REAL WEDDINGS-February 2014
Photographs by C.A. Smith Photography
September 7 | Fryeburg

Visiting friends and family in Maine one October, Emily had time to kill before meeting up with her mother and aunt, and decided to take her aunt’s dog for a walk along nearby Higgins beach. She noticed a man also out for a walk. Passing each other, he asked if she’d taken any good photographs with the camera she’d brought along with her. They talked for a while. “It’s too bad you’re leaving because I’d love to have a drink with you tonight,” he said before she left. As it turned out, Emily’s plans fell through that night, her mother decided to stick around for a while longer, and Emily got that drink with Tom after all. Since they both loved the outdoors, a ceremony in the woods made perfect sense. Emily and Tom rented Hardy Farm for the entire weekend, and offered lodging to some of their family and close friends. Not wanting to create a schedule everyone had to adhere to, they took the day as it came, enjoying each other and the people they love most.

“WE WERE SO HAPPY, COMFORTABLE, AND BLOWN AWAY BY HOW RIGHT HARDY BARN FELT, AND FRANKLY COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT A GREAT VALUE IT WAS.”

WHY…

that venue? The couple was able to rent the farm for the entire weekend, which included use of the woods for the ceremony, the barn for the reception, and the farmhouse and lodge for Emily, Tom, and their guests to stay in. “It was great to have our wedding in such a comfortable setting, where we could relax and all be together before, during, and after the wedding day.”

those bridesmaid dresses? On Etsy, Emily found a bridesmaid dress that each woman could wear differently. There was also a flower girl dress to go along with it!

that hat? Emily had always wanted to wear her maternal grandmother’s veil, which was actually like a structed lace crown. When she realized it was worn out beyond repair, she looked for something else and found the perfect hat on Etsy. The milliner (from Poland, like her grandparents) created a statement piece that means a great deal.

Click for a full list of resources from the 2014 Wedding issue.