Kaity and John, Harborside Happening: Belfast, Maine

Who: Kaity and John
What: A harborside happening for 100.
Where: Ceremony and celebration at the Belfast Boathouse overlooking storied Penobscot Bay.
When: Saturday, August 2, 2008
How: Hair and makeup at Shear Talent Country Style in Morrill, fantastic flowers from the Belfast-based Wild Flowers, delicious cookout from the catering division of Bangor's legendary Frank's Bakery (I can't get their strawberry shortcake out of my mind, or their pasta salad, or, or, or...) and music late into the night from the blues band "the Dirty Lowdowns" (honestly, do I even need to describe the awesomeness of a band with a name like that?)

Why: Like with so many of my couples, I have struggled trying to find the words to use here to convey Kaity and John. I could tell you about all the times Kaity, who is as sweet as they come, made me laugh out loud in our pre-wedding emailing (her: "I saw this photograph of the whole wedding party jumping in the air. It was really cute, but I don't know if we're that coordinated.") Or I could tell you about how they first met, when she was his instructor in a medical class, and how they then fell in love working at the hospital, she in nuclear medicine and he in radiology.

But I think nothing sums up the beauty of Kaity and John -how grounded and giving they always are- better than their honeymoon plans. Instead of jetting off on their own, two of the happiest people I know decided to take their parents and siblings to the happiest place on earth - Walt Disney World! You just said "awwww" out loud, didn't you? Because that was my reaction when I first heard! What an incredibly generous gift of their attention to share, and I know all ten of them -Kaity, her parents, her big brother and his new wife, John, his parents and his two younger sisters- on the trip will be rewarded with unmatched memories (and hopefully some great photographs- I have to laugh at the mere mental image of what one of those ride cam shots would look like of my family and Kyle's family rocketing down Splash Mountain together in the same log. Hilarious!)

For me, weddings are about more than just two people getting married, but about two families coming together to celebrate past, presents and futures. Few weddings have exemplified that as much as Kaity and John's. To them and their families, many hugs and congratulations! Enjoy Disney together!

Kaity had told me she was horribly unphotogenic and as a result, hated having her picture taken. So I certainly wasn't expecting someone this radiant and gorgeous when I arrived at the salon.


Getting her lashes lined.


Some more makeup. The light in the shop was just the kind I like, and it was such a peaceful place, set up in the rolling hills of Morrill, just outside of Belfast.


Kaity's nana and her mother helped her into the dress, which was actually inspired by one she'd seen on this very blog. In fact, she was so impressed with Jenn's taste that she had the same dress, and the same style of bridesmaid's dresses. I was so giddy that the blog had helped both Kaity and Bethany with their bridal attire, and am looking forward to seeing Jenn's influences at her sister's wedding later this month!


Look how happy she is!


Kaity's mom puts on the bride's wedding day gift from her groom- a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet. Impressive selection, John!


I had taken several shots of Kaity heading to the car with dad but the second her mom stepped into the frame to help guide her up the hill and around the building, I knew I had something that would be very special to them all.


Kaity and John had told me how their golden Moose was central to their lives, and as a result, they wanted him to be a central part of their wedding day as well, and the imagery that captured that day. I was more than happy to comply, as I remember how Alder played such a big role in our wedding day (she served as ring bearess- with our rings tucked in a tennis ball). Like Alder on our day, Moose wasn't entirely sure what to make of all the attention, but he knew when to bow his head during the opening prayer, just like his people.


I can't think of a more stunning spot for a ceremony than the back of the Belfast Boathouse, overlooking one of Maine's prettiest harbors. In fact, my dad was married three years ago last month, just a few hundred feet away and I've spent many happy days with my dad, heading out to sea right past that very spot. (Notice how mellow Moose is.)


A few fun shots of Moose with his mom and dad. Of course I got the more traditional ones of the three of them all together, but I had fun shooting this series. Let's call it the "Many Moods of Moose."






Afterward we did the formals, the three of us ventured out to find some out-of-the-way spots for some quiet couples shots. These two actors from the neighboring Shakespeare Festival thought their garb was going to draw the most attention, but they had nothing on Kaity, who stopped everyone in their tracks.


The back of this boat barn was covered in buoys, a perfect place to pause for some pictures given Kaity and John's affection for the sea.


John seriously got so excited spending some time alone with Kaity that he just swooped in and gave her this huge hug. I love how even in this moment, he was still thoughtful enough to be careful not to crunch her dress. Too cute!


So Belfast!

The cookout was a huge hit- look at that line!


As medical professionals, Kaity and John know first-hand the value of medical research, and so in lieu of traditional favors, they made a donation on behalf of their guests to the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and each guest got a bracelet to commemorate the contribution.


The bride and her new "Mrs. Cameron" stein.

Though dessert was that aforementioned scrumptious strawberry shortcake, Kaity and John did cut a cute little cake, something she was clearly excited about!


John's family is very musical, and his dad actually sang their first dance song.


The bride and groom sang along.


Another angle on the first dance.


One of the groomsmen took to the keys during the Dirty Lowdowns' set. He was a HUGE hit!!!


There were lots of fun moments from the dance floor. This was just one of them.


(As a postscript, I am playing around a bit with the branding on the imagery as I want my clients to feel free to pull images off the blog to post on Facebook and other social sites. In some situations, the branding within the actual image detracted from the image itself, so I am trying to place the logo and web address below to see how that works.)