I like brides and grooms who think outside of the box. A December wedding in Maine? It’s not something you hear about every day. Some might picture frigid temps and icy conditions. And yes, it was cold. But now imagine a light snow falling throughout the day, an intimate candlelit venue, a gourmet feast, and an elated, glowing couple dancing into the night. That exactly describes Annie and Bill’s wedding on 12.1.12.
Like most weddings, the ceremony was held in a church. Only this church, built in 1856, is now a restaurant. Between shooting, second shooting, and attending weddings as a guest (this was the case here), I’ve been present at many weddings in the last five years. And this was my favorite venue thus far. You may know how much I love architecture and preservation (look at that red door!), so soon after this wedding I researched the story of this building and its painstaking restoration/transformation. Annie and Bill’s vows took place on a balcony in front of a gorgeous stained glass window, while guests sat below in the soaring space of the main restaurant. It was awesome. Cocktails, dinner, and dancing (lots of dancing–in polar bear hats, clown noses, you name it) rounded out the magical night.
The icing on the cake (and there was delicious cake!) is that this funky, transformed venue space is located in Portland. A city for foodies and historians alike, the cobblestone streets, gourmet restaurants, microbreweries, and museums make this a perfect getaway. The night before the wedding, we dined at the beautiful and delicious Fore Street. I was enamored with the huge casement windows–it was a factory in a former life–and I wanted to slip our amazing copper dining table out the door and into the back of our car. On the wedding morning, we sipped hot tea and munched on the most delicious almond croissants from the quaint Standard Baking Co., located just beneath our dining room from the night before. Did I mention it was lightly snowing? Heaven. All in all, what a great place to get married. Especially in December. Congrats Annie and Bill!
