I've known Anastasia's family for several years, so I was very happy when I heard she was getting married, and even more excited when she asked if we would photograph her wedding. And then we found out the wedding would take place on her grandparents' property right on a lake in beautiful Maine. Seriously, what could be better than that! This was my first real time in Maine, since I was very young (and don't remember), and now I understand why so many people love it up there. They couldn't have picked a better location or venue to enjoy their special day.
While I've known Anastasia for a few years, I only met John more recently. They met at a party the beginning of their sophomore year of college at the University of Maine. John noticed Anastasia from across the room and was immediately interested. He proceeded to casually start talking to some of her friends in hopes of getting to talk to her too. It worked and they hit it off from the beginning of their conversation together, that is, until he tried to give her a sweet compliment, which she mistook for "just a line" that guys would typically use. But even after she abruptly left the conversation (and the party), John's persistence paid off and it didn't take long until they were talking and hanging out every chance they could, and within only a week, she found herself falling in love with him. And after spending even a small amount of time with them together, it's easy to see that they are head over heels for each other. Whether they are relaxing and watching movies or hiking up mountains, as long as they're together, they're happy, and growing more in love every day.
And from what we knew of John and Anastasia and from knowing her family, we knew this wedding was going to be beautiful, but also a ton of fun. And we were not disappointed.
When Anastasia's dad first saw his gorgeous daughter, minutes before walking her down the aisle, I'll admit, I may have teared up a little. What a sweet moment.
Anastasia's brother Clark was deployed overseas with the Army, so in his absence, a life-size cutout version of him stood in as one of the groomsman.
Right in the middle of the ceremony, the clouds rolled in, the winds picked up, the flower vases started blowing off their pedestals, and I think we all started wondering if we should take cover....but nothing was going to stop this wedding from continuing. They kept smiling and said their vows, and the show went on. The rain actually held off, and by the end of the ceremony, the sun was shining as bright as their love.
A sweet little moment between the groom's parents right after the ceremony.
Even though he couldn't be there in person, thanks to the power of modern technology, Anastasia's brother was still able to be a part of his sister's special day.
I always love the little details that make each wedding unique. For this wedding, that included the loon centerpieces, the canoe filled with wine, and the guest log which was an actual log.
