Cristi Pirro + Zak Schwartzman – Seacoast Weddings

August 19, 2017

House Island, Portland, ME

Special moments and surprises were hallmarks of Cristi and Zak’s picture-perfect wedding day on House Island, off the coast of Portland, ME. The first was the photo session before the ceremony that became one of the couple’s favorite memories. At one end of the island is an 1800-era fort, a dramatic setting for creating some captivating images. “The whole thing was very ‘Game of Thronesy,’” says Cristi. “The contrast between the fort and my dress was such fun! My dress was in the mud and there was bat poop everywhere, but we loved it. What we’d thought would take 20 minutes turned into an hour of exploring all these tunnels and rooms in the fort.”

Then there was the bottle of wine they brought back from Croatia—where they got engaged—that the couple shared quietly together on the beach before greeting guests. “I wanted to get married with my toes in the sand, but this was close enough,” says Cristi. And who could forget the moment a schooner sailed by in the background, seemingly on cue, as Cristi and Zak exchanged their wedding vows?

For Cristi, the top highlight was a surprise fireworks display arranged by her mom. “I chose to walk down the aisle to ‘Over the Rainbow’—it was my mom’s and my special song when I was little. To my total surprise, and the surprise of all our guests, she had arranged for fireworks to ‘Over the Rainbow,’ played by the band. It was amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.” •

By Pat Chaudoin