Marc and Kristina | Boothbay Harbor Wedding | Spruce Point Inn

One thing I love about being a Wedding Photographer in Maine is that almost every venue has access to woods or ocean. Spruce Point Inn has access to both. Another thing I love is that the couples who come to Maine for their wedding, whether they have family ties here or not, all seem to be so easygoing, laid-back, down to earth, and fun!

Marc and Kristina chose to marry in a beautiful church in Boothbay Harbor, which overlooks the ocean. They held their reception at Spruce Point Inn, planning a first look on the wooded paths of the Inn, and sunset photos on the rocky coast that Maine is so famous for.

Details

The day began with some photography of Marc and Kristina’s special details, including a ring that was passed down to Marc and had a special inscription inside. The ring belonged to his grandfather and had his grandmother’s name and their wedding date was engraved inside. Marc also added Kristina’s name and their wedding date to the ring. What an amazingly sentimental thing to do! Kristina also had an artist paint a picture of the church they would marry in and had it added to the envelope lining of their wedding invitations. Every little detail at this wedding was so amazingly thought out, right down to the cufflinks that Marc wore, featuring a map of Boothbay Harbor.

Once Marc and Kristina were dressed, they took a moment and read cards that they had written for each other, a wonderful moment to have before meeting behind the inn for a first look in the woods.

The wedding party met after we had time for some photos along with the couple, and then I got to take a few photos of Kristina showing off her beautiful dress, bouquet, and the curls of her hair…. a last minute decision to wear down instead of an updo.

Vows

The moment had come. The wedding party climbed into their limo and headed to Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church. They were so excited to be married that the entire wedding party forgot their flowers at Spruce Point Inn, and they sent someone back to get them. A small blip in the plans for the day, and the only thing that didn’t run absolutely perfectly all day long!

The ceremony was beautiful and had some moments of laughter, as well as a couple moments of overwhelming joy. Kristina wiped a few happy tears away as they exchanged rings. They planned a spectacular church exit where each guest got to have a ribbon wand, and as Marc and Kristina exited the church they were cheered on, ribbons waving, and the sound of little bells filled the air!

Cocktails

The couple was happy to join the cocktail hour with their guests, and I got to watch another artist at work. There is a family tradition that at each wedding in Kristina’s family, an artist is hired to paint a beautiful canvas of the view, and the closest family members are painted into the scene. The artist worked right on the deck of the inn, where guests could watch, and the finished painting was displayed in the reception hall. So unique!

Kristina had thought of everything! From a special handkerchief for her mother to a hand-sewn message on the back of her father’s tie. Even the straws at the cocktail hour had little personalized tags on them. One side featured a photo of their little dog “Bo”, and the other had “#BoGetsADad” printed on it. Too bad that Bo couldn’t join them for their special day. I’m pretty sure he would have had a blast running around the grounds of Spruce Point Inn!

Sunset

As guests moved their way from cocktails to the reception, I was lucky enough to take Marc and Kristina down to the dock and the rocks for a spectacular sunset. These wound up being some of my favorite photos of the entire year. There was a front coming in that pushed some heavy clouds toward the sun, covering much of the sky, but the blaze of orange that popped through on the horizon, lighting the water, was absolutely stunning.

Inside, the tables were set, and candles lit the room. The ambiance was incredible. Little place cards with shells were collected on the beaches of South Carolina, where they live, and hand-pained by Kristina. After introductions and a romantic first dance, speeches were made, and the band Clockwork Boston kicked the party into high gear. Marc and Kristina sneaked away for a moment to cut their cake. They chose to keep this tradition as part of the reception but didn’t want it to be an announced event, which allowed more time for their guests to party instead of going through so many formalities. That cake, by the way, was to die for! Kudos to 3 Dogs Cafe for creating such a gorgeous dessert!!!

This wedding was one to remember. So well planned, so beautifully decorated, such meaningful touches, and such wonderful people!!!!!