Over the course of the week Michael and I are going to be recapping some highlights of our 2014, and although sharing photos from our wedding, which was easily our favorite part of the year, would have been the perfect finale for this week’s ‘best of’ posts, we just love the images so much that we simply couldn’t wait until the end of the week. 

We were married by the sea on November 1st, the date of our ninth anniversary. A tiny wedding ceremony down near the water at Fisherman’s Point, a spot we love visiting with Orvis, has been a dream of ours since moving to and falling in love with the Willard Beach neighborhood years ago, and earlier this fall we decided together to make that dream a reality. We set the date for a mere three weeks away, and thus began our whirlwind month of October. For the most part, we kept our plans fairly quiet, sharing them only with our immediate families and a handful of friends, and in many ways, the privacy with which we approached our wedding day made the whole experience seem that much more exciting and romantic.

Orvis, looking quite dapper in his gingham bow tie, was our Best Man of Honor, a title he wore with great dignity and a little bit of mischief. Our longtime friend, Julia, and our talented photographer and friend, Sarah Der, were our witnesses. Having a friend who we’ve known for our entire time in Maine attend and another with such a talented eye documenting the day meant so very much to the two of us. We’ve known for years that we’d someday ask Julia’s father, Steve, to officiate our wedding. His thoughtfulness, taste, and the admirable relationship he has with his wife, whom we adore, were an inspiration to us on our wedding day. We decided to write our own vows to each other, something that I was incredibly nervous about until I finally sat down to do so the day before. Listening to the vows Michael wrote for me was easily my favorite part of this most perfect day, and the fact that we both included Orvis in our vows to one another is something that will make me smile for years to come. It would feel funny not to mention the nor’easter that blew in, just in time for our wedding day, but to be honest, with a little bit of flexibility and with all of the happiness, laughter, and tears, I don’t even really remember the weather from a large part of the day.

With the talents of some of our favorite friends, we were fortunate to incorporate other details that are meaningful to us as a couple. A framed, calligraphed marriage certificate – an unofficial one that includes Orvis as a witness – from Li hangs in our home and brings us such joy each time we see it. In lieu of a wedding cake, our favorite bakery, Scratch, created a wedding cookie cake for us – nine layers of the chocolate chunk pistachio sea salt cookie that we absolutely love. Our sweet friend, Alison, who’s been cutting both of our hair for many years now, made me feel simply beautiful. A floral designer I’ve worked with closely and admired over the years, Emily Carter, created the most stunning bouquet for me to hold and the most original and charming boutonniere for Michael to wear. Although not friends per se, the staff at Folia, where we found our wedding bands, made the experience one we’ll remember fondly. Our rings bring us so much happiness, they’ve found two lifelong clients in us.

For the post-ceremony celebration, we chose to honor both our past and present, by having drinks with friends at our very favorite bar, Hunt and Alpine, followed by a cozy dinner at Ribollita, the first place we visited as a couple in Maine. Coming full circle, just the two of us, seemed to be the perfect way to end the happiest day in our very full lives, and even though we chose to celebrate our marriage in the tiniest of ways, we felt an overwhelming amount of love and support from our incredible friends and family.

The photos that our amazingly talented photographer, Sarah Der, took for us were more than we could have ever imagined. Braving the rain and wind with the biggest smile on her face, she perfectly captured so many special moments from the day that we’ll cherish for years and years. We hope you enjoy these photographs as much as we do.

Ceremony site: Fisherman’s Point. Photographer: Sarah Der. Flowers: Emily Carter. Hair & Makeup: Alison Bogannan. Calligraphed Marriage Certificate: Li Ward of Fat Orange Cat Studio. Wedding Cookie: Scratch Baking Co. Meredith’s Dress: J.Crew. Michael’s Suit: Joseph’s. Michael’s Tie: General Knot Co. Michael’s Shoes: Allen Edmonds. Orvis’s Tie: J.Crew. Rings: Folia. Earrings: Hyla DeWitt.