Amanda & Kevin: Monmouth/Harpswell, Maine Wedding

Who: Amanda & Kevin
What: A casual and connective lively lobster luncheon and loungearound on the Maine coast for 120
Where: Ceremony at the bride's childhood church -the United Church of Monmouth- and tented luncheon on the water at Wildwood, a private oceanside cottage in Harpswell
When: June 13, 2009
How: Flowers by Winthrop florist Pat Foss (phone #377-2661) and delicious catering by Laura Chabot of Waldoboro.

Why: Both working in the land development field, Amanda and Kevin met five years ago working for their respective employers on a project in downtown Rockland. But it wasn't until two years ago, when Kevin returned from getting his graduate degree in urban planning at Harvard that the two even thought of moving from colleagues to couple. But after a single date, and some emotionally evasive emailing (you don't want to appear too interested of course!), they suddenly just knew. As Amanda told me, "We both confirmed we were 'done looking' within several months of dating. Our love for each other feels very complete, perhaps because we have each had life experience that lead us to recognize early on we found what we were looking for and knew how to hold onto it."

But while their hearts knew their love was real and right (oh boy, did they know!), it was more important to Amanda and Kevin that Kevin's beloved young daughter, Alex, felt there was room in her heart and her home to accept Amanda. And Alex, engaging and excited and graceful (both in mind and movement) in a way that belies her six short years, did so with an openness and love that made Amanda adore her even more, and admire Kevin. As a father. As a man. As a husband. And it was that realization and that powerful process of two plus one becoming one family that led to this day, where what everyone was feeling was finally formalized.

I love the reverence with which I found Amanda looking up at her dress with as she got ready in her parent's Monmouth home.


A most beautiful bride.


Just down the street from her childhood home, the Monmouth church where Amanda and Kevin were married was also where her parents once wed. I love these two images of the bride's father lifting her veil and giving her away as her little sister (the maid-of-honor) looks on adoringly.




Taking it all in...


And holding back tears. Tears of joy. Of hope. Of respect, of honor to tradition and of understanding for the magnitude of this moment.


I love all of the story lines told in this single image, but it is little Alex delicately dabbing her eyes with a tissue that makes it so poignant a picture for me.


The bride and groom greeted their guests on the lawn of the church. In this image, they are actually hugging the mother and stepfather of one of my 2008 grooms, who recently became a father. Thanks for the referral Katie and Courtney, and welcome to the world little William!


Family.


When I first learned that the church ceremony was to be in Monmouth and then the reception more than an hour drive away in Harpswell, I couldn't imagine why. But when I learned of the meaning of the Monmouth church to Amanda and her family, and then arrived at this classic cottage on the ocean's edge in Harpswell that was lent to the couple for the weekend by a close friend of the groom's, I knew it was worth the distance!


Given how stunning the site already was, Amanda and Kevin let the view take centerstage, and brought some green under the tent with cute little pots of herbs that doubled as decorations and favors. Simple, yet so fitting for a springtime lobster luncheon.


An elegant cake topped with yellow and green flowers complimented the color scheme, and was delicious. (I've made a vow to myself to try to taste more of my couples' cakes. Really, it's my professional duty!)


Though there was a brief best man's toast and a cake-cutting, Amanda and Kevin choose to keep the afternoon casual. Guests lingered on the lawn, enjoying one of June's rare bluebird days while the children chased each other with fistfuls of seaweed and blew pinwheels thoughtfully picked out and purchased by Alex and Amanda. I came around the back of the house to find Amanda applying sunscreen on her sister and capture this snap of a very sweet and smart moment.


I bet there were but a few weddings in June where sunglasses were a necessity. I caught Amanda's reflection in her father's when they were catching up on the lawn.


Given that the luncheon was just a few short hours and I felt it was important for Amanda and Kevin to get the most of their time with their guests, we opted to do the pictures of the two of them later in the day after many of their friends had gone home. I took some time while the guests were in line for lobster to do a walk-around of the site, scoping out some of the most scenic spots for us to shoot in so that when the bride and groom were ready, we could be most efficient with their time. As a result, we got such a nice variety of images that I know will soon bring color and joy to the walls of the couple's new home.

This small woodshed flanked by tall pines provided a sweet starting place.








We then worked our way across this lawn to this blooming bay of rhododendrons. It's important to remember that I do not pose my couples. I work so thoughtfully from the moment we first connect to make them feel comfortable with me and themselves around me and then I simply bring them to the place, and let them interact in a way that is most reflective of their relationship. Some couples prefer to be playful, while others like Amanda and Kevin take this calm moment during a somewhat chaotic day to be very tender with each other. While it's certainly cool for a client to look like a model in a magazine in their images, it's more important to me that my brides and grooms see themselves, and no one else in their wedding imagery.








Black and white treatments give the images a totally different tone.






Framing with flowers...


I had seen a couple cuddling on this bench during lunch, and knew we had to get Amanda and Kevin there. They are so intimate and connected to each other and the moment that you would never guess both their families are standing just a few feet away. I can almost see them sitting here in 50 years with their grandchildren playing on the lawn.








And we ended down by the water.


Amanda and Kevin, congratulations on such a meaningful and memorable day. Hope you had the most fabulous time exploring Italy and are settling delightfully into your new home.

And be sure to watch their slideshow here.

Abbie & Paul: Backyard Freeport Maine wedding

Who: Abbie and Paul
What: A backyard groundbreaking ceremony turned tented wedding celebration luncheon for 60 or so
Where: The lawn of the couple's home-to-be in Freeport
When: May 16, 2009
How: Simply elegant flowers from Stephanie at the Yarmouth based Flora Home, luncheon of quiche and salads catered by Joni and her crew from Dinner at Your Door in Freeport, cake from the European Bakery in Falmouth, violin solo from Paul D'Alessio (993-2756), tent from Taylor Rental in Brunswick and ceremony performed by Rev. Peter Panagore (known by you likely for his Daily Devotions segment on Maine's NBC affiliates WCSH6 and WLBZ2 and by me because he performed my dad's wedding ceremony in Belfast four summers ago).

Why: Abbie and Paul weren't even planning a wedding. No, really. They weren't.

They'd both been married before, and were just content to have found each other. Besides, they were about to embark on a massive home construction project on land they'd recently purchased in a farmland field in Freeport. Abbie, a well-known Maine wedding photographer and longtime photography instructor at North Yarmouth Academy, was going to be busy overseeing the process, and Paul, an organization development consultant, had nary a free day with client trips to California, Mexico, France and around New England already scheduled this spring and summer.

They were planning a groundbreaking ceremony -casual of course- for a few close family and friends to celebrate the turning of the earth that would one day soon host their home. Abbie called her beloved daughter, who lived across the country in Seattle, to ask her to attend, but it was Emma's quick response that offered the real invitation: "Why don't you just get married then too, Mom?" she wondered.

And it was exactly what Abbie, whose children Emma and Thatcher are her whole world, wanted to hear, and so with their blessing, she and Paul scurried about for four weeks, and transformed a humble dig-in-the-dirt among friends to a lively and oh-so-lovely luncheon for 60 or so people who could think of being nowhere else on that day, with thoughtful details that spoke perfectly of the couple's passion for the natural world, and the one they'd created together.

I had the honor of getting to know and admire Paul through a non-Samantha Warren Weddings undertaking this spring and when Abbie and I met to discuss their wedding plans, we were fast friends, with lots of photo shop talk as I caught her up on how the industry has changed in the few years since she stopped photographing Maine weddings. I was struck by how thoughtful both she and Paul were when it came to getting married, and specifically the impact it would have on Abbie's children, who happened to be about my age. They curiously and candidly wondered about my experience with my new step-parents, and two parents who had become closer friends since their divorce than they ever were when they were married.

And so when Abbie and Emma, wearing matching cowboy boots, came down the dirt driveway, their arms tight around each other, sprite smiles on their faces, I didn't know whether to giggle with giddiness or weep with joy and hope and a heart heaped with love for love. And throughout the afternoon, I and every other guest blessed to be there, did both and every other emotion in between as we celebrated the union of two people who had found such peace in each other, and as a result, into so many of our lives, if even just for that day. What a wonderful thing to witness!

I love this worn bible used during the ceremony- it has so much character! Only in Maine would duct tape not be considered sacrilege on this most holy of books.


Details like this perfectly-tied ribbon and branches give personality to what might have otherwise been just a plain white tent. And it compliments the bride's shawl.


With the ceremony at high noon, Abbie and Paul opted to have it under the tent so guests wouldn't have to shield their eyes from the sun's glare. It was -shall we say- intimate under there, so this young wedding guest hopped up on his mom's shoulders for a better view of the ring exchange. I later found out Abbie had actually photographed his parent's wedding years before and that she plans to go into the boutique egg business with him.


After the pronouncement, two co-workers of Abbie's from NYA (North Yarmouth Academy) performed a very poignant "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and I like this tight shot of Paul holding Abbie in his arms during that.


Guests linked hands and hearts for a final blessing.


After the marriage ceremony, it was time for a groundbreaking ceremony to kick-off construction at the couple's home-to-be. Guests gathered round what will one day be the front door as Abbie did a reading on the meaning of home in their lives and in all of ours.


I'd photographed groundbreakings before in my newspaper work, but never have I seen one done with such gusto, and in a dress and suit to boot!




Then it was time for a simple spring luncheon under the tent. Here are some of my favorite details from lunchtime. From top right and going clockwise: in lieu of gifts, the couple asked that guests give them seedlings to plant around their new home; the bride wore cowboy boots, as did several other guests; the couple cleverly used their new mailbox as their card box; a basket of bug spray is a must for any Maine wedding; and simple terracotta pots piled with moss and ferns served as the centerpieces.


Though Abbie and Paul strove to make their wedding nontraditional, there were some traditional aspects, like this toast.


And the cake cutting.


Usually a cake-cutting is a more riotous affair, but I think it was during this very traditional moment that the untraditional Abbie truly realized the magnitude of this moment- that she was really a bride just like the hundreds of brides over the years she photographed and was deserving of experiencing the same joy and excitement she so often photographed them feeling. Overcome with emotion, she finds solace in Paul's arms again.


Abbie and Paul trusted me enough that they didn't give me a lot of photographic direction, which is great! But, Abbie had one demand of me- that I convince her son and daughter, who live in Seattle, to move back to Maine. The two are so, so, so important to Abbie that she didn't proceed with the wedding until she had their blessing. Her joy in their company is captured in this series of images, which I had to share because I think it shows the way I shoot portraits- and that's capturing both the group, and the group dynamic.


The bride and groom sitting in their living room. Don't you love Abbie's cowboy boots and Paul's running shoes. Very them!


As with all my couples, I stepped back and let Abbie and Paul revel in each other.










And revel they did! Abbie and Paul...there are no words. I was so grateful to be included in your day and now, in your lives. More than a month later, and I'll still catch myself smiling when I recall one of the seemingly fleeting moments from the day that has had such a lasting impression on my heart. So glad I convinced one of your kids to move back to Maine. I'll work on Emma. Once you build it, maybe she will come!

And don't forget to watch their slideshow here.

Martha, Martha, Martha!

My first girl crush was Diane Keaton, then Diane Lane, but lately, my love has been for one lady (excluding family and Alder)- the superwoman who is Martha Stewart. After all, who else can condense a sugar cookie recipe in a single 140 character tweet; make ponchos, K-Mart and insider trading chic; and run a multimedia empire worth upwards of $600 million, all while keeping her perfectly pressed white button-down free from sauce (homemade, of course) stains?

Speaking of empires, last week Martha expanded hers with an elegant entrance into higher education. With downloadable "how-to" videos taught by Madam Martha herself, content at Martha University is grouped into three categories: recipes, decorating and crafts; wedding ideas; and Martha Stewart classics (comprised of five of Martha’s PBS TV specials that aired in the 80s and 90s). Varying in length - "Cupcake Decorating" runs a total of 46:17 and is broken into nine segments, while "Weddings: Gowns and Accessories" is 1:21:48 spread over 14 -, the tutorials are priced between $5.95 and $12.95 (no surprise to brides-to-be, the wedding ones are the most costly) and can be watched on an iPod, on your computer or burned to a DVD.

Anyone bride who has longingly leafed through an issue of Martha Stewart Weddings knows that no one does weddings better than Martha (though sadly the same cannot be said about her and marriage). And while it's one thing to see a well-styled, well-shot picture of a parasol placecard on a magazine page, for us mere mortals, it's another thing to actually create something that doesn't look like a preschool craft project. We need a little more hand-holding than a few written steps and what a better teacher than Martha Stewart herself.

Currently, the wedding course offerings cover: "Cakes", "DIY Basics" (basic is such a relative term here), "Favors & Gifts", "Flowers" and "Gowns & Accessories". Each can be downloaded for $12.95, or you can purchase one to send to a friend (what a great engagement gift). So much for summer vacation.

And just because it's a sweet sunny Friday and my loyal blog readers have been all too neglected of late, I'll toss out a little treat. Any couple who signs a wedding contract with me between now and September 1 will receive a full scholarship to the Martha Stewart Wedding class of their choice. Now that's a good thing!

Happy Birthday, dearest Nikon!!!

Then (August 15, 2007)...


And now (June 15, 2009)...


He takes up more room on our couch. And in our hearts. The bestest of birthdays to Nikon, the softest snugglebug I know, who today turns two.

(Advance) Amanda & Kevin: Harpswell, Maine Wedding

Couldn't have prayed for a better day for Amanda and Kevin's Harpswell wedding on the water. Look for complete coverage of this wedding on the Samantha Warren Weddings blog soon.

Lisa & Dan Engaged: Camp Ellis, Saco, Maine

I first photographed Lisa and Dan nearly three years ago, at the wedding of Lisa's dear friend (and now mine too), Cady, in York at the Dockside. Even then, Lisa knew she and Dan were destined to be married one day, and that she wanted me to photograph her wedding. Finally, this past Christmas, Dan proposed in the most romantic of ways (Lisa had me in tears as she told me how thoughtfully he had given her the gift she'd always wanted). Their wedding is next June in Massachusetts, but in late May, we met on the beach at Camp Ellis, a classic coastal community located on a peninsula in Saco where Dan's father lives, for a seaside engagement session.

While I've gotten to know sweet Lisa over the past three years through time spent together with Cady both at the wedding and at several gatherings since, it was the first occasion for me to really get to know Lisa and Dan together. Their tenderness and devotion toward each other is grin-giving, and I am beyond thrilled for them to have found each other and the deep friendship they've created as a result.

This was literally my first shot. As I've worked on defining my style over the years, one of the commonalities I keep seeing in my work and that others point out as well is my way of positioning people within their environment in my photographs. Many of my clients - like Lisa and Dan- are from out of state and I know they come to Maine for its unique beauty, and I strive to situate that setting in my shots. Camp Ellis has become such an important place for Lisa and Dan, and I know they'll cherish this image because of that.


This classic red lobster boat added a fun burst of color to the images.



This gritty black and white works well with the industrial fishing boat in the background.


Lisa tossed off her flipflops so they could wade into the water a bit. It was such a nice day out!


I always love how just a slight shift in body positioning can change the entire look and feel of an image, as seen in these next two shots.




Here they are walking across the beach. Again, I love the range of expressions displayed in just a few short seconds and the different effect those emotions have on the look and feel of the images. The affection these two have for each other is so apparent, as is the fact that they have such fun together.




A favorite for sure.


As is this one- something about that moment before the kiss and all the anticipation that's stored up in it.

When the sun came out from the clouds, it was so bright that Dan naturally dropped his eyes down, and nuzzled Lisa's neck, resulting in some very intimate images. The light kept shifting, which created a range of cool and warm tones in the photographs.








There was no shortage of kisses, which is much appreciated.


While I love for my images to convey a sense of place, I always enjoy shooting up with the empty sky as my background as it isolates the subjects in a very powerful way.


This nearly 150-year-old jetty is creating many problems for the residents of Camp Ellis, as its eroding their beaches away. But it provided a private place for this favorite photo.




I love that this bikers were enjoying their lobster rolls and fried clams so much, they didn't even notice Lisa and Dan.




A quick outfit change. I always suggest that couples bring a second set of clothes to change into, as it's nice to have several looks, as Lisa and Dan did here.




And yet another favorite. There were so many beloved images from this session and Lisa and Dan were as in love with them as I was. Here is what she wrote to me: "I just want to say again how much I love them and how amazing you are! I can't stop looking at them. You are the best!" Ditto. So happy for you both and cannot wait until next June!


A note to my readers: I am trying a new watermark on the images, using just my logo rather than the brand strip with the web address so as to not detract from the images. Like? Dislike?

2009 Roots Workshop

Imagine my surprise last week when I opened a mass email from my online studio management system ShootQ only to find my own face staring back at me (see above). ShootQ is partnering with the Roots Workshop to give one lucky student a $500 discount on this summer's tution, and six free months of ShootQ. As you may remember, the Roots Workshop is the "see-changing" week-long photojournalism workshop I attended last summer on Cape Cod.

A tidbit of my testimonial was featured in ShootQ's email about their current contest. My full testimonial is this: "My Roots experience was so pivotal in my life and powerful in my profession that I've yet to find the words to write about it. Suffice to say, I have yet to recover and I think that is a wonderful thing! My days covering a student actress at the theater and my nights spent alongside some of the nation's finest wedding photographers peering at a projection screen and into our hearts and creative souls was see-changing and not an image I take goes by when I do not reflect on my time and tutoring there. To be able to take an entire week doing what you love most to truly focus on developing your eye, your artistry and yourself (not just as a photographer but as a person) is a true treat! To do it alongside others who are on a similar exhausting yet exhilarating path of self-discovery, all while being supported by those in the industry you most respect, makes it all the sweeter."

So there!

As I understand it, there are still several spots remaining for the second annual Roots Workshop which is just five weeks away. Based on the feedback from those of us who had the pleasure of attending last year, some very cool improvements to the week's schedule have been made for this year's attendees, and I encourage anyone who wants to strengthen their visual storytelling skills to strongly consider going (and of course entering the ShootQ/Roots contest). It is an experience that will change you as a photographer, and as a person.

I've actually yet to blog thoroughly about my Root's experience. I went to the workshop just one week before our massive move to Portland and in the chaos that followed of shooting, skiing, dodgeballing and eating out far too often, I've neglected to post about my powerful experience at the workshop, where I followed a truly talented student-actress from Ohio University starring on the stage at the summer Monomoy Theater in Chatham. I saw many similarities between myself and Casiha, as both of us found ourselves on the Cape that summer out of pure devotion to our craft and our honest commitment to be not the best in the world at our art, but our best.

You can see the culmination of my coverage below, or by clicking here. And do contact me at sam@samanthawarrenweddings.com if you're considering Roots and would like a final push of encouragement. I am so happy that my review of my time there has helped contribute to several of my Maine photographer friends deciding to go next month! You are going to love it!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Actually, this is way better than chicken. Even the fried kind!

Earlier this spring, I giddily blogged about our successful completion of the Ski Maine Peak to Peak challenge (and I also posted in mid-winter about our 750-mile, five mountain, three-day ski marathon to northern Maine). Turns out I had every right to fête our feat of successfully skiing at all of Maine's 17 ski hills/mountains this season. Besides Kyle and me, only six other (I am assuming completely crazy) people met the Peak to Peak challenge! All eight of us were entered to win a Ski Maine VIP pass for 2009-2010 season, and you would have guessed I'd just been booked to shoot Brangelina's wedding if you'd heard my deranged hooting and hollering when Kyle told me that HE'D WON!!!

The pass entitles him to unlimited skiing at any and all Maine mountains next season (Sugarloaf every day, or Camden Snow Bowl, or all 17 again which you know we've already been discussing), and he also gets one day lift ticket at each so he can bring a friend (I so hope it's me). As likely the most photographed Maine skier of 2008-2009 (stop there, ok, you can go, nice big turns, right by me, slow down, come closer, wait, stop), I cannot think of anyone more deserving and I am so proud of him and so, so happy for us! As he wrote on his Facebook wall in response to his win, "There is only one thing better than powder days. Free chairlift rides on powder days!"

The news became official with an announcement in the latest Ski Maine newsletter (see above), which also included a link to our superlatives of Maine's ski scene. Of course, now we're left struggling to select which mountain we should be buying me a pass to, and whether we'll be able to fit a little red carpet in with all our gear in the Volvo to roll out upon Kyle's arrival at each Maine mountain.

Yeah Kyle! And yeah Maine skiing!

Alison & Steven Engaged: Greystone Manor, Cape Neddick, Maine

Chicagoans Alison and Steven had never set foot in Maine when they decided to set their September 2010 wedding here. Both had fallen in love with the state's craggy coast the moment they saw the images I took of Emily and Liam's wedding at the Greystone Manor in Cape Neddick (just north of York) featured on WeddingBee.com. And, it just so happened that Steven was scheduled to hike the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail, starting in Georgia in March of next year and ending atop Mount Katahdin in Maine ifive or so months later. What a better way to end such a walk (Steven has dubbed it "the hike of love") than with a wedding? Sight unseen, they hired me, rented out the stately Greystone Manor (a favorite wedding spot) and went to work planning their classic Maine coast wedding, complete with a lobster bake dinner.

Last weekend, they flew in for a few days to see the place for themselves for the first time, have a volley of vendor meetings, and enjoy an engagement session with me. What a better place to pose than the Greystone, the owner of which graciously allowed us to shoot there. Such fun we had exploring the grounds and though Alison and Steven admitted to me prior to the session that they dreaded being before the camera, I think these images speak to how relaxed they quickly became. I cannot wait for this wedding!

And Emily & Liam, I am relieved to report we saw not one flash of lighting, nor did we get hit by any hail!

We started down by the water. I think one of Greystone Manor's most awesome attributes is these private piece of rocky beach. Though Steven hails from Oklahoma and Alison from central Pennsylvania, they both looked at home here, with each other. This first image is perhaps a favorite from the shoot, because it captures the nerves that naturally come with the start of a session such as this, but at the same time, that excitement of being in such a beautiful place, with someone you so love, making your engagement official!















We then moved out of the sun and whipping wind up to Greystone's porch.


Alison had asked me about what to wear for the shoot, and I suggested she select clothing that was reflective of her personality, and that would fit into the setting. She couldn't have picked more perfectly, and I especially loved these playful green heels.


Who doesn't adore that moment, just before a kiss...


I love finding creative ways to get different looks in the same place. From the rocks by the water, to the stone of the estate. What a nice backdrop those walls made.


And, we ended the shoot in this little window nook. I love how intimate these images feel, even though the manor is so magnificent in size and stature, especially with only three of us on the entire property.