A Coastal Luxury Wedding at French’s Point in Stockton Springs, Maine

November 30, 2021

Weddings

Alley left the comfort and familiarity of her teaching job in Chicago to embark on the journey of becoming a school principal at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. In January of that school year, Jon happened to be visiting his mother and a friend who had just moved up to Boston, and Alley and Jon found themselves at the same cocktail party. Drinks with friends turned into a weekend-long series of events – brunch, NFL football playoffs, and a Sunday dinner. Jon extended his stay in Boston, but Alley questioned whether or not Jon would call her back after returning to DC. Calls turned into weekend trips – Savannah, Virginia, Philadelphia, and Maine. Friend groups merged, Alley graduated, and Jon announced he was going to business school. After one year in DC, they packed their bags and moved (back, for Alley) to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Two years and many more friends and memories later, Jon proposed to Alley on a sunny Saturday in Michigan, shortly before they moved (back, for Jon) to New York City. Alley quickly started planning her dream wedding in Maine, where she (and coincidentally, Jon) had spent all of her summers with her family growing up, and French’s Point provided the perfect backdrop and aesthetic. March 2020 forced these plans to a screeching halt as the couple hunkered down in their one bedroom NYC apartment. Come June, as remote school wrapped up for Alley, they packed the car and drove to Alley’s family home in Maine – wedding postponed and no return date in sight. Little did Jon know, Alley ordered wedding bands to be shipped to her Maine home, “just in case.” As the family quarantined and the “original” July 4th wedding weekend neared, Alley asked her sister if she was interested in getting ordained online. One thing led to another, the lobsters were ordered, and Alley and Jon had a front lawn July 4th wedding with Alley’s closest neighbors and childhood friends on Panther Pond. It was a magical way to celebrate the original wedding date – and Jon was already looking forward to the tax benefits of marriage, so they were on the same page!

Fast forward to January – wedding planning was back in full force with more questions than answers. As the date drew near, we realized we were able to host a safer, albeit somewhat smaller, gathering at French’s Point. Alley’s traditional style and love for navy and white entrenched all decisions – from linens to jewelry. French’s Point made it easy – the luscious Maine coastline provided a dreamy setting, and all of Alley and Jon’s closest family and friends were able to stay together on the property for three days of celebrations. The style was a mix of new and old – Alley wore her grandmother’s jewelry, her best friend’s (who could not attend the wedding) veil from her Tulum wedding two years before, and a new dress: Chosen by One Day, ironically the last one she tried on with her cousin Birdie, after eating lobster rolls and drinking white wine in the West Village one fall afternoon.

After two days of BBQs, a lobster bake, and friends and family enjoying French’s Point, it was time to get married. The bridesmaids spent their day whale watching from the balcony and reminiscing stories from elementary school through college, nerves settling as the rose champagne flowed. Alley insisted on a first look, as to not miss any time with her friends during the cocktail hour after the ceremony. The wedding was officiated by a dear friend the couple met in business school – complete with a Breaking of the Glass. As the party moved to the tent, the sun peeked through the high coastal clouds – Alley knew her Granny was there, and not just in the form of jewels. Sugarbabies, their live band, got everyone out of their seats and dancing as the sun set in Maine. At 9:00pm sharp, guests were drawn to the lawn for a marvelous display of fireworks – a true 4th of July tradition. The couple closed out the music set with their favorite bar closing song, Kenny Roger’s “The Gambler,” although the tequila kept flowing, leading to a few late night dips in the bay! In true covid-fashion, the couple honeymooned in East Hampton where their home was quickly dubbed “Camp Honeymoon” as they hosted guests and enjoyed more time with friends who they had not seen for many months. It was the perfect way to end a postponed wedding celebration and the beginning of their “official” new lives together.