I don’t think anyone who was there will soon forget high school sweethearts Brittany and Paul’s wedding ceremony at the Nubble Light. Beautiful bride, handsome groom, blue skies and warm sun — what could possibly be bad about an afternoon spent like that?

Brittany and Paul (and their friends and family) are from Virginia. But Paul’s family has a great attachment to York Beach as his Nana used to live there. The Nubble Lighthouse was Nana’s favorite place. No one had been back to the area since her death six years ago so you can imagine it was an emotional trip for everyone.

I found Brittany and her girls out on the deck where they had set up large mirrors in order to take advantage of the gorgeous afternoon light to do their makeup. Brittany’s mother, Dhana, did the bride’s beautiful up-do, while brother Josh helped the other ladies with their hairstyles. Everyone else sort of milled about, playing with the dogs and catching up with each other. It was very chill and relaxing scene.

The scene at Sohier Part was a bit busy. Parking was hard to find, and there were loads of tourists and motor homes ringing the rocks. Thankfully the groom and his guys had staked out the point across from the Nubble Lighthouse. Everyone — family and tourists — gathered round and watched as the happy couple exchanged their vows. Sure it was windy and super sunny out, but the ceremony was sweet and the view amazing. It’s not the easiest place to photograph. There were overhead cables that wanted to be in every shot (I’ve digitally removed them in the wide ceremony photo), the wind and sun were relentless, and avoiding the tourists and buses and motor homes was a constant challenge.  But Brittany couldn’t take a bad picture if she wanted to, and Paul was happy enough to do anything we suggested. I am beyond pleased with the images we got that day. Blue skies, warm sun, beautiful bride and handsome groom, beach and ocean… All good things.

Below are some of my favorite images from the day. You can see more here in the slideshow.

Congratulations to Brittany and Paul — they are expecting their first baby later this year! I wish them all the best in this new adventure together.

The bride made the beautiful brooch bouquet. She included brooches she had found at consignment shops as well as those given to her by family and friends. She even had some of Nana’s brooches in there making it truly a unique and personal piece. Brittany also made the bridesmaid’s floral bouquets. Bride’s hair by her mother, Dhana (owner of Salon Solutions in Roanoke, VA). That’s where brother Josh works, too.  Julie Draper officiated the ceremony. Bride’s dress and bridesmaids’ dresses from David’s Bridal.

Rachael. I think I just might have managed to commit the unique spelling to memory. Rachael and Peter wanted a low key, non-traditional wedding. Their number one priority: getting married. And while I’d like to think number two on the list of importance was the photography, I have a sneaking suspicion the quality of the wine out ranked me ever so slightly.  That is not to say that these two weren’t committed to getting good photos. In fact, they were a dream client  in so far as they gave me AMPLE time to get a variety of shots in many of the beautiful locations on Prouts Neck.

Photographing Rachael and Peter was a ton of fun. These two are naturally funny and charming and like to have a good laugh. And they are so into each other that it didn’t take too much direction from me to get them to relax and act naturally. For me a traditional, “safe” portrait is necessary but it’s not the one the makes me smile or tear up or laugh out loud. I love the images where there’s a true emotion, action, reaction, expression. These two gave me all that and more. Their wedding may not have featured the usual elements of a more traditional wedding — there was no dancing or large bridal party or elaborate floral centerpieces — but there was no shortage of poignant (or hilarious) moments for me to capture.

Special thanks to Rachael and Peter for having me at their wedding. I immensely enjoyed getting to know them and their friends and family. I also especially loved the HUGE slice of carrot cake they insisted I have — even with the raisins it was ridiculously good.

You can see a few highlights from the day below. Please check out the slideshow to see a more complete view of the day. I’ve also done a book design for them which you can see here.

The bride wore J. Crew Wedding. The getting ready, ceremony, and dinner were all at The Black Point Inn.  Dreamy carrot cake by Two Fat Cats Bakery. After party held upstairs at Bull Feeney’s in the Old Port. Ceremony officiated by Nicole Todd.

Sarah and Tom came to me by way of my dear friend, Sam at Samantha Warren Weddings.  I am so glad she was already booked that day because I got the opportunity to photograph Sarah and Tom’s extraordinarily personal and emotional wedding up in the Belgrade Lakes region.  The wedding was at Taconnet on Great Pond, a small island with cabins and a main lodge that comprise a truly unique family vacation spot. Sarah’s family owns two houses on the island, and she grew up spending her summers there. What can I say other than that I envy her! This place is magical.

I arrived early to get the lay of the land. OK, if I’m honest it was the “ferry” that had me concerned. At the small dock on the shore where you park your car is a doorbell. Ring it and someone on the island will come fetch you in the “cable ferry.”  Really? But sure enough, there at the dock was the doorbell. Thankfully there was a staff member already there, loading up a small motor boat with drinks for the party. All aboard — fingers crossed the gear stayed dry.

I found Sarah and Tom on the island. Both were feeling laid back and relaxed as they prepared for the ceremony. Sarah has four sisters, and when they arrived at the cabin it was interesting to see them all step in to help Sarah in so many different ways. Together with Sarah’s good friend, Lindsay, the sisters got Sarah ready for the beautiful outdoor ceremony under the tall trees along the shore.

The tone for the rest of the day was sort of set from the very beginning. Almost everyone was staying on Taconnet so there was very much an at home feeling the kept everyone mellow and convivial. Folks chatted over dinner at long tables and laughed (and cried) during the incredibly entertaining toasts. Ping pong tables saw a lot of action, as did the large hearths where everyone warmed their chilled hands. The party flowed easily from dining lodge to tent where the Tom Snow Band worked the crowd into quite a sweat despite the damp chill in the air. It was the kind of day where I completely forgot to worry about the dreaded boat ride back across to the parking lot in the dark.

Thanks to Sarah and Tom for putting their trust in me to photograph their wedding day. It was such a pleasure getting to know you both!

See some of the highlights from the day below. To see even more, take a look at the slideshow.

Many thanks to the great folks at Taconnet on Great Pond, especially Mary Beane and her super staff at Creative Catering. The talented Tom Snow Band kept the party going. Bride’s dress from Eco-Elegance in Portland. Hand knit bolero from Etsy.