July 16th, 2016
York, ME
Celebrating their love on a hot summer’s day was a moment made even sweeter by the fact that the bride, Jessica, was completely recovered from open-heart surgery she’d undergone a few years earlier, to remove a benign tumor from her aortic valve. “Originally we had planned on getting married in 2014, but that would have been just too much for me,” said Jessica, “so we put it off for a couple of years to allow me to fully recover.”
Surgery was the farthest thing from Jessica’s mind as she married Paul at the seaside York Harbor Reading Room, in York Harbor, ME, where Paul had been a member for five years. Surrounded by their five beautiful daughters (three hers, two his) as bridesmaids and maid of honor, the couple beat the heat with refreshing sea breezes that tickled the Reading Room’s open-air deck and grassy lawn. “It was close to 90 degrees,” said Jessica, “but it was just heavenly on the water, and we could be outside all night and still be comfortable.”
Guests were treated to artisan cocktails by Wallingford Dram of Kittery, ME, and a cigar bar by Portsmouth’s Federal Cigar (both men and women partook of celebratory cigars, according to Jessica), as well as a late-evening fireworks display over the water. “And my husband sang to me!” Jessica added. “He worked with the band to sing ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,’ and he did a beautiful job. It was by far the best, most memorable moment for me and our daughters and guests.
“The whole day was exactly what we wanted.” Jessica noted, “to enjoy the beauty of the rocky Maine coastline and share our love of this area with our family and friends.”
-Written by Pat Chaudoin
{the wedding recipe}
Caterer/Reception
York Harbor Reading Room
York, ME
Cake
Juliet Grant, Feast Your Eyes
Portsmouth, NH
Hair
Jessica Todd Salon
Portsmouth, NH
Wedding Planner
Colleen Lake, The Look Interiors
Stratham, NH
Entertainment
White Heat Swing Orchestra
Cambridge, MA
Photographer:
Christian Pendergraft