Chase & Corey

August 15, 2020
Private Home | Presque Isle
Photography by Corey Gross

Chase Vogel and Corey Park met in 2016 in Washington, D.C. From the beginning, the two were bound by their agricultural upbringings. Chase’s family raised lambs and chickens in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Corey grew up on his grandparents’ potato farm in Presque Isle, Maine. On their first date, they shared memories of their home states. Chase described his days of being a prized chicken showman, and Corey reminisced about picking potatoes by hand in Aroostook County during Harvest Break. After a year of exploring D.C.—during which Chase traveled to Maine for the first time, and Corey to Wyoming—they rented their first apartment together.

In May 2019 Chase and Corey traveled to Yellowstone. Corey had bought a ring the week before the trip, thinking it would be a perfect opportunity to propose. On their first day, they made a stop at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Corey found a secluded path still partially covered in snow and led Chase down it. At the edge of a thousand-foot canyon and overlooking a waterfall, Corey proposed and Chase said yes.

The two knew without question they would hold their wedding on Corey’s family’s farmstead in Aroostook County. The weeks before the wedding were a frenzy of activity. Chase’s relatives arrived from Wyoming, and the two families got to work. An arbor was built from a fallen cedar tree, potato barrels were lowered from barn rafters, tractors were washed, wildflowers were picked, and music and aerial trapeze were practiced.

By the time the wedding day arrived, the two grooms were exhausted. But what they had built together was uniquely theirs, which made the merriment even more meaningful. Kelsey Park—Corey’s sister and officiant—acknowledged in the ceremony the importance of celebrating the marriage of two men in rural Maine. Two men who, not too long ago, wouldn’t have been able to legally commit to one another as husbands were now doing so in an atmosphere where the joy and acceptance of family and friends was palpable. With a nod to the beauty and heritage surrounding them, Kelsey shared a poem that her and her brother’s great-grandfather had read during an address at the Presque Isle Opera House in September of 1920. It was the Maine centennial and Presque Isle’s traditional Old Home Week, when people who had grown up in the municipality but moved elsewhere in adulthood came home to visit.

Up where the hand clasps a little stronger,
Up where the smile dwells a little longer
That’s where Aroostook begins.

One hundred years later, during Maine’s bicentennial, Corey and Chase’s life as husbands began.

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Gina & Doug

September 7, 2021
destination wedding | Acadia National Park
Photography by Bridget Stephenson

Gina and Doug met online in 2018. On their first date, they went for a hike at Patapsco Valley State Park near Baltimore, where they were both living, and their love for nature formed an immediate connection between them. By the summer, they’d moved in together.

For much of the 2020 quarantine, Gina and Doug sheltered in place at Doug’s parents’ mountain house near Shenandoah National Park in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. They fell in love with the wetlands, water-falls, and rocky peaks of the park, returning again and again to Hazel River Trail. One snowy morn-ing in January, Doug suggested they go for that hike. Secretly, he had packed wine glasses, wine, and an engagement ring in his camera bag instead of his camera. Once they had made their way up the mountain to an outcropping of rocks with a beautiful view and spread out their picnic, Doug popped the question.

Gina and Doug wanted a wedding that would give them several nuptial experiences rolled into one. They started their special day with an intimate elopement at Beehive Loop Trail in Acadia National Park. In their wedding attire and hiking boots, they climbed the steep rocks just as the sun started to rise above the horizon. Later in the day, they met their imme-diate families at Sol’s Cliff House, where everyone was staying for the week, and went to the Ocean Path Trail for couple and family portraits. At sunset, with their family surrounding them, Gina and Doug self- officiated a more official marriage ceremony at Otter Cliff. Their family members shared stories and read poems, making it a uniquely intimate experience. A few days later, overlooking Frenchman Bay, Gina and Doug celebrated their marriage with friends and extended family back at Sol’s Cliff House. They hope to make the move to Maine sometime in the near future.

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Kenya & Eben

June 20, 2021
Bell Buoy | Camden Harbor
Winterberry Farm | Belgrade
Photography by Natalia Provencher

Kenya and Eben met on Penobscot Bay in the summer of 2015. Set up by mutual friends, they spent their first date sailing a Boston Whaler in Camden Harbor, lost in conversation while trying not to get lost in the fog. Kenya was enamored by Eben’s playfulness when he pretended to leave her on a bell buoy; Eben knew she was a keeper for putting up with it.

When Eben decided that he was going to propose to Kenya, he worked with Fish-bone Metal Works to have a ring made that symbolized Kenya’s love for the ocean. The day the ring was ready coincided with a Maggie Rogers concert in Portland. Eben’s proposal plan was elaborate, involving mountains, fall foliage, dogs, and a perfectly timed rainstorm. But as soon as he got the ring, he knew he couldn’t wait another day. When they got back to Camden after the concert, Eben proposed a midnight skinny dip in the harbor. After they plunged into the cold water, he pulled out the ring and proposed they spend their lives together.

Due to COVID Kenya and Eben’s wedding was split across two years. In 2020, for their official marriage, they took their immediate family, in a flotilla of 13-foot Boston Whalers, kayaks, paddleboards, and rowboats, to the same bell buoy from their first date. Since it’s not technically legal to stand on a bell buoy, there was an element of adventure and risk that complemented the existing butterflies in their stomachs. After they said “I do,” Eben and Kenya jumped off the buoy into the ocean.

On the summer solstice of 2021, exactly a year after their official nuptials, Kenya and Eben celebrated their marriage with friends and family at Winterberry Farm in Belgrade. Their wedding celebration was homegrown, casual, and full of laughter. They planned and organized everything themselves and enlisted friends and family for DIY projects to make the day special. The celebration took place as Maine’s COVID restrictions were easing, so it also served as the first social gathering since the beginning of the pandemic for many people in attendance. The couple says their favorite memory from the day is arriving at the celebration in a 1945 Jeep Willys and seeing everyone they love waiting there for them.

The day went by in a blur of laughter, tears, and love, concluding as Kenya and Eben departed through an arch of sparklers on the way to their next adventure: the cross-country move to Colorado. Their anniversary falls on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, symbolizing their love for adventure and for filling their days to the brim.

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Jennie & John

September 2, 2021
Private Estate | Bailey Island
Photography by Braedon Flynn

In 2017 Jennie and John were living in New York City when they met on an app called the League. For their first date, John suggested the Monkey Bar, a classic drinking spot near the Museum of Modern Art. By their third “date,” a getaway weekend to visit John’s family’s summer home on Bailey Island, they were in love. That weekend, Jennie was introduced to John’s extended family, where she learned about the life John wanted to build, with an emphasis on faith, family, and country, values Jennie felt were hard to find, especially in New York City.

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, John suggested a hike in the Hudson Valley to enjoy the fall foliage. After a three-hour rock scramble up Breakneck Ridge, with views of the Hudson River and the rolling, tree-lined hills beyond, John dropped to one knee and proposed. From his backpack he pulled out a small velvet box containing an heirloom diamond that had been passed down in his family from the 1600s, and which he had reset at a favored jeweler in his West Village neighborhood. When they reached a nearby hotel where they would stay for the night, John’s family—many of whom had flown in from out of state—surprised them with a champagne toast and dinner.

The two wed back on Bailey Island, where John’s family had created memories for generations. They began the day with a first look and photo shoot on the rocky cliffs in the rain—which stopped miraculously just in time for their outdoor ceremony overlooking Mackerel Cove. During the ceremony, the couple incorporated Korean traditions from Jennie’s heritage, like the exchanging of bows, as well as holding a moment of silence for her grandfather who had passed away the week prior.

The reception took place in a clear, light-filled tent with a view of the water. The custom menu included elements of both Jennie and John’s backgrounds: European, coastal Maine, and Korean. The lush rose garnish in their “secret cocktail,” was a nod to the couple’s beloved Bar Hemingway in Paris. To kick off the festivities, Jennie and her girlfriends put on a surprise dance to Mariah Carey’s “Dreamlover” for the wedding guests. After the reception, everyone piled into Cook’s Lobster and Ale House for a final toast to the bride and groom.

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Shirley & John

September 11, 2021
O’Maine Studios | Portland
Photography by Far Out Feeling: Meaghan Boegel and Brendon Cook

Shirley and John fell in love over the course of many dates eating their way around Boston, particularly Chinatown. They got engaged in May 2019 after an arduous sunrise hike to the top of Mount Masada, an ancient mountaintop fortress in Israel, where Shirley’s family is from. By the time they reached the plateau, with Shirley’s adrenaline already pumping from the climb, she turned to see John down on one knee. She said yes, and back in their tour bus full of sleeping strangers, buzzing with excitement, they had to stop themselves from shouting out their engagement.

They were married in Portland in the fall. Chucking tradition, they decided to get ready together at their Airbnb, the Francis Fassett House, a beautiful historic Victorian in the West End. They pulled up to the venue, O’Maine Studios, in a 1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, a favorite car of Shirley’s late father, who passed away just a few months before the wedding date. Inside, to honor his memory and to give his artwork a place in their ceremony, they had hung several of his photo-graphs from the walls.

Shirley and John walked “down the aisle” arm in arm, which felt like the right way to start their new lives together. Shirley’s brother married them under a canopy of flowers, which they couldn’t help but glance up at all through their ceremony.

Because food and travel have played an important role in their relationship, bringing their friends and family together around food at their wedding was something that mattered to them both. They served a Tuscan-inspired family- style dinner, and the act of sharing a meal turned out to be a profound experience for them and their guests, many of whom were finally reconnecting for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Back under the flowers, Shirley and John danced with their friends and family all night long, which is exactly what they hoped would happen. In fact, the festivities lasted so late that even the DJ was surprised.

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Christina & Colin

September 18, 2021
Harris Igloo | Deer Isle
Photography by Courtney Elizabeth

Christina and Collin first met during their freshman year at the University of New Hampshire. But it wasn’t until the day after college graduation that Collin asked Christina out on their first date. Since the pair lived in separate states, Collin made the trek down to New York City to visit Christina for the weekend. The two were instantly inseparable, staying up all night to talk about their love of family, outdoor adventures, traveling, and food. They spent the majority of their first year in a long-distance relationship, traveling between New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

Collin knew that choosing where to propose to Christina would be very important. He decided on Acadia National Park, where Christina spent many of her summers growing up. The couple, along with Christina’s sister- and brother-in-law, headed out on their usual hike, Mansell Mountain on the western side of the island. Collin had packed a bottle of champagne, and after popping the question at the summit, they toasted to the happy news.

Christina and Collin decided to wed on Deer Isle. Worried about the unpredictable Maine weather, they picked up the southern tradition of burying a high-end bottle of bourbon on the property beforehand to bring good weather. The day ended up being classically Maine, with fog in the morning that burned off in the afternoon just before it was time to walk down the aisle. After their first look, Christina and Collin dug up the Woodford Reserve they had buried days before and celebrated the weather gods.

The reception, a night of food and dancing with family and friends, was followed by a late-night after-party DJ’d by two close friends in a nearby barn and a midnight skinny dip in the ocean with the bridal party.

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Wedding Resources

CHASE + COREY

Aerial Trapeze Artists:
Go Ninja Fitness
facebook.com/GoNinjaFitness

Boutonnieres:
Cook Florist
presqueisleflowershop.com

Cake:
Shari Ward
(family friend)

Catering:
Governor’s Restaurant
governorsrestaurant.com

Centerpieces:
The Park family farmstead

Clothiers:
J.Crew
jcrew.com

Oliver Wicks
oliverwicks.com

Drinks:
Baxter Brewing Co.
baxterbrewing.com

First Mile Brewing Co.
firstmilebrewing.com

Geaghan Brothers Brewing
geaghans.com

Flowers:
Mapleton Flower Farm
facebook.com/Mapletonflowerfarm

The Park family farmstead

Gifts:
Potato Candy from Governor’s Restaurant
governorsrestaurant.com

Music:
Donna & Larry Park
(Corey’s aunt and grandfather)

Officiant:
Kelsey Park
(Corey’s sister)

Photographer:
Corey Gross Photography
coreyjgross.com

Rentals:
Northern Events
facebook.com/northerneventsllc

Rings:
Tiffany & Co.
tiffany.com

Stationery:
Sam Vogel Creative
linkedin.com/in/sam-vogel-43611a3a/

Venue:
The Park family farmstead

Wedding Party Dresses:
Banana Republic
bananarepublic.gap.com

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GINA + DOUG

Accessories:
MLine Jewels
etsy.com/shop/MLinejewels?ref=-simple-shop-header-name&listing_ id=1101829081

Cake:
Affectionate Confections
affectionateconfectionsbarharbor.com

Catering:
Acadia Takeaway
acadiatakeaway.com

August Moon Catering
augustmooncatering.com

Flowers:
Fern + Sunpalm
etsy.com/shop/Fernandsunpalm?ref=-simple-shop-header-name&listing_ id=857110561

Gown:
Galatea by Willowby Watters
watters.com/willowby/products/galatea

Officiant:
Bridget Stephenson (photographer)

Photographer:
Bridget Stephenson
bridgetstephenson.com

Rentals:
Grand Rental Station
grandrentalmaine.com

Rings:
Rissing family heirloom
(Gina’s ring)

Populent
etsy.com/shop/Populent?ref=sim-ple-shop-header-name&listing_ id=388055938
(Doug’s ring)

Venues:
Acadia National Park
nps.gov/acad
(wedding)

Sol’s Cliff House
solscliff.com
(reception)

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KENYA + EBEN

Catering:
Bleecker & Greer
mainemeat.com

Cafe Miranda
cafemiranda.com

Morse’s
morsessauerkraut.com

North Haven Oyster Company
facebook.com/Northhavenoysterco

The Uproot Pie Co.
theuprootpieco.com

Centerpieces:
Winterberry Farm
winterberryfarmstand.com

Clothiers:
Art of the Gentleman
artofthegent.com

Ralph Lauren
ralphlauren.com

Wise Guy Suspenders
wiseguysuspenders.com

Drinks:
Allagash Brewing Company
allagash.com

Maine Root
maineroot.com

Flowers:
Winterberry Farm
winterberryfarmstand.com

Gifts:
Homemade Wild Blueberry Jam
(by Kenya & Eben)

Gown:
Daughters of Simone
daughtersofsimone.com

Hair & Makeup:
Apollo Salon & Spa
apollosalonspa.com

Officiant:
Noah Barnes
(family friend)

Photographer:
Natalia Provencher
nataliaprovencherphotography.com

Rentals:
Wallace Events
wallaceevents.com

Rings:
Fishbone Metal Works
fishbonemetalworks.com

Stationery:
Emilie Huber
(family friend)

Venue:
Winterberry Farm
winterberryfarmstand.com

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JENNIE + JOHN

Accessories:
Jennifer Behr
jenniferbehr.com

Mark Ingram Atelier
markingramatelier.com

Cake:
Bear Brook Bakery
bearbrookbakery.com

Calligraphy:
Kate’s Calligraphy
facebook.com/katescalligraphyprints

Catering (Reception):
Walkers Maine
walkersmaine.com

Catering (Welcome Dinner):
Foster’s Clambakes & Catering
fostersclambake.com

Coffee:
Flor de Café
flordecafecoffee.com

Clothier:
Knot Standard
knotstandard.com

Flowers:
Minka
minkaflowers.com

Gown:
Monique L’huillier
moniquelhuillier.com

Lighting:
Maine Event Design & Decor
maineeventdecor.com

Music:
Blackstone Valley String Quartet
blackstonevalleyquartet.com

Officiant:
Reverend David H. Kim
goldenwoodnyc.org

Photographer:
Braedon Flynn
braedonflynn.com

Planner:
Nicole Mower Events
nicolemower.com

Reception Gowns:
Alex Perry
alexperry.com.au

Carolina Herrera
carolinaherrera.com

Rentals:
Sperry Tents
sperrytents.com

Rings:
Marisa Perry Atelier
marisaperry.com

Stationery:
Meghan Carey Design
meghancareydesign.com

Venue:
John’s family home on Bailey Island

Wedding Party Dresses:
Wedding Salon of Manhasset
weddingsalononline.com

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SHIRLEY + JOHN

Accessories:
Borrow Love Return
borrowlovereturn.com

Eton
etonshirts.com

Jade Oi Studio
jadeoi.com

Day-of Coordinator:
Weddings by AG
Allison Gjeltema
weddingsbyag.com

Doughnuts:
The Eighty 8 Donut Cafe
eighty8donuts.com

Catering:
French Picnic Catering
frenchpicnicmaine.com

Centerpieces:
Yellow Twist Floral Design
yellowtwist.com

Clothiers:
Bella Bridal Shoppe
bella-bride.com

J.Crew
jcrew.com

Bartenders:
French Picnic Catering
frenchpicnicmaine.com

Flowers:
Yellow Twist Floral Design
yellowtwist.com

Gown:
Hayley Paige
jlmcouture.com/Hayley-Paige

Hair & Makeup:
Flawless Pros
flawlesspros.com

Lighting:
Maine Event Design & Decor
maineeventdecor.com

Music:
Kim Collins Entertainment
djkimcollins.com

Officiant:
Yotam Barkai
(Shirley’s brother)

Photographer:
Far Out Feeling
faroutfeeling.co

Rentals:
One Stop Event Rentals
onestopeventrentals.com

Rings:
Brilliant Earth
brilliantearth.com

Laura Preshong
laurapreshong.com

Shoes:
Angela Nuran Shoes
angelanuran.com

Salvatore Ferragamo
ferragamo.com

Stationery:
Artifact Uprising
artifactuprising.com

Zazzle
zazzle.com

Venue:
O’Maine Studios
omainestudios.com

Venue (After-Party):
Three Dollar Deweys
threedollardeweys.com

Venue (Pre-Wedding):
Francis Fassett House
airbnb.com/rooms/12338433?source_impression_id=p3_1652972501_POMUBm%2FhM8T4kAl2

Vintage Car Rental:
DriveShare
driveshare.com

Wedding Website:
Riley & Grey
rileygrey.com

---

CHRISTINA + COLLIN

Accessories:
Family hair comb dating back to 1859

Pocketwatch
(Collin’s grandfather’s)

Shaw Contemporary Jewelry
shawjewelry.com

Cake:
Isabel Smith
(family friend)

Catering:
The Country Fare
countryfarecatering.com

Centerpieces:
Miller Gardens
207.288.4023

Drinks:
Bramble Bar Co.
bramblebarco.com

Mast Landing
mastlandingbrewing.com

Flowers:
Miller Gardens
207.288.4023

Gifts:
Bird Dog Bay
birddogbay.com

Gown:
Bijou Bridal & Special Occasion
bijoubridal.com

Hair:
Lindsay Block Style
lindsayblockstyle.com

Makeup:
The Glöw Method by Aquene Raven
@glowmethodbeauty

Lighting:
Griffin & Griffin
griffingriffinlighting.com

Music:
Silver Arrow Band
silverarrowband.com

Officiant:
Christopher Le Vine
(family friend)

Photographer:
Courtney Elizabeth Media
courtneyelizabethmedia.com

Planner:
Landfall Designs
Brigid Amendo
landfalldesigns.com

Rentals:
Wallace Events
wallaceevents.com

Rings:
Summerwind Jewelers & Goldsmiths
summerwindjewelers.com

Stationery:
Kristen Fogarty
kristenfogarty.com

Pen & Paper
610.525.6870

Venue:
Family friends’ private residence

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• 
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• 
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