Real Maine Wedding: Rewind – Sarah and Brandon

Sarah and Brandon tied the knot on July 4, 2010, taking full advantage of the Independence Day holiday by incorporating a spectacular fireworks display. Hosting your wedding on a holiday weekend gives guests more time to travel and enjoy the event and, as Sarah points out, happily means you enjoy an extra day to celebrate your anniversary for years to come.

How They Met
In Sarah’s words: Brandon and I met on a college study abroad trip in 2005. He was in school in Colorado and I was in school in Florida. The Semester at Sea trip we attended was run by the University of Virginia and was a two-and-a-half-month ship voyage stopping in Iceland, Norway, Russia, Poland, Belgium, France, Ireland and Spain.

The Proposal
Brandon is a triathlete and he proposed to me at the finish line of a popular Ironman Triathlon, the Ford Ironman in Lake Placid, New York. It was a huge surprise and the crowd was cheering and hugging both of us as I have never witnessed before. It was a very special moment.

Marrying in Maine
I grew up in Bucksport and spent many summers on Great Cranberry Island off of Acadia. It was very important for us to marry in Maine. Brandon loves Maine too. We both live a very urban life now so it’s great for us to get out into nature and re-experience how down-to-earth people can be when we return. We try to make it to Maine at least once each year. Our next trip is in mid-September for my cousin’s wedding in Southwest Harbor.

Choosing French’s Point
I grew up walking around Sandy Point Beach and French’s Point before it was a wedding venue. I think the location is perfect, private and absolutely stunning. We also looked at other venues in the local area but nothing was as pristine as French’s Point. I liked the idea of a mid-coast wedding since Camden and Belfast are both such interesting places and would allow our guests to explore the local area outside of the usual Bar Harbor and Acadia tourist trips. We were able to schedule a Windjammer cruise for our friends on the Appledore out of Camden and we had a fabulous rehearsal dinner at Primo in Rockland.

The Fireworks
I grew up absolutely loving summer and the 4th of July. I have many happy memories spent with my cousins celebrating the holiday. We also like the idea of having a three-day weekend for our guests to travel on and of course, a three-day weekend every year for your anniversary is a plus!

The fireworks company that we chose went above and beyond to provide us with a very special display. We also chose to use extra-long sparklers at the end of the reception. It was very celebratory for our friends and family. If only the mosquitoes and black flies would disappear and the weather would be a little more predictable, the 4th of July in Maine would be flawless!

Top Priorities
The atmosphere was very important to us since we were bringing so many guests that had never been to New England. We wanted a relaxed, festive atmosphere and we were attracted to the privacy that French’s Point provides. It’s nice not to have to deal with onlookers at a typical hotel venue. Photography was also very important to us, and Michelle Turner did a fabulous job with that. We couldn’t be happier with our images from the day and recommend her to everyone we know!

Cherished Moments
We will never forget Brandon’s guy friends jumping up and fighting for the garter that I tossed off the roof. I will also remember how beautiful and unique the flowers were. Judy from Flora Fauna paid attention to every detail and really captured the feel that we were going for. It was also very special for us to be able to use the conference room upstairs to have a small ketubah marriage contract-signing gathering before the ceremony. All of our guests dancing the hora and lifting us in chairs was very memorable.