Tell us a little about yourselves!
We are both artists. My work is centered around handmade paper (primarily juggling a busy custom order schedule for artists and special events), and Peter has recently started working with me to help produce my popular line of papermaking tools for other papermakers. He is also a talented furniture maker and is currently working on an ambitious linocut collection inspired by machinery. Last year we moved from Philadelphia into a new storefront/studio space in Ellsworth, Maine and we're really just excited to be back home, to build our business together, and see what the future holds.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We wanted a very pared back wedding, keeping things as simple as possible, while still including our close family and friends. It was a no-brainer to hold the wedding at my parents' house (which used to be my grandparents'), with my great-grandparents' house as a backdrop. The mountains of Acadia looming in the distance, and the rolling wild blueberry fields surrounding us were just icing on the cake. My family has lived on this hill for generations, caring for and cultivating the barrens, and it almost feels like time stands still there. I think I've always known that I wanted to get married on "the hill".
How many guests did you have?
Around 60.
Tell us about your outfits.
We both love a good mix of high and low, I guess you could say. It took me a while to find a dress that felt even remotely right, (probably because we were still kind of debating an elopement and I'm really not all that into weddings). But when I came across the work of Kamperett, I just really wanted to wear one of their incredible works of art. The Miore dress felt like the perfect mix of timeless, but still totally contemporary, and relaxed. I probably would have eloped, if it wasn't for that dress! And that hand painted veil! The delicate and painterly splashes of white paint on silk, spoke to my splashy papermaker's heart. I had hoped to wear my hair down with the veil, but the sweltering heat and forecasted thunderstorms forced a low updo.
Some say Mainers are proud of their thrifting abilities, a good deal of it centered around a certain surplus and salvage store called Marden's (I feel like this is a total inside joke that only Mainers could fully understand). I happened to find a decent pair of shoes while looking for a couch, and Peter's parents randomly found a gorgeous Charvet dress shirt that fit him perfectly. Good ol' Mardens. Peter recycled the suit he wore to his brother's wedding, and splurged on a pair of Grenson "Fred" boots that he'd been eyeing for a few years. He can't wait to really beat them up.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
The most important aspects for me, in terms of planning, was probably the location and the dress. But then, with those two aspects in place, it felt important to have a photographer who was as excited about those two things as I was. Enter, Nikki Daskalakis of Curved and Co.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
I think it was the family sentimental touches that were the important elements for me. Having the wedding at my Grandparents house was like having them there with us. Using the gorgeous hydrangeas from the giant bush they planted many years ago was really special. My aunts made my grandmother's whoopie pie recipe, and we filled our old wooden laundry basket with them. Peter and I built an "altar" for the ceremony out of the old windows from my grandparents house, and I loved the way they framed the landscape. There was just something about those old panes of glass, chipped glaze, and dripping paint that spoke to me. The rustic simplicity. To embrace our blueberrying heritage, we used an old winnowing machine and blueberry boxes to display beverages, complete with metal hand rakes. Later in the afternoon, after the ceremony, and after the insane rain storm (much to my surprise and delight) I noticed one of my cousins showing Peter's uncles how to rake blueberries (a back breaking work, really). They were so genuinely interested in the process, hunched over in the wet field, eating blueberries off the bushes and laughing. That might just be my favorite moment from the whole day. Two very different families coming together. Of course, as the sun started to set, we couldn't resist taking a few photos with my Grandfather's beloved Ford truck, and sighing in relief that we survived the day.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Yes! Nikki from Curved and Co! She was a total godsend. We had a very laid back style of planning our wedding, and admittedly could have used a bit more structure to the day. We both struggled with anxiety, but Nikki was so cool and in control. She calmed our nerves, basically orchestrated the pace of our wedding day, and not to mention took breathtaking photos while dodging thunderstorms and drenching rain. She rolled with the punches as Maine threw every type of Summer weather at us. Of all the photos that she took that day, the first one she shared with me (the next day) will always be my favorite. It was just a feeling. A blur of a Kamperett dress, a flash of blue suit, moody storm clouds ahead, a rush of green below: running into our future together.
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during the pandemic?
Hmmm, tips for couples. Elope? Kidding... though we were tempted many times. But seriously, I'm glad we went ahead with the day, and had our family and friends there with us. As a very introverted bride, I think it helped to keep things informal, sentimental, and as comfortable as possible for me. Having the event at home, and with such meaningful and familiar details helped me feel more at ease.
Photographer : Curved and Co @curvedandco | Ceremony and Reception Location : Private Residence in Maine | Celebrant : Family Friend | Flora : From hydrangea bush in the yard | Hair : Mane Beauty Salon @manebeautysalon | Catering + Beverages : By a family friend | Cake : Pie made by Aunt | Stationery : Share Studios @share.studios | Rentals : Wallace Events @wallaceevents | Bride's Dress + Veil : Kamperett @kamperett | Rings : Family heirloom | Bride's Shoes : Sam Edelman @sam_edelman | Groom's Attire : Charvet @charvet_official, J Crew @jcrew, Marden's @marsdensmaine | Groom's Shoes : Grenson @grensonshoes | Second Photographer : Renee Hollingshead @reneehphoto