Nubble Lighthouse, Cape Neddick, ME :: Wedding Ceremony :: Tess + Allen

A light drizzle of rain fell on the windscreen of the Aston Martin as Paul and I drove up to Kennebunkport, ME for the wedding of Tess & Allen at Nubble Light.

Yes - you read that correctly. Paul and I drove to a wedding together and Paul took some pictures.

No - we will not be the next Jasmine Star and JD married photographer team :)

Paul has no desire to get involved in the wedding industry and that's why I hire qualified second-shooters. However when I explained that Tess and Allen were flying in from Pennsylvania to get married on the rocks at Nubble Light and they needed two witnesses and a way to get Tess to the ceremony he said "Hey, I'll come and drive the bride in the Aston Martin." We'd just finished dinner and may have had a couple of glasses of wine so I was a little skeptical that he's actually do it but he was perfect company for the day.

More on that later because let's be honest, you're here for the wonder that is the wedding of Tess & Allen at Nubble Light.

I arrived at the Captain Lord Mansion in Kennebunkport, ME to take some detail pictures and Tess getting ready. It can be difficult to find hair and make up on a Sunday when it's just for one person and although the super-awesome Joanne from Joya Beauty was already booked, she still took the time to find someone to help Tess. And the amazing Maura Gagne (mauragagne@gmail.com) from Samba Salon (Phone 603 766 2460) in Portsmouth, NH did a phenomenal job!

This beautiful little locket belonged to Tess's grandmother and was her "something old":


The Captain Lord Mansion Oriental Room was perfect for getting ready, and I couldn't resist hanging Tess's dress from the ornate four poster bed. I think Tess was channeling old Hollywood here:


A wedding isn't a wedding without rings:


Tess's beautiful satin shoes:


I drove ahead with Allen to Nubble Light and Sohier Park to meet with the fabulous Maureen Quirk who would be the Justice of the Peace conducting the wedding ceremony for Tess & Allen.

When I'm entrusted to document a wedding through photography it's a responsibility I don't take lightly, and when it's an elopement the responsibility is even greater as this is how friends and family will share in the wedding. I hope these pictures show the love and tears and wonder and smiles :)


And happiness:


So when you have only the bride and groom to photograph having a second shooter is kind of overkill so I figured I'd give Paul my back-up back-up camera and see what award-winning images he came up with. He may kill me for posting this but check out my multi-tasking photographer-bouquet-holding husband as this will be the first and last time he appears at one of my weddings:


Tess & Allen, by the power invested in me by the state of my blog, I now pronounce you man and wife and you may kiss your bride:


As it was such a cold and windy day, Sohier Park was pretty quiet but there was a smattering of tourists who quietly watched the ceremony breaking out in claps and cheers and honking their car horns. Tess and Allen waved back. And the picture on the right is one of my favorites:


Happy Newlyweds:

Okey dokey, I'm at the limit of images for this blog post...

After the ceremony I had the distinct honor of following Tess & Allen around York, ME for an hour or so to take more pictures.

I think most photographers are slightly insecure at heart; I constantly try to challenge myself to get that heart-stopping or remarkable images and always think that I could have done better.

I'm telling you this as Tess & Allen's wedding was the perfect storm of:

- a couple so in love

- soft Maine light

- no timeline or schedule

- beaches and rocks and old stone churches

as Paul drove me home after a celebratory drink with Tess and Allen, I looked at the pictures on the back of the camera and declared "these are so good I almost want to cry". The next blog post is already written so leave a comment below and I'll post it early...