On a beautiful Fall afternoon in Maine I married the man I've loved since 9th grade on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Our wedding plans changed SO many times. First we started with a wedding in Jackson, then it turned into an elopement in New Orleans followed by a reception in Jackson, then a global pandemic took over our lives. Eventually we decided we didn't want to wait anymore. I wanted to be married in the South, but at this point I didn't how long until it would be safe to get married back home & I wasn't really prepared to wait & see. So we started making plans, & next thing I knew we had a mini-moon booked, a photographer, and someone to marry us.
We didn't sleep in separate places the night before. We slept together in our little apartment like we always do with our cats at the foot of the bed. The next morning we drank coffee & tidied up the house, I got my hair done, did my own makeup on the bathroom floor while Stevie sat in the sink. We hopped in the car after our first look & headed to the ocean. Our friend Eric officiated a meaningful & perfect ceremony for us while his wife & our friend Sam was our witness alongside our amazing photographer Jamie. We said our vows, we sobbed, we exchanged rings!
After our ceremony and pictures we went back to our apartment, where Z and I had strung up Christmas lights in the backyard the day before. Z grilled steak for all of us, we drank champagne, and sat around a bonfire.
It was so casual and not fussy, just how we like things. The only thing that would have made it better was my family being up here to celebrate with us. But we are so happy with it all, I am so obsessed with the way Jamie captured us on the best day of our lives.
Some little details:
- Our save the dates obviously have our previously chosen date on them, but I loved them so much I didn't care & had Jamie photograph them anyways along with 3 different stamps: one for Mississippi, our home state, one for Louisiana, where we would have originally gotten married pre-covid, and one for Maine, our current home & where we got married.
- My florist included magnolia leaves in my bouquet, it was the sweetest touch and nod to home. I also attached my grandmothers broach to the front.
- Zander made is own wedding band out of mahogany!
- I have family home videos of me & my sister swimming at this same beach, not knowing many years down the road I would marry my best friend at the very same place.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us along this insane journey. Our relationship has been far from traditional, but worth it to get to where we are right now. 12 years ago I met my soulmate at band camp, and now he is my husband. I just can't even believe it. All I can say is everything happens for a reason, and we are so blessed.
-S
