As mentioned in the previous post… in mid-September, I went to Maine to celebrate and document my cousin’s wedding. Before I sound off on the actual wedding, let me divulge to you my new crush: THE COAST OF MAINE. It didn’t take long before I was won over by the quaint cottage-like homes, and just-as-whimsically delicious architecture of stores. Everywhere we looked, we were pointing and oohing and ahhing. (My mom and dad and my husband were also there…and when we drove around the day before the wedding to explore Ogunquit, my mom SwORE that the windows on houses were cleaner than they are in the midWest. That is how clear and crisp everything felt… the breeze in the air, combined with the warmth of the sun…oh, it was heavenly. And my weekend craving for clam chowder, lobster and steamers was easily satiated at ANY of the places we went to eat. I will definitely be back!!!
Just a few views of the day…
As for the wedding… imagine a day that is perfectly warm, but refreshingly cool… where the bridal party is all smiles and super chill….where family members are giddy and appropriately nervous…where the bride and groom are laid-back and glowing…taking place in a picturesque setting above the coastline…at Stage Neck Inn. Imagine homemade, heart-felt vows exchanged under full sun…in front of onlookers who giggled and teared up along with the bride and groom. Imagine a photographer who was so excited to be there, watching a very special cousin, marry his dream girl, and growing our family by one AMAZING woman!!
Lucky for you, imagining isn’t entirely necessary as I can show you all of the above. So enjoy!
(the top pic, if you look closely, Heath and his best man/brother, Ryan, are getting ready to fish. They caught nothing…but did bring back a starfish, which is featured below.)
(and I’m out of order a bit on this… the pic of the bride & groom with moi is at the bottom of this series rather than the bottom of the entire post. ooops! And also please note the look on one Luis’s (one of the groomsmen) face as he apparently doesn’t get why Maura, his wife, is tearing up. ha! Made me giggle.
The reception was over by evening, just in time for some romantic portraits of Heath & Jen…sigh. (And thank you to my husband for tagging along/carrying my stuff…)
In Jen’s words:
I love Heath because he is truly my best friend. We bring out the best in each other and are really better when we are together. Heath is one of the most driven individuals I have ever met and even though I don’t like to admit it too often, I really look up to him and look at him as a mentor. He always gives me good career advice and advice about life in general. I am so proud of the man he has become. We have so much fun together and everything we do feels like an adventure – we could be hiking through Tuscany or sitting on the couch watching a football game. I truly cherish every moment that I spend with Heath and could not imagine my life without him. When I met Heath, I finally understood the definition of a soulmate because I knew from the very start that Heath was mine!
In Heath’s words:
We were made for each other, and thank God we found each other. Jen and I were cut from the same cloth and while we grew up 1300 miles apart, we were brought up in very similar ways. We met through a mutual attraction, but quickly found that we also had the same interests. Within a few months the two of us became inseparable. Jen and I enjoy just being together, whether doing everything or nothing at all. We often joke that we are the same person. We finish each others sentences, can read each other’s minds, and call each other the same nicknames. Neither of us is very funny, yet we laugh at each other’s jokes. I love her for her caring and thoughtful approach, fun loving ways, positive attitude and competitiveness – she has even let me win an argument from time to time. 🙂 Jen is my best friend and my soulmate and I can’t imagine my life without her.
Thank you, Heath & Jen! It was such a special weekend with you two. And I can’t wait to hear all about your adventures in your new home of NYC! Definitely expect us to visit. Love you both!! xo
