When I met Taryn and Brad last year and photographed their engagement session, it was apparent from the start how much love was between them. They were so easy to photograph and their session is still one of my all time favorites.

When September 30th, 2017 came, I photographed the girls getting ready at the Sheepscot Harbour Village Resort in Edgecomb, Maine. They stayed at a lovely cottage with a life size wire carriage in the front. The lawn of the Water’s Edge was the perfect location for Taryn and Brad’s first look. We took couple’s portraits in the gardens by the gazebo and on the docks overlooking Wiscasset and the Donald E. Davey Bridge.

Taryn and Brad’s wedding ceremony was breathtakingly beautiful. Not only was it decorated in the most beautiful flower arrangements, but the sky had just enough cloud cover for the most perfect lighting a photographer could ever hope for!

The couple was announced into their wedding reception, which took place at the Water’s Edge Banquet & Function Facility and they shared their first dance as husband and wife. After a delicious buffet meal and the heartfelt toast and speeches, we snuck out at sunset for some amazing photos on the docks. After that, Brad shared a very special parent dance with his mom. The reception events wrapped up with the cake cutting, bouquet toss and an unforgettable sparkler exit. All in all, Taryn and Brad’s wedding was nothing short of spectacular. I can’t wait to share all of these wonderful memories I captured through photographs with them.

I asked Taryn to tell me a little more about her and Brad’s special day:

How did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?

I always knew it would be on the ocean. Maine is HOME, and it was important that we incorporated the things that are special about it, into our big day.

What was your color palette and your style vision?

Our colors were navy, gray/silver, and cream. As far as style, we had a coastal theme with a touch of elegance. I wanted to pull pieces of the Maine Coast but couldn't leave behind my love of glam and anything that sparkles!

What is your favorite moment of your wedding day?

That is so hard to answer! The whole day was made up of so many perfect moments with all the people I love the most. If I HAD to pick just one, I would say the walk down the aisle. It gave me a moment to breathe, to really take everything in, to take a look around at all the special people we have in our lives that were there to celebrate with us, and getting to see my amazing husband with the biggest smile on his face there waiting for me at the end.

What song did you do your first dance to?

You & Me by Dave Matthews Band. It's a very special song to us. We knew that we weren't exactly professional dancers and were slightly nervous about choosing it because it has some parts that are a little fast. Even though we knew from the start no other song would mean as much to us, we threw around other ideas over our year of wedding planning. Ultimately we knew there was no other choice. I remember one night not long before the wedding, after a couple glasses of wine, practicing our whirls and twirls in the kitchen for the faster parts of the song. Let's just say it wasn’t pretty!! The funny part is, we weren’t even nervous about it. We knew no matter what, it would be special. Somehow, we managed to nail all those whirls and twirls! I remember us both having the biggest smiles on our faces after the first one, half shocked that we pulled it off! Maybe that was my favorite moment!

Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc.

I am so in love with our wedding flowers! I received an arrangement for my birthday from Blue Fern Designs a couple of years ago and was so amazed at how gorgeous it was that I told her then, even before I was engaged, that she would be the one to do my wedding flowers. Blue thistle, heirloom garden roses, lots of greenery and pops of pink. Everyone was truly blown away at how amazing the bouquets and arrangements were. The arbor was straight out of my dreams. She truly couldn't have followed my vision any more perfectly.

My wedding dress is the most amazing dress I have ever seen. I had a set designer in my mind when I went dress shopping. The very first dress I tried on happened to be that designer! I pulled that dress through, round after round, thinking I had found the one. Just as I thought we were done and my mind was made up, the consultant brought out one more. A completely different designer. It had been marked down by 50% that morning, was being discontinued, and the only one left was the sample they had in the store that happened to be my size. I remember trying it in and knowing without a doubt THIS is the one. It has the most amazing detail. I have never seen a more gorgeous train. It fit me and my body so perfectly; I truly felt it was made for me.

Picking out wedding favors was one of the hardest things to choose, for us! We both love chocolate, probably way more than we should, and knew that likely we weren’t the only ones. Probably the only time we will have 20 lbs of Hershey kisses delivered to our house!

Our cake was a dream! Brad and I actually got engaged in the tower of West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec. I absolutely love lighthouses and that was one I wanted to visit for years. Brad got in touch with the lighthouse keeper before our trip and managed to get him to let us up in the tower off season so he could propose. (How lucky am I to have such a thoughtful husband??) Brad’s cousin was actually planning their wedding as we were planning ours and showed me a photo of their cake inspiration. As she was walking over to show me the photo on her phone, from afar, it kind of looked like a lighthouse! We had never even dreamed of a lighthouse cake but at that moment, it made perfect sense! West Quoddy was such a special place to us, why not incorporate it into our wedding?? Jill(The Winey Baker) is so talented! Not only was it super tasty, a lot of people didn’t even realize initially that it was our wedding cake! The design was flawless! I didn’t even want to cut it, it was so perfect!

What advice would you give to couples who are currently planning their wedding?

Give yourself plenty of time. Planning should be fun and exciting! You want to be able to enjoy it. DONT STRESS! Everything comes together just as it should. You are surrounded by so much love and so many people you care about. Ultimately THAT is what matters.