“It’s hard to pick just a few things to say about Brad + Andrea’s amazingly creative and beautiful Maine wedding! They were able to pull off a sophisticated woodsman theme perfectly – including a sun filled outside ceremony in front of white birch trees, homemade brews from the groom’s brother, hiking to a a waterfall for photos (seriously, they HIKED to a waterfall!!), and a very relaxed Maine meal surrounded by their friends and family. The whole vibe of the day was so relaxed as their hard work + planning all came together perfectly.” – Samantha Marie Photography
What is your favorite wedding day memory?
I think the favorite part for both Brad and I was going hiking in our wedding attire! Our amazing photographers had the great idea of taking some pictures at a nearby waterfall, Shin Falls. It meant we had to hike about 1-mile through the woods and down the bank to get to the falls, but we didn’t even have to think twice about it! I’m so happy we did it, it was such a fun and different thing to do and matched our personality perfectly. The pictures came out amazing and even in the crazy event that they hadn’t, it was worth the funny looks and “congratulations” we got from numerous hikers in actual hiking gear as I walked past them in a wedding dress!
What did you DIY for your wedding?
Almost Everything! Brad is the creative one and actually took the lead for most of the planning and DIY projects. About 90% of the wedding was done by us, family, and friends. From the invitations, to the centerpieces and keg cooler. On top of that, 99.9% of the wedding was sourced from the county. Brad built the keg cooler my father using recycled barn board; all of the wood slabs, used as the centerpieces, the ‘guestbook’, and as the bar top, came from a maple tree that was naturally downed in a storm and my father helped the property owner, a family friend, remove the debris from their property (in true county style); the flowers were wild flowers that made up the bouquets and other features around the wedding, came from my family property and bridesmaids properties. By the way, all references to ‘the county’ represents Aroostook County, the largest county east of the Mississippi River and the northernmost county in Maine. ‘The County’ is a term used by locals and a term of endearment and pride to the region.
Something old, new, borrowed and blue?
I had an endless supply of old and borrowed! My goal with the planning was to leave as little to be thrown out at the end of the day as possible, so most of our decorations were borrowed from friends or remade into something new. We were fortunate to have a beautiful day so the blue skies made up for the lack of “something blue.” (and of course, Brad’s beautiful blue eyes)
Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?
Start early and stay calm. I was fortunate enough to have a groom that is really creative and actually enjoyed creating and planning the wedding… but he also never got flustered or over stressed, at least not that I saw! It really kept me relaxed… Brad would always say, “Whatever happens, happens. At the end of the day, it’s our wedding and we’ll be married”. – Andrea, the bride
From the Groom
Andrea and I have been fortunate enough to travel all over the country and make great friends along the way, so for our wedding we wanted to give all them a reason to travel all the way to northern Maine to experience why we love northern Maine and how we grew up. To be true to Maine, we wanted a theme that related to both our childhood home, as well as reflect the individuals we’ve become over that past decade away from the County. We came up with what I deemed, the sophisticated woodsman (or woodswoman)… the perfect combination of slick urban style blended with a hard working, ‘rough around the edges’ style. But it went far beyond appearance and style; 90% of the wedding was done by us, family, and friends. From the invitations, to the centerpieces and keg cooler. On top of that, nearly all of the wedding was sourced from the County. I built the keg cooler with Tim, Andrea’s father, using recycled barn board; all of the wood slabs came from a maple tree that was naturally downed in a storm and Tim helped the property owner, and family friend, remove the debris from their property (in true County style); the flowers were wild flowers that came from Andreas family property and bridesmaids properties. Instead of asking our wedding party to buy expensive suits or dresses they would never wear again, we shared with them what we were looking for and encouraged them to add their own flair, and more importantly we wanted them to buy something they would be likely to wear again. The women wore assorted dresses of different colors that they chose, the men wore clean, white button downs with a tie and gray khaki pants; sleeves rolled up, ready to go to work. To top it all off, we served burgers and hot dogs and an assortment of summer-y Maine salads… perfect after a day in the woods. Of course every wedding, and woodsman and woman, needs a good beer at the end of the day. Beer was brewed by my brother and best man (Aroostook Brewing Company) all 45-gallons of it – and featured three beers specifically chosen for the wedding, one dubbed the “Log Splitter IPA” with a slogan of “an IPA strong enough for a lumberjack.” In all, it was only possible because of the great support that came from the County and we hope that was apparent to our guests. – Brad, the groom
Event Credits
Photographer: Samantha Marie Photography // Venue: Shin Pond Village // Florist: Chadwick Florist and Greenhouses, Houlton, ME // Catering: Anah Shrine Clowns // Beer and Wine: Aroostook Brewing Co. // Cake: The Pastry Coner // Music: Brady Fitzpatrick // Rentals: General Rental // Dress: Cristina's Bridal // Attendants attire: chosen by them // Decor, table numbers, favors, guestbook, invitations and more: all DIY-ed by the Bride and Groom
