Jenn and Ethan’s Foggy Maine Wedding at Newagen Seaside Inn

Jenn and Ethan planned an incredibly gorgeous wedding at Newagen Seaside Inn. It was a rainy and cold day, but rather than dampen the festivities, the weather added to the gorgeous mood and feel of the day. Fog rolling in from the sea made for incredibly romantic photos, while the umbrella-donned ceremony felt festive! A clear tent allowed the gray sky to remain as the ceiling for their reception, while twinkling lights overhead replaced the stars! If you are in love, then you can blame mStarr Event Design for all the genius ideas and inspiration! Photographer Hello Love Photography tell us the rest of the visual story, while the beyond beautiful bride, Jenn, chimes in with the details on the big day!

What made the wedding special and unique?

To me, the most important aspect of planning is to put a lot of thought into the small details. For the vast majority of our guests, our wedding was a destination. We wanted to make sure that they felt taken care of from the second they arrived to the moment they left. Some of the small details included welcome bags with treats and a suggested activities list for the whole weekend, nightly bonfires, late-night snacks and beverages on Friday and Saturday, personalized lawn games, a private sailing trip on Saturday, and a send-off brunch on Sunday. Other details included Pashminas for the ceremony, individually rolled with hand-calligraphed wooden tags that said, “get cozy” {much needed with the dreary weather that day!}, ceremony programs with a “fun facts” page on the back for guests to enjoy as an icebreaker as they waited for the ceremony to start, a signature drink named “The Bravo” with custom krazy straws for the guests to take home, herb-adorned drink stirrers, and hand-calligraphed wood bar menus. For the reception we decided to do edible escort cards and favors. The favors were my homemade herbs de Provence salt delivered in my favorite canning jars. It was really important to us to give our guests a favor that was hand made with love because favors are truly a means to say ‘thank you’.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Andreas bridal in Portland Maine – I worked part-time at the shop. The store carried 2 out of 3 lines of Watters, and my dress just happened to be on the one we didn’t carry, but i knew it was my dress. So the owner did something above and beyond and totally unexpected and picked up the 3rd line just so I could try it on! It was my dress and I made a few custom changes, to make it perfect for me. The gown is Jacinda by Watters.

What were some touches added to make it personal?

Ethan and I ultimately enlisted the help of the creative Emily Starr Alfano of mStarr Event Design to help us bring our vision to life. Emily put the word ‘ethereal’ to describe our wedding, and at that moment I knew she understood exactly what we wanted. She helped guide and inspire me with new ideas, and even reigned me in a few times when I would get too far off from our vision.

The day of our wedding was a cold, rainy day. It ended up being perfect because as the girls and I were about to walk down the aisle, a wall of fog came up over the water from the horizon, and it couldn’t have been more ethereal, like our theme, if it were planned.

My bridesmaids and I were at a waterfront cottage, secluded away from the guests. The surf was crashing just a few feet below us, and the fireplace was roaring. It was a perfect grey fall morning in New England. We are normally a very rowdy bunch of women, and that morning we were calmer than we have ever been. In a way, the dreary weather validated the nervous anticipation that filled the room, and it was magical. One part of the presents I gave my bridesmaids that morning was a Kate Spade mugs that said “Cold Hands, Warm Hearts”, and the saying couldn’t have been truer for us that day.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

When the ceremony was about to begin, and we were getting ready to walk down the aisle, a special moment occurred that I will always remember. Before each of my bridesmaids went to take their walk, they individually turned and either winked, blew me a kiss, or mouthed that they love me and were off. It is a memory I have with each of my best friends seconds before getting married, and I will never forget the way they looked as they began their walk. I am usually an emotional person, and I thought I would cry my way down the aisle. Instead I was excited, strong, and more in love with Ethan than ever before. It was the best feeling in the world, and one of my favorite memories of the day.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met in high school! Ethan had the Portland Observatory (an old light house, now a museum, steps from Jenn’s apartment) open back up on October 26th- they closed for the season on October 6th. E popped the question up there and then surprised Jenn with both of our families waiting at our favorite restaurant in town. The restaurant was buzzing awaiting our arrival and my answer!

Vendors: Photography: Hello Love Photography // Venue: Newagen Seaside Inn // Event Design + Styling: mStarr event design // Floral Design: Laurie Andrews Design //  Linens: ModMix Studio // Rentals: Peterson Party Center // Tent: Marshall Tent & Event Rental // Lighting: Boothbay Region Greenhouses // Invitations: Alee & Press via Gus & Ruby Letterpress // Calligraphy: butler’s pantry // Bridal Gown: Watters // Bridal Shoes: Coloriffics // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jim Hjelm // Hair: Fallon Fitzpatrick // Makeup: Tawni Michelle // Cake and Desserts: The Winey Baker // “Bravo” Straws: Krazy Straws