Browsing CategoryVenues

Stephanie Cowley + Jason Blanchette

June 29, 2019 York, Maine Jason proposed to Stephanie in workout clothes. The couple was on vacation with their friends hiking through Acadia. Stopping to catch their breath at a spot where mussels, rocks, and ocean converged with the trail, Jason handed Stephanie a book. It was filled with pictures from moments together. On the last page it read, Steph, Here’s to the next chapter in our story. “When I looked up, he was down on one knee and all of our friends were taking pictures,” she says. In truth, Stephanie always had an idea they would marry. “One month…

Cailin Fitzpatrick + Tony Shipani

September 28, 2019 Rowley, Massachusetts Tony Shipani planned to surprise Cailin Fitzpatrick while on vacation: He envisioned proposing to her with an engagement ring that he had designed. Things took a turn when the ring got lost in the mail. On a balmy summer day, Tony resorted to his back-up plan: bringing Cailin (and their dog Benny) to their favorite park. “I turned back twice because it was so hot,” says Cailin. “I wanted nothing to do with it.” Tony caught Cailin off guard when he sank to his knee and asked her to marry him. Cailin remembers the moment…

Best of Seacoast Weddings: Brianna Goncalves + Eric Lacroix

June 22, 2019 Rye, New Hampshire Brianna and Eric met in their freshman year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Although she had “zero interest” in Eric at first, she finally agreed to a date—and within a month knew for sure he was “the one.” Knowing she was a huge planner, Eric proposed on a trip to the Bahamas in December 2017 with a June 2019 wedding in mind and immediately asked his bride-to-be: “Is a year and a half enough time to plan?” It was, but she started immediately. The couple admits that around six months prior to their date, they…

Lauren Bailey + Michael Pratt

July 29, 2017 North Hampton, NH Family and tradition were interwoven throughout Lauren and Michael’s festive summer wedding. The couple met their freshman year at St. Joseph’s College in Maine, the same school where Lauren’s parents had met years before. Her parents and sister were all married at St. Theresa Church in Rye, New Hampshire, where Lauren and Michael ultimately decided to marry. “It’s an important place for my family,” Lauren says. “It’s beautiful.” Lauren was even able to use a family home to get ready before the wedding: her grandfather’s home down the street from the church. After the…

Hilary Szymujko + Andy Howe

ranunculus and a garden rose boutonniere
close of of brides hair done by Bei Capelli
signature wedding cocktail with lime
peonies, ranunculus, Italian ruscus, and garden rose bouquet
maine lobster dinner for wedding
cabbage island clambakes lobster dinner at wedding
lobster mac and cheese wedding hors d'oeuvres
bride and groom portrait at newagen seaside inn
homemade layered wedding cake with flowers on top
sewagen seaside inn boat docks with lobster boat in background
sewagen seaside inn boat docks
candlepin bowling at wedding
bennie alice cruise to cabbage island leaving from boothbay

July 14th, 2018 Southport, Maine It was an international affair that brought Hilary and Andy together for their Seacoast wedding. “We met in London, then lived in Hong Kong for 3 ½ years, and then moved to New York,” says Hilary. “Since I’m originally from New Hampshire and he’s from Massachusetts, having our wedding in New England was like a homecoming for us.” Hilary estimates that more than a third of their 130 wedding guests were from London and Hong Kong. “We loved that it was like having a destination wedding, but in our own hometown. We wanted a venue…

Pepperell Cove: A Backyard Destination Wedding

pepperell cove wedding ceremony on the water
pepperell cove wedding venue dining room overlooking harbor

A Backyard Destination Wedding With the ebb and flow of the ocean at our doorsteps and the constant cacophony of crashing waves resounding in our every-day background, we are lucky to be able to call the Seacoast our home. Caught up in the daily bustle, we can sometimes grow numb to the beguiling views and natural magic that this place offers. With a gentle nudge, Seacoast Weddings Magazine reminds you that there are stunning views (accompanied by a smattering of venues that celebrate the scenery) nestled into our backyards and scattered along the rocky coastline. These special spaces are worthy…

Vacationland Venture: A True Maine Wedding

bride and groom on maine farm
wild flowers in hair for wedding
maine wedding ideas
tent wedding in woods of maine
maine farm weddings
farm wedding venue and barn in maine

There is a beautiful plurality to the state of Maine that has attracted travelers for decades, commemorated in the state’s nickname “Vacationland.” On the one hand, there are hundreds of miles of farmland giving birth to potatoes, blueberries and corn. Elsewhere, there are luscious forests that harbor swaying birch trees and fragrant pine trees, intersected by burbling rivers and streams. Travel farther east and there are exquisite coast lines marked with fishermen’s boats, jagged cliff lines, and cawing gulls. Maine’s beauty and multifaceted landscapes always seem to leave travelers enthralled, allowing them to slow down the fast pace of the…

Hitched Heroes: Heather Allen + Bernard Hudgens

military wedding portrait
navy inspired wedding cake
rose wedding bouquet
wedding guest book
bride and groom first dance photo

{2017 Seacoast Hitched Heroes} Every year, a lucky military couple is selected to be Seacoast Hitched Heroes. Wedding vendors donate their services as a thank you for the military couple’s services.  Heather and Bernard, winner of the 2017 Seacoast Hitched Heroes wedding, met at a military ball in Manchester, NH. They had an instant connection. “The commonality in our lives was undeniable,” Heather says. “We both have two children, we both love the outdoors and the ocean, we love country music… the list goes on and on. I felt like I found my other half.” Bernard, a sergeant in New…

Rainy Day Elements

rain during a maine wedding
rain during a wedding
tent with clear side walls

No ones wishes to actually need their rain plan, but it’s important to have one and it’s even more important for you to like it.  I always tell our clients to have a plan b and sometimes a plan c and to love them as much as your fair weather plan. These plans of course usually occur when you’re hosting an outdoor wedding. This series of blog posts is going to help you create your rain plans, making sure you think of all the elements involved and what your options are in order to execute the plan if the rain…

Claire Tinsley and Eric Firnhaber

the happy couple poses for a closeup
Eric's hat is by British haberdasher Christys' Hats, christy's hats.
Bouquet with roses, hydrangeas and ferns displaying a beautiful range of pinks
Blueberries in a glass of champagne for a toast
Dancing under the tent on the grounds of the Newagen Inn.

August 27th, 2016 Southport, ME   Claire and Eric met playing recreational ultimate frisbee in Washington, DC. Ironically, says Claire, when she told the league organizer that she wasn’t good at the sport, he told her, “It’s all about heart, not skills.” And that’s what piqued Eric’s interest in her when he met Claire after their first game together. The couple got engaged on a bluff overlooking Half Moon Bay in California, near where Eric grew up. Claire knew immediately that their wedding ceremony would be in Maine. Her family, all from Texas, spent many happy summers in Tenants Harbor;…