Jacqueline & Josh :: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Wedding & Ocean Gateway Reception in Portland, Maine
Every year there is a date that is just so incredibly popular that it feels like everyone that contacts me is looking for the same one. This year, it was July 13th. I had seven(!!) couples contact me. I always give the first couple to contact me the opportunity to book me first and, fortunately for Jacqueline & Josh, that meant them! They first got in touch with me just over a year prior as they were planning their wedding from "away". I met Jacqueline and her mom and sister to chat about their shared vision for the day and how I could help them capture it all. Knowing that they had chosen by all time favorite church (The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception) and one of my top wedding venues (the waterfront Ocean Gateway), I was secretively praying that they would like me, I mean REALLY like me, and book me for the big day. My wishes came true in August when they made it official!
Fast forward to last weekend. Normally you think of July. In Maine. And those of us "locals" envision it being so hot that we spend every second we can in a lake or the ocean. But not July 13th. It was the most picturesque wedding day I think I have ever had. There were high, puffy white clouds in the sky to diffuse the sun just enough to not have harsh shadows. There was a cooling ocean breeze in downtown Portland. It was perfect.
Jacqueline got ready at her mother's condo on the north side of Portland with all of her lovely ladies. I had been anxiously waiting to see her dress for the past year since I heard she had made the trip to NYC's Kleinfelds. It did not disappoint! I loved the lace, the corset back, and the fact that it wasn't strapless. (If I had to do my wedding over, I'd seriously reconsider my choice of strapless.) It was gorgeous! And her ladies were dressed in perfect, short purple dresses each chosen to match their own taste and style. Love it! (I'm sorry to my ladies for not doing the same.) To add the cherry on top, Jacqueline made her own broach bouquet, which is definitely my all time favorite at this point. It was incredible and definitely worth all the time I know she put in to it. Once the ladies were all dressed and the details had been finished, it was off to the Cathedral for the formal Catholic Mass wedding ceremony, which was made extra special since Jacqueline's Great Uncle performed it. I love when family is so involved in the big day!
After doing the formal portraits in the Cathedral, we all loaded on to the party bus and cruised around the Old Port while taking more portraits of their newlyweds with their bridal party. Jacqueline & Josh made sure to schedule plenty of time for their portraits and allotted me almost two hours! That certainly was a record in my books and was SO amazing! We got tons of pictures of them with their friends but, more importantly, some of my all time favorite portraits of just the two of them. Seriously, it was awesome! They planned for their reception to start a bit after the ceremony to give their guests time to enjoy the Old Port a bit before partying and it worked out so well. Brides & Grooms, take note! If you want tons of awesome portraits, make sure you give yourself time in your day to make it happen.
Following our trip around Portland, it was time to get the party started at the Ocean Gateway! The toasts by Jacqueline's sister and Josh's brother were funny and heartfelt (with a few tears shed for good measure). The Ohio clan rocked it out early screaming O-H-I-O at the top of their lungs during their theme song (it was hilarious)! Jacqueline & Josh's siblings swarmed the dance floor all night and definitely kept the party going for a long time. Lake Region Caterers made sure everyone had the delicious fuel they needed to keep dancing. They always do such a great job!
Jacqueline & Josh, I hope that you are both enjoying your honeymoon in wine country on the West Coast! Thank you so much for letting me play a roll in your perfect day. It was such an honor. Congratulations!
Here is a sneak peek of Jacqueline & Josh's photos from the day. For more, be sure to head over to my Facebook page (and hit the "like" button while you are there). And, within the next couple days, you'll find their complete gallery of photos from the day posted on my website. There are a TON more photos to come and you definitely will not want to miss them.
Date: July 13, 2013 | Caterer:Lakes Region Caterers | Cake Artist:Two Fat Cats | Ceremony Music: Organist from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception | DJ Services:MRK Entertainment | Officiant: Jacqueline's Great Uncle Alfred Jacques | Invitations:Cotton Ink Invites | Rentals:A Plus Party Rentals | Transportation:Mainelimo | Bridal Boutique:Kleinfeld Bridal | Ceremony Location:Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine | Reception Venue:Ocean Gateway in Portland, Maine