After meeting Jessica and Kyle and having the opportunity to photograph their engagement session, it became apparent just how much in love these two really are. The couple had been anticipating this day throughout their years together. September 12th, 2015 was eleven years in the making!

I arrived at Cassiel's Salon and Spa to photograph the bride, bridesmaids, and Jessica and Kyle's mothers getting ready for the special occasion. The ladies had lots of fun getting their nails, hair and makeup done. When we arrived at the Franco American Heritage Center, the ladies put on their dresses and prepared for the wedding ceremony.

The Franco Center is a performing arts organization which celebrates heritages from France, Quebec, and other French countries throughout the world. It is truly an amazing and beautiful wedding venue! Jessica and Kyle's wedding ceremony was unlike any other I have photographed to date. Large stained glass windows, theater-style seating, and exquisite decor made their wedding ceremony all the more wonderful. Jessica's parents built an arbor which sat atop the stage of which they would have their wedding ceremony. I couldn't believe to learn that they had built it in a day! Jessica and Kyle incorporated a ring warming into their ceremony — which is a special way to involve everyone in attendance. The wedding rings are passed around so that each person can give the couple with a blessing or prayer for the marriage. They exchanged heartfelt vows to one another and were then pronounced husband and wife.   

One of my favorite aspects of Jessica and Kyle's wedding was how their wedding details combined their individual styles, which appear to be quite different, and yet they fit together perfectly! Jessica came up with the term "Woodsy Sparkle" to describe the theme she envisioned for their wedding. To represent the couple's unique styles, the reception decor included sequin table runners, twinkle lights, and mercury glass for Jessica and deer antlers, pine cones and moss for Kyle. Many of the details were DIY projects which the couple and their family put together.

During the reception, speeches were given by Jessica's mother, as well as the Maid of Honor and Best Man. Jessica and Kyle shared a wonderful first dance to "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw — a song that has special meaning to them, as it was playing when they got engaged at Kyle's sister's wedding. When the dance floor opened, everyone enjoyed a wonderful evening of dancing. Even "grammy" and "gramps" made their way to the dance floor and were the last ones on the floor during the anniversary dance — celebrating 67 years of marriage! As the night came to an end, a group of groomsmen and other gentlemen lifted Jessica up and tossed her in the air several times! I've never seen anything like it but I overheard it is a wedding tradition in their family. All in all, it was a beautiful day filled with happiness, laughter, and love.

I asked Jessica a few questions about her wedding:

What was your “perfect wedding” vision?

"Although we wanted everything to look perfect at the ceremony and reception, our main goal was to have a thoughtful, heartfelt ceremony and afun filled reception. I think we hit both nails on the head, it was perfect!"

What was the inspiration behind your wedding details?

"Kyle and I are very much opposites when it comes to things we think are "pretty". Although both of us have a strong appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors, Kyle is an extreme outdoorsman who loves hunting, fishing, etc. I am a kitchen designer who is very into colors, textures, trends etc. and I REALLY like anything with some sparkle to it.

I really tried to make our wedding decor an equal balance of both of us. Many of our guests commented on how well everything came together and how our decor really represented both of us. We had sequin table runners, twinkle lights, and mercury glass for me and we had deer antlers, pine cones and moss for Kyle."

What is your most memorable moment from your wedding?

"I would say it was the moment our officiant, Erika, pronounced us Mr and Mrs Enman. We have waited for that moment for over 11 years!"

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I met Amanda and Paul in June of 2014 during their trip to Maine to plan their Old Orchard Beach wedding at Joseph's By the Sea. After our consultation, I knew that the couple's wedding and details would be beautiful and would reflect Amanda and Paul's vision to have a stunning beach themed wedding just steps away from the Maine coast.

On August 8th, 2015, I arrived at Joseph's and was instantly drawn to the couple's gorgeous wedding cake, as well as other beautiful details outside where their wedding ceremony was to take place. Amanda and her bridal party got ready upstairs in the restaurant and there were many more beautiful details — all handmade by the bride! The DIY beach wedding bouquets, boutonnieres and other details were crafted with beach shells. I could not believe she had made them all herself!

Amanda got into her wedding dress and shared an emotional moment with her bridal party as she came to the realization that the wedding ceremony was only minutes away. The ceremony was nothing short of amazing! The couple exchanged vows with a spectacular view of the ocean and all of their closest family and friends. After being announced husband and wife, Amanda and Paul had a Champagne toast and their guests gathered together as I took their request for a balcony photo.

The couple had a wonderful reception. My favorite moment was when they cut their cake and smashed it into each others' faces! I also loved how they shared their first dance outside with a beautiful ocean backdrop. It photographed amazingly! Inside, on the dance floor, Amanda and Paul also shared a few dances with their two year old son. The rest of the day was filled with great food, fun dances, and memories that are sure to last a lifetime. Congratulations, Amanda and Paul! I wish you many more years of happiness together.

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When I got married in 2011, I didn't know about any wedding trends — and a lot of them hadn't existed yet! Wedding trends are changing, and unless couples go to a lot of weddings, how do they know what's IN? I've spent countless weekends photographing weddings in 2015 and I've seen it all!

1. First Look - Times are changing! Gone are the days when the bride and groom don't see each other before the ceremony, and if you've heard that's bad luck, read on. The tradition came from the days of arranged marriages so that a groom wouldn't see his bride's face until she was walking down the aisle. It was sort of a "you can't back out now" approach. Nowadays, couples are having a first look, which is when they both get ready for the wedding separately, but then meet before the ceremony and share a private moment together. Many times this intimate moment is photographed. A great benefit of having a first look is that many of the formal wedding portraits can be taken before the ceremony. That way, when the ceremony is over, there will be less standing around taking photos, and more mingling and enjoying the wedding.

2. Signature Drink - A really neat idea is to have your bartender (or use the internet) to come up with a unique cocktail that is served at your wedding. Some couple's even give their signature drink a personalized name.

3. Unplugged Weddings - By far my favorite modern wedding trend, unplugged weddings involve the wedding guests turning off their phones and enjoying the wedding (for at least the ceremony portion). I cannot tell you how many times I've photographed a wedding ceremony filed with rows of hands holding up cell phones, ipads, cameras, etc. Everyone's happy faces and emotions get blocked by all of the technology. When you hire a professional wedding photographer, you don't have to worry about photo coverage. Let your guests relax and enjoy the wedding!

4. Wedding Hashtag - Perhaps the trendiest on the list, the wedding hashtag has become all of the rage this wedding season. For those of you not familiar with a hashtag, it is a hash or pound sign "#" that precedes a word or phrase. When used, people can find all of the instances in which that word or phrase has been mentioned on social media sites, such as Twitter. Brides and Grooms have become very creative at creating their own wedding hashtags. There are even wedding hashtag generators online that can help couples come up with their own.

5. Photo Displays - Brides and grooms are opting to personalize their wedding ceremonies and receptions like never before! I've seen framed photos hanging off of each aisle chair at the ceremony. I've also seen many wedding receptions where couples create photo collages, or display framed photos of themselves throughout their relationship. It adds for a nice personalized touch that their wedding guests surely enjoy!

6. Love Letters - I really wish I knew about this modern tradition a few years ago when I got married. The bride and groom each give handwritten notes to each other for the other to read while they are getting ready for the wedding. It's even more fun to photograph each of their reactions reading the notes for the other to see later on.

7. Candy/Sweets Table (instead of candy wedding favors) - Who doesn't love a table filled with beautifully decorated candies, chocolates and other sweets? Becoming more popular over the past couple of years, couples have opted for a candy table for their wedding guests who need a little more sugar than just the wedding cake.

8. The Shoe Game - I'm seeing less and less bouquet and garter tosses and more fun, interactive games at wedding receptions. Particularly popular this season is the Shoe Game — a game in which the bride and groom sit back to back, holding one shoe of their own and one shoe of their spouse's. The DJ or MC then makes a statement such as "the person who snores the loudest" and the bride and groom each hold up the shoe of the person they think fits the statement given. It's a great game that gets everyone laughing!

9. Trash the Dress - While this one is not the newest on the list, it certainly is a growing after-wedding trend. Bride's sometimes spend thousands of dollars on a dress they will only wear once. Resell value on a used dress is rather low so brides have chosen to "trash the dress." Wearing their wedding dress, the bride does something to "trash it" such as jump into the ocean or get crazy with paint. It's even more fun when trashing the dress is photographed, as it can be a lot of fun!

10. Gender Neutral Wedding Party - Who says the best man has to be a man, or the Maid of Honor has to be a women? Having a Best Lady or Man of Honor has become quite popular. Couples are looking past gender when assigning roles in their wedding party.

I can't wait to see how the wedding trends evolve in the next few years! What modern wedding trend do you see on the rise?

Are you overwhelmed with the process of choosing a wedding photographer? Check out these Tips on How to Choose a Wedding Photographer!

In was in January of 2015 when I first got an email from a Philadelphia area photographer asking if I was available to second shoot a wedding on July 24th, 2015 —  I am very lucky that I was! Annmarie Kopey from Blossom n Bloom Photography and I conversed throughout the winter and spring months via email. It was very apparent from our conversations that she loved Maine and visited often with her family. I was very excited to hear that the wedding we would be shooting together would take place at a coastal Maine venue I had always wanted to photograph — the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine!

The day of Krsita and Tony's Wedding was nothing short of breathtaking! The rooms, resort property, and every detail of the venue perfectly complimented the couple's coastal Maine wedding vision. After photographing the bride and groom preparations in their individual rooms, Krista and Tony shared a "first look" on the Nonantum waterfront by the lighthouse. We quickly ran for cover as it began to rain [and that would ultimately set the weather theme of the entire day] though it certainly did not get in our way. In fact, it made for some amazing photos!

A wonderful feature of having a Nonantum wedding is that they provide trolley transportation. We rode a trolley to St. Anne's Episcopal Church just down the street from the resort. The historic seacoast chapel overlooks the Golf of Maine and the views were just fantastic. As Tony and the guests arrived at the outdoor chapel and prepared for the ceremony, the rain came once again. Luckily, there was a beautiful stone indoor chapel just a few steps away and so everyone gathered inside. Nonetheless, the ceremony was beautiful and the couple happily exchanged vows in the historical chapel.

When I arrived back at the Nonantum Resort for the wedding reception (which was to take place in the Ballroom and River Room), I was blown away by the beach themed elegant wedding decor. Tabletops adorned starfish, shells and romantic candles and the side tables gorgeously displayed their ocean wedding theme with photos and small trinkets from the coast of Maine. As cocktail hour wrapped up, the bride and groom arrived at the docks on a 50-foot sailboat. It was magical moment that appeared to be out of a out of a fairytale — as that very moment is when a rainbow appeared in the sky!

Krista and Tony were announced into the ballroom, where they shared their first dance and parent dances. After dinner, the couple did the cake cutting and beautiful speeches were given by their closest family and friends. As a surprise for the couple, one of their wedding guests had hired a professional singer who had an outstanding voice! As the evening came to an end, the dance floor opened and everyone enjoyed an evening of dancing, laughter, and fun.

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It was in the middle of one of the worst winters in Maine that I could recall in the past decade when I first met Devon and Mike. Right away, I knew they would be an absolute joy to work with. They described their coastal Maine wedding vision and I instantly knew that it would be a day to remember.

Six months later, the day finally came. July 18th, 2015 in beautiful Boothbay Harbor, Maine, Devon and Mike said "I do." I arrived at the bride's mother's house while the bride was at a local salon getting her hair done and was due to arrive shortly. I photographed her family as they assembled some last minute wedding favors. When Devon arrived, she did her make-up and her mother, sister and bridesmaid helped her into her wedding dress. There was a large window in the living room that was absolutely perfect for the wedding dress photos.

The ceremony took place at the Wilson Memorial Chapel in East Boothbay off Ocean Point on Shore Road. The Chapel is small and quaint -- just a few feet from the ocean! The family gathered inside and watched as Devon walked down the aisle with her father. The couple's ceremony was short, but sweet and the entourage of guests cheered as they made their exit.

While their family and guests headed off to the reception, I photographed Devon and Mike standing on the rocky Maine coast just outside the chapel. They had also rented a black Rolls Royce which we had lots of fun incorporating into the photos. Then, it was off to the reception to join their wedding guests.

The reception was at the Juniper Point Village Community House on the other side of Boothbay Harbor on McKown Road. It was the perfect intimate reception venue where everyone enjoyed celebrating the couple's union as husband and wife. The reception adorned little touches that embodied the bride and groom's individuality. They choose to forgo many of the "traditional" wedding events, or tweak them in a way which made it their own. They had a cupcake cake and the guests reminisced the couple's past with a photo slideshow. All in all, it was a wonderful evening of dancing, laughter and love.

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