Everyone has certain places that they feel connected to. Places where the landscapes are committed to memory. Places that shape us and nurture us and watch us grow. Places that become more than just places. Places that – as if by divine intervention – keep calling us home.

For Amanda and Jimmy, Bar Harbor is that magical place where their life’s most beautiful moments were destined to play out.  After all, it was in Bar Harbor where they met and spent summers together as children hiking, kayaking, playing cards, and sitting by campfires together. It was Bar Harbor where they developed a crush that would – true to its name – make them feel crushed every time their annual Summer camping trips came to an end and they went their separate ways. 

By this point, I’m sure you can guess where they re-connected as adults. One serendipitous weekend in Bar Harbor sitting around campfires (for old time’s sake, perhaps) turned into a dinner date, which turned into their lives being forever intertwined.

 This dynamic couple has travelled the world together. From cross-country road trips to engagement celebrations in the South of France to laughing with old friends in Italy’s historic streets to lazy Saturdays in New York City. But when it came to their wedding, one very special place called them home – a place they refer to as “the most beautiful place in the world.”

Bar Harbor didn’t just serve as the location of their luxurious coastal Maine wedding. It also was the inspiration behind the entire celebration. Their goal was to host a sophisticated wedding in coastal Maine that had a timeless, elegant feel – a reflection of their entire relationship. Details like neutral flowers, a crisp color palette, and even a lobster adorning their invitations brought their vision of a luxury coastal wedding to life.

When it comes to Amanda & Jimmy’s Bar Harbor wedding, the phrase “classically beautiful” instantly springs to mind. As a coastal Maine wedding photographer, I can attest that the entire day was full of elegant dashes of refinement that made time-honored traditions seem brand new again. The bride descended a grand staircase in a classically beautiful ballgown before being surrounded by a flurry of bridesmaids in gorgeous mismatched dresses. There was a joy-filled first look and touching vows that brought a tear to more than one eye. Most importantly, there was a groom in a tailored blue suit who just couldn’t stop smiling.

When Amanda & Jimmy said their vows and celebrated their love for one another, I have a strong suspicion that Bar Harbor itself was looking on, admiring the beautiful love story that had played out beneath its scenic skies, under the careful watch of its lush forests, and never far from its incredible coastline. And beautiful it was – the kind of wedding you dream about when you’re a little girl playing dress up – or, maybe, sitting around a campfire.

Thank you to this incredible team of vendors:

Venue: Bar Harbor Club

Planner: Destination Maine Weddings

Florals: Bud Connection & Visions Flowers & Bridal Designs 

Catering + Desert: Bar Harbor Club

Officiant: Scott Leeds 

Hair and Make Up Artist(s): Alisha Lake (hair) Roxie 

Moody (makeup)

Band: Plush Music 

Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Elopements are a rare and beautiful declaration of love. A sky full of hot air balloons is a rare and beautiful sight to behold. Pair the two together and the results are nothing short of breathtaking.

This Styled Shoot proved that loud, vibrant colors can indeed provide the perfect backdrop for the quiet moments that often occur in modern day love stories. The bride – wearing a graceful ivory jumpsuit and a vintage-inspired scarf tied loosely in her hair – contrasted beautifully against the living kaleidoscope in the background. Although surrounded by a carnival of colors, their love story was never overshadowed. Rather, the vivid rainbow hues mirrored the bubbly excitement that radiates from newly married couples.  

 There’s no better way to celebrate a late summer elopement than by popping champagne at a carefully planned picnic. A decadent array of fruits cascaded from the basket like a cool, contemporary take on a Renaissance still life. The entire setting somehow perfectly channeled the fleeting beauty of those particularly hot days that summer always saves until just before she disappears.  

All of it together was simply magical. This styled shoot proved that in the right hands sophistication and whimsey can come together in perfect harmony. But most importantly, it captured the beauty of a newly married couple sitting on a picnic blanket, knowing that the years are going to fly by – but for now reserving a quiet moment just to watch hot air balloons grow smaller in the late summer sky.

Photography: Natalya DeSena Photography

Planner: Pinch Me Planning

Venue: Great Falls Balloon Festival

Balloons: Damn Yankee Balloons

Florals: Watershed Floral

Cake + Catering: Autumn Nomad

Stationary: Three Little Words Paper

Hair: Aphrodite Salon

Make Up: Adore Rouge

Ring: Brilliant Earth

Jumpsuit: Anthropologie

Men’s Tie: The Tie Bar

Karla and Gary are both from Long Island, New York, but they selected the Bar Harbor Inn to host their wedding because of its exquisite architecture and infinite views. Located on the coast of Frenchman Bay and just minutes from Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor Inn is a historic hotel that prides itself upon its old-world, classically New England sense of charm. “We always wanted to come to Bar Harbor for so long,” said the bride, “Also, [we thought] it would make a great family vacation with our immediate family only.” 

If there’s one word that accurately describes the weather in Maine, it’s “unpredictable.” Any bride who plans an outdoor New England wedding knows that embracing Mother Nature’s temperamental attitude is of the utmost importance. Luckily, Karla and Gary are two people who definitely aren’t intimidated by inclement weather conditions.  

Like most modern couples, they started their relationship virtually. After chatting online, the couple arranged a meeting. The weather, however, had other plans. On the heels of Hurricane Sandy – one day after, to be exact – the couple’s plans to meet at a restaurant were dashed because the hurricane had completely knocked out power in the area. Instead of letting that stop them, they chose to meet in a parking lot instead.  

After all, what’s a little weather when true love is on the line?

Karla described her wedding vision as “low-key.” While she achieved her vision to perfection, there are plenty of other words that describe their intimate seaside ceremony and reception. The bride wore a chic, minimalistic gown that allowed her natural beauty to shine. The groom’s crisp blue suit perfectly complemented the serene white decor and chairs arranged all in a row. And a pair of pretty pink flower girls – adorned in flouncy dresses, flower crowns, and mirrored sunglasses, naturally – brought everything back to earth.  

I would imagine that when Karla and Gary dreamed up their Bar Harbor wedding day, they pictured a bright blue sky melting into the horizon, interrupted only by billowing sailboats and maybe a cloud or two. But the weather, like always, had other plans. When the couple exchanged their vows, they did so in front of overcast sky accented by a misty, salt-kissed fog. And while it may not have been exactly like they had imagined it, the weather only made it that much more exquisite. Everything else faded gently into the background, allowing the happy couple to remain squarely in focus. As far as Karla and Gary were concerned, the entire day was picture-perfect.

 After all, what’s a little weather when forever is on the line?

One of the most exciting parts of wedding planning is selecting your color palette. It easy to get inspiration from places like Pinterest and Instagram, but the most interesting looking weddings are the ones that are truly original.

Popular wedding blogs like Style Me Pretty and Ruffled especially love showcasing photographs of weddings that use colors in fresh and surprising ways. If you want your wedding to stand apart from the crowd, it’s time to start thinking outside of the box.

Here are cutting-edge wedding colors and how to make them pop – both in your pictures and on your big day.

Teal

Teal is one of those colors that it takes a while to warm up to. At first, it seems obscure and odd. After a while, however, you start to realize that this multi-dimensional tone takes all of the things you love about jewel tones and takes them to a sophisticated next level. Rich and luxurious, Teal pairs perfectly with dark, decadent colors as well as industrial elements such as Edison bulbs, reclaimed wood, and exposed brick. Teal also is lovely when featured in a variety of different textures. Don’t be afraid to incorporate velvet bouquet ribbons, tulle bridesmaids dresses, and satiny table cloths – all in teal and all at once. Balance it out with black accents and your favorite metallic tones (copper, gold, or silver all work well here) and you have a wedding day pop of color that is surprisingly chic.

Rose Gold

Rose Gold has been an on-trend element in jewelry for several years now. This modern metallic becomes especially eye-catching when paired with white, soft grays, and trendy marble prints. Being heavy-handed in your use of rose gold also makes touches of blush look more cutting- edge than they ever would be on their own. This color palette perfectly pairs minimalism with romanticism. It’s whimsical and girly without being cliché. It’s palatable without being basic or boring. Basically, if you’re a girly-girl who is all grown up, Rose Gold is a perfect accent color for your wedding day.

Mustard

More and more brides are getting wise to Mustard, which makes me incredibly excited. Perfect for fall weddings, Mustard is like yellow’s cool, moody cousin. It effortlessly complements traditional autumnal colors and décor – but it really makes a statement when it stands on its own. Adding touches of gold to your wedding décor will make this color palette even more opulent and refined.

Mustard pairs perfectly with greenery, so let those two colors take the lead when wedding planning. By letting natural elements run wild, Mustard looks increasingly earthy and organic. White baby’s breath, fresh ivory place settings, and a crisp satin wedding dress all act as a breath of fresh air when paired with this rich color palette, helping everything come together in perfect harmony.

Neon

When I say “neon,” I’m talking ultra-bright, highlighter shades that hurt your eyes in the best way possible. To make this color palette come alive, pair it with black accents, glossy white surfaces, and monochromatic geometric patterns. Even tasteful touches of iridescent shimmer could find a home within this lavish and incredibly enchanting color palette. Custom neon signs are also growing in popularity, and look awesome when the lights go down and the dance floor gets going.

While it might seem a little “out there,” there’s something about this palette that also touches on so many different eras. It’s reminiscent of 90’s excess, 60’s mod, and the decadent nature of the 1920s. Plus, it’s impossible not to feel pure joy when surrounded by these colors. While I realize that this palette isn’t for everyone, any alternative couple with a unique sense of style could totally rock this show-stopping pop of color on their wedding day.

The coast of Maine serves as the backdrop for a lot of Northeastern weddings. Celia and Jimmy, however, decided to let the scenery play an even more important role in their wedding. Their color palette was originally described to me as “the colors of a mussel shell.” From there, it was obvious that every touch of their wedding was going to be filled with the same elements that make Maine weddings so captivating in the first place.

Although the bride and groom reside in Los Angeles, the choice to host their wedding at Kittery Point was an easy one. A year before the couple was even engaged, they visited a place near and dear to Celia’s heart – her family’s coastal home, where Celia’s family summered during her childhood. The land where the house is built belonged to Celia’s great great grandmother, Celia Thaxter – an artist and poet who is celebrated on the Isles of Shoals to this day. The historic residence sits adjacent to Sea Point Beach, a picturesque place where you can’t ignore the serene sound of the Atlantic Ocean lapping the shore. It was during this visit that Jimmy and Celia instantly knew this was the place they were one day going to get married.

On a breezy day in June 2019, white chairs stood all in a row on Sea Point Beach’s sandy shore. The ceremony was set against coastal Maine’s sweeping scenery. The dusty blue sky (which just happened to match the bridesmaid’s dresses, and perfectly complemented the bride’s stunning champagne-colored ballgown) slowly transforming into a wash of pastels as the sun set upon the tented reception later that evening.

The décor was accented with thoughtful touches of blue, green, and ivory. The bride was even presented with – quite appropriately – a beautiful mussel shell necklace from her groom, along with a touching handwritten love note. As I said before, Maine’s coastline serves as the backdrop for a lot of weddings in this part of the county. But somehow, Celia and Jimmy’s picture-perfect love story made it all just seem a bit more enchanting.

Four years before their beautiful nuptials took place, Celia and Jimmy met at the bride’s birthday party, which was hosted at a Malibu vineyard. Two weeks later, the couple was again brought together at the same Malibu winery. Although he was short on cash at the time, Jimmy decided he wasn’t going to miss his chance with Celia. He borrowed $20 from a friend so that he could officially buy her a drink. The drink led to dancing, dancing led to a kiss on the sidewalk, and before they knew it, that $20 loan turned into a magnificent love story.

Three years later, Jimmy decided to throw Celia a very special birthday party. He surprised her with a brunch at the same winery – and on the same bench – where they met. After taking a few celebratory photos, Jimmy asked the birthday girl to take a photo of him inside of a special mini bus on the property. Once inside, she noticed it was completely decorated with photos of their relationship. Celia then turned around to find Jimmy down on one knee. If a day full of surprised wasn’t enough, the couple’s family and friends soon emerged from their hiding places and they spend the rest of the day celebrating the newly engaged couple.

Hashtag: #jimmycelzthedeal

Photography: Natalya DeSena Photography  

Planner: Destination Maine Weddings

Florals: Fleur de Lis

Catering + Cake: 111 Maine Catering

Officiant: Barbara Kenney

Rental Company: One Stop Rentals

Stationary: Jamee Strickland Design, Bolo Studio

Wedding Dress: Floravere

Bridesmaids Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu

Wedding Dress Tailor: As It Bridal

Jean Jacket Monogramming: Monogrammit Beverly Hills

Bride’s Shoes: Cupcakes and Cashmere 

Groomsman Ties & Socks: J. Crew

Hair and Make Up Artist: Salon Loka

Band/DJ: Larry Williams Band

When I asked Megan and Howie what they wanted to do for their engagement session Megan said that they play a lot of beach volleyball in California so they’d like to go to the beach. My favorite place is also the beach so I was even more excited about this session. To back track, Megan and Howie live in California, but they’re getting married in Maine next summer.

To some of you this might sound cheesy but I ask my couples what their favorite feature of one another is. Megan said, “his smile, which sounds so cliche, but when you see it, you’ll know what I mean. He truly smiles with his whole face, his mouth, his eyes, even his ears. It makes me feel like everything is going to be okay.” When I asked Howie what his favorite feature of Megan was he said, “ her eyes, “they’re big and beautiful”. These two were so much fun to work with and I loved every frame we captured. I can’t wait to document their wedding next year at Brick South.

My friends Aaron and Nikiah celebrated their one year anniversary yesterday and we decided to go back to their wedding site to take a few pictures. As a wedding photographer, I love taking photos of friends and family and since photography is my biggest passion, I love doing it.

These two tied the knot last summer near Spring Point Marina in South Portland, Maine. As a guest at their wedding, I vividly remember their vows because they were some of the purest vows I had ever heard. They both used the word RAW to describe their love for one another and it was completely coincidental. To say that great minds think alike is an understatement.

So here’s to celebrating these two in all of their RAWness. They are unapologetically real and some of the sweetest, most grateful people I have ever met. 

Nikiah & Aaron – I love you guys and I’m so excited that you’re one year into a lifelong journey of adventure, love, and travel. I can’t wait to travel with you two some day and share in your adventures. 

Today on the blog I’m excited to feature one of the most stunning Maine wedding venues, French’s Point. It’s a year-round, oceanfront, vacation rental estate, offered exclusively to one group of guests for the weekend to ensure complete privacy and an abundance of time with loved ones. A weekend at French’s Point feels like a reunion and a vacation, with a wedding at the heart of it all.

Earlier this season I interviewed Nicole Dearing, the property manager of French’s Point, to learn more about this luxury Maine wedding venue. Read on below!

Q1: DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS

Vacation Rental Estate

French’s Point is a “blank canvas venue“. We provide the outstanding venue with 8 possible ceremony settings, our sail cloth tent &14 gathering spaces, for our couples to choose how they wish to use these amenities during their weekend here. Our goal for our couples is for them to have a wedding that is unique to them & one that suits their vision of their celebration & their budget.

Time

French’s Point is offered by the weekend which allows more opportunities to make memories and share quality time with loved ones. Here couples will make memories that will last a lifetime. Here, they will be provided with unparalleled privacy for their entire stay, without the intrusion of strangers. As a result, a weekend at French’s Point feels like a reunion and a vacation, with a wedding at the heart of it all.

Team

Here, couples select their own wedding planner, caterer and vendors that suit their desired preferences and budget, giving them ultimate control over their wedding experience. This allows couples to benefit from the incredible talent of the wedding professionals in Maine.  This rental estate is a beautiful canvas to cast their vision for their festivities, on their terms. Here, there are no cookie-cutter schedules to follow or minimum food and beverage spends to meet.

 Q2: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU?

French’s Point was a summer camp and retreat for a church based in Bangor for 100 years.  My great uncle was a member of the church and purchased land and built a cottage just down the road from the estate so he could be near the property and a part of the church activity. Four generations of our family summed in in that cottage and grew up playing in the fields and forest and along the beaches around the estate and attending camp there. In 2001, the church fully depleted the funds that supported operation of the property and they were no longer meeting the initial intent for the bequest that started the camp. As a family, we decided we needed to intervene to preserve this magical place.  My parents purchased the farm property and I purchased the retreat property and started the business to operate it, and we set to work restoring the homes over the last 18 years. Family is really the most important thing to us. We are stewards of this place, where families come to celebrate milestone moments together, on the coast of Maine. Here’s a video that tells our story.

Q3: WHEN SHOULD COUPLES BOOK YOUR SERVICES?

12-24 months in advance of the wedding date. Since we only offer one wedding a weekend, our dates fill quickly. 

Q4: WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS DIFFERENT AND WHAT TYPE OF CLIENTS DO YOU WORK WITH?

French’s Point offers 14 different gathering spaces at the estate to host events, large and small, rain, snow or shine! On our 14 acres, we have beautiful exterior and interior settings, with ocean views.  This allows our couples to host events over the course of the weekend in different locations so that each experience feels unique and new.  We have a gorgeous estate house with formal event spaces and we provide a beautiful sail cloth tent on a full stone floor, May-mid October as part of our offerings. Here are virtual tours of the Retreat House & Farm House. All videos were created by our friend Josh Swan from Media Northeast.  

Sarah and Connor live in Boston, but Sarah is originally from Michigan and Connor is from Los Angeles. They met in college in North Carolina and have been head over heels ever since. They decided to come up to Portland, Maine to enjoy the restaurants, waterfront, and scenic views. On Sunday we explored Spring Point Lighthouse in South Portland and Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth. I can’t wait for these two to get married in Charlotte, North Carolina next April.

It was a pleasure kicking off the wedding season with Meredith & Zak at Sunday, River Maine. I couldn’t have asked for a better couple to work with. These two were laid back and easy going and they wanted to keep their wedding the same way. They chose to work with color themes of muted blues, grays, whites, and creams with greenery to compliment. Meredith grew up skiing Sunday River, so she wanted to get married under The Covered Bridge. Her and Zak currently live in Chicago and when they’re not working they spend a lot of time biking and vacationing at national parks, which is another reason they chose Maine’s beautiful mountains. Zak proposed to Meredith while they were vacationing in Anna Maria, Florida with his family. She had just gotten back from a run and he surprised her on the deck, while they were sitting in Adirondack chairs overlooking the water. I wish these two all the best and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.