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Ryan and Anthony met online. “Our first date ended with a first kiss at the end of a long pier while looking at the sea and stars,” says Ryan. A few months and several dates later, the couple rented their first apartment and began their lives together. Through the next six years, Ryan and Anthony moved around southern Maine, grew their collection of unique and vintage wares and antiques, and adopted a corgi puppy named Toby. After they purchased a home together, Ryan knew he wanted to take the next step.

“We loved seeing our friends and families coming together and truly letting go to embrace the moment”

ANTHONY

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The day Ryan proposed didn’t go as planned. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon in East Boothbay, and he intended to take Anthony out to Cabbage Island, which has been owned by Ryan’s family since 1989, but no boats were available. Plan B was to walk along Ocean Point, but it was high tide and the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Ryan realized his window of opportunity was closing, and as they headed to the car after a short walk, he stopped Anthony, got down on one knee, and told Anthony that he wanted to spend the rest of their lives together as soon as possible. The couple cried together, Anthony shrieked, and finally he said, “Yes!”

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“I distinctly remember my sister saying, ‘Ryan, don’t mess this one up because he’s a wonderful guy and you two belong together,’”

RYAN

Cabbage Island Courtship

The Location
Ryan took Anthony to Cabbage Island for their second date. There was a thick fog, and waves were crashing over the dock as Ryan pulled the boat up. “I was certain Anthony thought we wouldn’t make it,” Ryan says. They’ve been returning to the island ever since, working in the summers for the family business, Cabbage Island Clambakes. Several family members have been married there, and when it came to Ryan and Anthony’s wedding, there was no other place in the world that the couple wanted to celebrate. Instead of the traditional lobster bake, however, they hired Stone Cove Catering so that all their guests could enjoy the day.

The Décor
In an effort to be sustainable, the couple and family foraged the island for centerpiece materials: mosses, driftwood, pine cones, plants, and flowers. Ryan’s mom, Kathy, worked on floral arrangements using native and exotic plants and flowers. The picnic tables were kept casual with blue burlap and touches of rocks, shells, sea glass, and moss. The items that came from the island were returned to nature at the end of the wedding.

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