REAL WEDDINGS-February 2013
Photographs by Sharyn Peavey
June 2 | South Casco

When Meredith moved to Portland from western New York, she got a job as a server at the east end staple Silly’s working alongside Jaffray, who was a line cook. After some time they started seeing each other, and Meredith found herself breathing deeper and smiling bigger when he was around. One spring night, peepers in full chirp, Jaffray hid Meredith’s dream Anne Sportum ring from Abacus in the fridge behind some Olivia’s greens and asked her to make a salad. Just over a year later, the couple was joined by 120 of their closest friends and family, including their dog Soleil, at Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake for a weekend-long celebration. Meredith drew inspiration from the film The Notebook for a classic 1940s-50s theme, giving handpicked vintage brooches and embroidered hankies as wedding gifts. Elements such as a death-metal intro song by Psycroptic and a groom’s cake inspired by the video game Halo put the couple’s unique stamp on the wedding. A rainy weekend forced them to get creative, and the result was breathtaking.

“IT WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE AND THE RAIN MADE IT SOMEHOW MORE ROMANTIC AND MEMORABLE. THE PICTURES TURNED OUT SO BRILLIANTLY IN PART BECAUSE OF THE LIGHTING.”

Why…

Migis Lodge?
The ability for all guests to stay at one location for the entire weekend was crucial. The whole wedding party stayed there together, eating and sitting by the bonfire in the mystical wooded setting.

that dress?
Meredith had her maternal grandmother’s 1953 wedding dress altered into a tea-length ceremony skirt (with her permission!). She changed into a custom-made steel gray pencil skirt for the reception.

the “point of interest” cards?
Cards containing information about the couples’ chosen details were placed around the reception.”I liked the feeling that I was treating my guests to a very well-thought-out experience that was intended to include them,” says Meredith.

that jewelry?
The jewelry helped dictate the classic theme. Hannah Tarkinson of Ponomo collected vintage pieces and deconstructed them to recreate necklaces, earrings, and steel-cut cuffs worn by the ladies. She also sculpted the brooch bouquets.

that ceremony location?
“The indoor location at Boulders was so cozy and romantic with dim lighting and lots of candles. There was a roaring fire behind our officiant and my coworker describes it feeling like ‘we were all in a snow globe together.’ Everyone remembers how intimate and personal it felt,” recalls the bride.

Click for a full list of resources from the 2013 Wedding issue.