance, a lively emotionally-tinged trumpet solo by one of their friends. Following touching parent dances (Cristin danced with her father to Willie Nelson’s, “Everywhere I go” his eyes closed the whole time. My heart ached to imagine the memories that must have been flooding his mind at that moment), guests crowded in front of the ever-amazing band, This Way, rocking and swirling and bumping about.

Such a wonderful celebration, and a treat to be the one asked to capture it. Thank you, Cristin and John. Happy congratulations to you both. xo

Vibrant Maine Barn Wedding

We’ve seen many a nautical-inspired wedding around these parts, but this one perfectly curated by Maine Seasons Events and captured by Emilie Inc. , has that extra pizzazz that really sets it apart. From the florals from Flora Fauna to the pretty palette to the darling couple – this gallery is simply gorg.

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From the Bride…John and I met in Portland, Maine during the winter he was living on his sailboat, which was my first clue to his bold spirit. We both share a love for travel, learning and adventure and are excited for the journey ahead. His boat also had a significant role in how he proposed to me. We went on our first overnight sail together to Jewel Island in Casco Bay, where we anchored and went ashore. During our picnic he surprised me with popping the question. Needless to say, we won’t ever be getting rid of that boat.

Both of us are from Maine so there was no question we wanted it somewhere that evoked the natural beauty of the state. Our rehearsal dinner was on an island which we thought showed the beauty of Coastal Maine, so we hoped our reception would show the natural beauty of inland Maine. The Barn at Flannigan Farm is surrounded by woods and fields and is grounded in beautiful natural landscape and the barn has a beautiful rustic quality and knew it could be elevated by small touches of design and details for the reception.

John loves to sail so we wanted a few hints of something nautical, which was translated into the colors we had. We had a broad pallet, soft creams and peaches, then accents of nautical blues. Highlighting the space and beauty of Maine really was the inspiration.

We wanted to incorporate a lot of special details into the wedding. We asked our friend Michael Shobe, who is a professional musician, to play our first song on his trumpet. He was amazing! I made the jam and preserves for the guests, and the wedding cake and its toppers. The toppers were champagne corks from our first Christmas together and from when we got engaged. The bride topper also had a gown made from the lace from my mothers wedding dress. We also had our friend, Sherri Michaud, make the grooms cake which was awesome. She made it a sailboat with marzipan figures of John, myself and our dog Henry sitting at the helm. There were so many special things about the wedding, but these were definitely highlights.

The picture of Mike Shobe playing our first song is amazing. I am so excited that was captured. I love the photos of our wedding party (or should I say the attempt at a photo). The kids, though totally uncooperative, were so much fun. Also the photos with Henry the dog, what a ham! He posed better then the kids! I love the photos of John and I coming out of the church, we look so happy. And also the ones of us in front of the barn before being introduced. The sky was spectacular.

Maine Wedding at The Barn at Flanagan Farm from A Brit and A Blonde

You may want to sit down for this one, lovelies. Because not only do we get to bask in the beauty of this Maine wedding brought to life by Maine Seasons Events and captured by A Brit & A Blonde, but we also get to enjoy every last amazing minute of their fabulously-Maine rehearsal dinner. It was a weekend full of love and pretty details, and we get to reap the rewards right here in the full gallery of images.

Gorgeous, no? Well, here is even more pretty from their rehearsal dinner that just screams Maine…

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From A Brit and A Blonde …Jane and Dana were living in London and then Singapore while they planned their big day. Since Jane is originally from Maine – she had her heart set on saying I do back home. They chose the Barn at Flanagan Farm for the rustic, beautiful field setting and the barn (of course!). The vision right from the start was to have dinner in the barn and the ceremony in the woodland area. The stunning forest spot with the tall trees surrounding made for a magical place for the ceremony.

The absolutely incredible design and planning work by Maine Seasons Events was picture perfect. The colors of peach and pale blue became the palette, accented with metallic gold, in the chairs, the flatware, the glassware. Wanting something fun and graphic for the table runners, but also something soft and feminine, table runners were custom made- half in a pale blue chevron pattern and the other half in a soft peach lace. What fun to have a glamorous and twinkling dinner party against the rustic, wooden backdrop of the barn, complete with string lights running across the barn ceiling behind muslin draped fabric by the Event Light Pros.

The floral design by Flora Fauna included a soft and sophisticated mix of roses, dahlia, astilbe, ranunculus, dusty miller, stock, delphinium and thistle, in assorted clear glass bottles and jars, and gold glitter dipped mason jars (we ADORE these!).

There was a champagne bar during cocktail hour with ingredients to make your own champagne cocktail, mini French fries in paper cones, a Cabin Cove oyster truck serving fresh oysters and a 5 course dinner served in the barn including charcuterie plates by Destination Catering. A huge cookie bar at the end of the evening, all made by the bride’s mom and her family sent guests off with a sweet treat. The 155 person group danced into the wee hours to the exuberant music of Retrospecticus and moved out to a bonfire and set off luminary lanterns into the Maine summer night sky.