Aubyn & Tim, Marriage Midcoast: Friendship/Warren, Maine

Who: Aubyn and Tim
What: A graceful and gracefilled faith and family focused day for 200 in Midcoast, Maine
Where: Preparations at Waldoboro's quaint Blue Skye Farm B & B, ceremony at the groom's childhood church: Friendship Advent Christian Church, and reception at Harmony Hill Stock Farm, a pastoral farm long-owned within the family of the bride and where her own parents were married nearly three decades ago on Valentine's Day.
When: Saturday, September 6, 2008
How: Many of the day's details were donated by kind family and friends, or DIY, like the favors and the food, which was prepared entirely by the bride and groom and their families, including the lobster stew featuring lobster caught by the groom. Day-of-coordination services provided by the lovely Catherine and Cheryl from Bayview Concierge, hair by Karen Brooks, service led by Pastor Warren Conary, the couple's pastor from college and the groom's uncle, Pastor Alan Chamberlin. DJing from family friend and B 97.1 on-air talent John Shields and I still have to find out who did the flowers, because they were Fantastic!!!

Why: Brought together by their shared values of faith and families, Aubyn and Tim first fell in love their junior year in high school, and haven't stopped since. Off they went to separate colleges, but stayed together, until Tim transferred to Aubyn's school: Gordon College. Shelby, Aubyn's younger sister (!the newly-named Maine Wild Blueberry Queen!) remembers when she and Tim had a class together in high school, and every day when she came home, a smitten Aubyn would ask a million questions about what he did and said. That affection has only grown since. For eight years, they've stood by each other through new schools and new jobs and even living for the past few years several states apart. Knowing how much people change day to day, let alone from high school to college to professional adults, Aubyn and Tim's longievety is a testament to to the fact that they are truly meant to be, constantly growing together, inspired by their parents, their families and the church. They'll be the first to admit how different they are, but shared values connect them.

On Saturday, they were married, just a day before Auybn's great-grandparent's anniversary. They celebrated atop hills of flowered fields at the same family farm where Aubyn's parents were wed nearly 30 years ago. And though on the day of Aubyn and Tim's graduate from Gordon College, there was a monsoon that moved the festivities inside, Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna held off until everyone was safely under the tent (getting back out to the car a few hours later was a different more soaked story), allowing plenty of pictures outside. Their wedding was a true reflection of them and the loyalty and love they've shown their family and friends as individuals and a couple was honored, when everyone came together to fete them, from the bride's cousin who made the cake to the groom's mom who grew some of the flowers to family friends who manned the grill where the food the couple and their families had prepared over the previous weeks was heated up and served, even in the pouring, what's-the-point-of-an-umbrella-anyway deluge.

Congratulations, Aubyn and Tim. Hope your mini-moon in the Berkshires was relaxing and that these images will make settling back into the school year a bit better!


I love this view of Aubyn's dress.


And nothing can beat that feeling when the dress is buttoned on for the big day. Her expression speaks for itself!


With the remnants of Gustav and Hanna bearing down, we all were nervously looking to the sky. And here, Aubyn is pleasantly surprised when she steps outside of the B&B for the first time, and realizes it's not yet raining!


Looking lovely.


Was that a sprinkle? Nope, just a little light mist to cool us off.


Check out these flowers! When Aubyn saw them, she squealed and you can certainly see why. They played so well off the colors of the bridesmaid dresses and the changing fall leaves.


Aubyn and Tim are very grounded in their faith and this picture is very symbolic for that reason.


The ceremony in Tim's childhood church was very meaningful to them and their families.


Auybn and Tim put a priority on pictures and opted to stop at a quiet beach on their way between the ceremony and the reception site for a short shoot. It was an incredibly surreal scene, shrouded in fog and not a soul but us around.


They've been together for eight years and are so at ease and at peace when in each other's arms.


At one point, Tim said "This is the most relaxed I've been in weeks." That's exactly the feeling I go for when photographing my brides and grooms together!


I love using negative space in my couple's imagery. I think it adds such drama (the good kind), though my branding bar looks a little ghostly just floating around in thin air like that.


We were all very enthralled with the 1955 Lincoln Capri that transported the bride and groom between the ceremony and the reception.


Almost as adorable as Aubyn and Tim was the owner of the car, a family friend who was celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary that day! Wow, congratulations!


I was driving behind the bride and groom, and I always keeps my camera at the ready on the seat next to me. Soon those green leaves will be the same color at the Caprice, and that will be a truly amazing shot.


Giant group portraits are always a challenge and I was worried that if the rain came, we definitely wouldn't be able to get a shot of all 200 guests huddled together under the tent. Luckily, it held off and I was able to get this from the balcony of the farmhouse, just as the Lincoln was driving away. I know this is such an important shot to Aubyn, and I am glad it worked out!


Aubyn had envisioned doing all the formals in front of the barn at Harmony Hill Stock Farm and I was so excited when I saw the barn for the first time, knowing it would be perfect. It was just faded enough to allow the people to pop, but really added a sense of (important) place to the photographs.


Where is the pitchfork?


Heading into the reception. Look at the joy on their faces!


Such a gentle cake feeding. The cake, designed by the bride's cousin, was almost as tall as they were!


Holding hands under the table. So cute.


Looking sweetly up at her little sister during the toast.


I get a giggle every time I see this shot, which was taken during the dip at the end of the first dance. At this point in the night, Aubyn had already abandoned her heels: check out the dirt on Aubyn's tootsies!


The bustle on the bride's dress broke, and I thought it was so sweet how her bridesmaid held up her dress while they were dancing. Eventually, I tried looping the bustle hook up on the buttons on the back of the dress and it held for the rest of the night, and actually made it easier for Aubyn to move. Good to know!


The final dance.


A few frames later.


And impromptu karaoke session to end the night.