I can’t believe it has been a year since I met these two in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for their engagement session! Talking with the bride, Sara over the months preceding the wedding, I just knew that her and Jeremiah’s wedding would be one to remember – and I was right! The couple had an unforgettable first look on the beach where we had spectacular views of both the venue and the Maine coast. Their wedding ceremony took place on the lawn of the Colony Hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine and a reception followed in the hotel’s dining room. It was an evening filled with dancing and fun and truly was a night to remember.

I asked Sara to tell me a little more about their special day:

What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?

Jeremiah and I had envisioned a wedding on the ocean, lake or some body of water. We wanted to keep the wedding budget reasonable and tried some alternative venues such as a vineyard, farm, etc. The minute we walked into The Colony we knew that it was exactly what we had envisioned.

What was your color palette and your style vision?

To be honest, I didn't have a color palette. My sister in law, Ann, was very helpful throughout the wedding planning process and sent me some pins on Pinterest. I ended up going with plum and rustic orange (for the flowers) and the major theme of plum throughout the rest of the wedding for color.

What is your favorite moment of your wedding day?

The first look was our favorite moment of the wedding day. The entire year of planning amounted to us saying our vows to each other in front of our family. It was such a stressful day but when I saw him standing there by the ocean waiting for me it was like nothing else mattered.

What song did you do your first dance to?

Our first dance was to "Real Love" by the Beatles. We chose this song because we felt that the words described our relationship and was a perfect fit for our first dance.

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

Flowers - I showed the florist a picture I had found on Pinterest of the colors and type of bouquet that I was looking for. I wasn't that involved with the flowers other than that. I left it to the expert and they looked beautiful!

Gown - originally I was thinking of a a-line lace gown and had gone to two stores and did not find what I was looking for. The last store I went to with my mother and sister in law and sneakily my sister in law added a ball gown to the mix. I tried on the ball gown and immediately felt like a bride. That is the dress I ended up purchasing.

Cake - for the cake we went with a baker I had gone to high school with. I gave her a picture of what I was looking for and she decorated it with fresh flowers from my florist and it looked beautiful! There were 4 layers and they were cookie dough, white chocolate raspberry, funfetti, and triple chocolate.

Favors - my cousin owns a company called popcornography and was kind enough to provide us with two kinds to fill bell jars for our favors

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

Our advice would be - try not to let all the little details stress you out. In the end you are marrying the man/woman of your dreams and that is really what it is all about.