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Alex and Elliott are a couple that legitimately make my heart accelerate. They are just the kindest, most fun to be around, joyful, loved pair.

I felt so lucky to have been introduced to this duo via our mutual dear friends Shannon and Katharine. That alone for me was enough to know they’d be the best clients ever, as Shannon and Katharine are one of my favorite couples ever. Thank you to Shannon and Katharine for this wonderful referral - Alex and Elliott are one for the history books!

And with another wedding comes another fantastic introduction to a new, talented, grounding soul: Cate Barry Photography. I just love when I get paired up to work with someone who ends up just being calm, cool and a total bad-ass. Cate and her partner, Kasey (equally wonderful, kind, gracious) thoughtfully and artfully captured this wonderful day - really captured it. Cate describes her clients as people who “want to FEEL something when they see their photos” and that is exactly what these photos did. Gave me all the feels. Every photo is my favorite, and then I look again, and still can’t pick. Thank you Cate for sharing your gallery with me, I can’t wait to work with you again sometime down the line, though certainly not soon enough.

It all began in 2014. Alex and Elliott met in St. Louis while they were both in graduate school through a mutual friend. Alex says “I found Elliott to be intense, charming, independent, intimidatingly smart, and very funny. Elliott stated that they hated cats, which I felt was a red flag and potential non-starter (I had 3 cats at home).. We still have those 3 felines and Elliott is now obsessed with them too- HAHA!”

Elliott says that “I found Alex to be spontaneous, warm, hilarious, and extremely thoughtful.” They also chimed in on the cat comment above saying “Listen, I was tormented for over a decade as a child by our family cat, the 3 cat situation was a huge red flag and potential non-starter for me as well…but alas I’ve been fully converted and would have it no other way.”

Do you see what I mean? I’m grinning ear to ear just writing about their first impressions of each other. I love that Alex converted Elliott into a cat lover, and now they actually dress their cats up for Christmas each year (I have proof from their Holiday card, it’s amazing . . but more on that later).

The First Date – my oh my. A+E wrote that they “met at a cool bar in St. Louis that Elliott recommended. We were meant to have 1 drink and then attend this OutGrads (LGBTQ grad school club) event. We ended up chatting for hours and having several drinks. We eventually made it to the event and there were very few people left. There was a cake leftover at the end of the night that Alex decided to take home (I mean why not!?). Alex swiftly realized that in her excitement for the date, she had forgotten her bike key so she couldn’t unlock her bike to get home. Elliott kindly offered to drive her and the cake home. That was our first date!” I just love this so much - caught up in each other from the beginning to a point where they 1) barely made it to the event they were supposed to attend 2) forgot things in an excited haze. Elliott also proves that chivalry is not dead but safely delivering Alex AND her cake back to her home safe and sound.

The Proposal – Sigh. “Alex proposed to Elliott underneath a blossoming cherry tree in Mt. Tabor park in Oregon. Alex had been stalking the progress of the blossoms all spring long and needed to find a not rainy day to make this thing happen! Alex wrote her proposal down so she wouldn’t forget it due to nerves and played our favorite song by Stevie Nicks. We then had a picnic and champagne! Elliott was delighted but not surprised as Alex had been acting erratically all morning with nervous anticipation. Haha!” My fellow blog readers, my heart is exploding at this whole ordeal. Alex was watching the progress of the blossoms all spring to make the proposal perfect, are you actually kidding me?! This is true romance folks, and I’m still totally in awe I got to help in some way, shape, or form on the next part of their relationship milestone - the wedding! Oh wait . . . there was one more milestone first . . .

The Postponement - again, sigh. When Elliott reached out to me in March of 2020 for help with the wedding I was so thrilled. Again, I had met these cuties through mutual friends and every interaction I had with them was a delight. Fast forward a few months….remember March 2020? We all were in a happy blissful ignorance of what COVID would do and the length it would affect things - well affect things it did. Alex and Elliott decided to push their August 2020 to July 31 of 2021. Hard to wait another year to get married- but there were some fateful moments that made this date even more perfect than the last (one being that Lake and Co. became the wedding caterer, major delicious score).

The Wedding Day! Hooray! After delaying the celebration by a year the new date had all the good vibes. It rained buckets the night prior to the wedding, but the morning of the wedding the birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and it was go time. Alex and Elliott got ready together for their wedding. Alex’s BFF Caitlin and Mother Lisa came over to sip mimosas and help the duo get ready. Alex and Elliott’s house BTW - is the cutest most stylish abode in Southern Maine. Why would they want to get ready anywhere else, it is made to be photographed :)

Alex had her hair done by Peter-John at Akari. Elliott’s incredible rose colored suit was from TopMan with the most amazing bowtie from Brackish. Pretty obsessed with the fact that Alex’s hair incorporates pieces of blue feather that match Elliott’s bowtie. Details like this, my friends, are so much fun. Please also note the signature cocktail sign (from Etsy), which is featured on the adorable bookshelf, then of course at the wedding reception, is a custom made tribute to their three cats. It is so cute, I truly hope it has reclaimed it’s territory on the bookshelf after the wedding.

Another getting ready together perk? Getting so many family photos taken before the ceremony! When you have the PERFECT summer day (after a whole month of rain) and are getting married at the bunker at SMCC there is no better backdrop let’s be real here. Ocean, lighthouse, sailboats - quintessential Maine and I’ve loving ever minute of it.

P.S. This is how I want to be greeted by all my couples (again thank you Cate for capturing this moment). Alex and Elliott know how to hug - you know what I mean? Like some people go in for the side hug or just a little pat - totally fine if that’s your jam but Alex and Elliott really go in for the bear hug. HERE FOR IT.

The Ceremony had a couple elements to their ceremony that were just amazing - first off both Alex and Elliott were walked down the aisle by their best friend. Caitlin walked Alex, and Katharine walked Elliott. Love this touch so much. Their officiant, Shannon, did not leave a dry eye at the bunker during the ceremony (her own eyes included, it was emotional, beautiful, and unforgettable). They had 4 readings done by family and friends. They had a special stone ceremony where they invited guests to come contribute a special stone they had held onto throughout the ceremony, that Alex and Elliott would then go on to put in their house. Oh and their recessional song choice was "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" by George Michael and Aretha Franklin! Just so good.

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After the Ceremony Cate and Kasey went on to capture all of the greatest-photos-of-all-time. Check out that bouquet by Bloomers BTW - I heard not one but multiple people at the wedding say the bouquet was like an embodiment of Alex - happy, colorful, and beautiful. Simply lovely.

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The reception took place at Alex’s Dad, Soren’s, house in Cape Elizabeth. Lake and Co stunned as always with passed appetizers for guests including grilled shrimp pops, kimchi deviled farm eggs, falafel bites with tahini and amba, cornmeal fried artichoke hearts, and grilled jerk chicken skewers. Maine Mixologist was on site whipping up allllll the delightful signature cocktails, as well as a thoroughly impressive assortment of wine provided by Soren (the most thoughtfully curated wine selection ever to be honest). Guests mingled around the property and then moved to dinner under the tent - a glorious round sailcloth tent provided by Maine Bay Canvas and adorned with bistro lights from Griffin and Griffin. Elliott’s mom, Susan, provided favors for guests from her own personal honeybees! The sweetest little jars of honey all the way from Ohio! And of course, colorful, seasonal flowers adorned the tables from Bloomers in just down the road (love local vendor support).

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There were 13 speeches, that’s right 13. In Danish tradition, Alex’s brother, Nick, was the ‘Toast Master’ and guests all cheered ‘Hurra!’ in varying configurations after each speech. Never have I never seen such an outpouring of love as Alex and Elliott’s wedding reception. To have 13 people want to get up and speak about you is simply amazing, and a true reflection of how you’ve influenced your guests.

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Okay so during the toasts a few additional amazing things happened. To begin the evening Lake and Co brought out platters for each table of family style charcuterie. Family style charcuterie should be a thing at every wedding - what an amazing start to a meal! Dipping and dabbling in olives and cured meats and cheeses while listing to thoughtful tributes to the newlyweds, all while Maine Mixologist fills your glass with wine? Sounds ideal to me! A few speeches in there was a little breather for dinner - which was again incredible assortment of garlic & herb marinated & sliced flank steak, roasted salmon with lemon and dill, grilled summer vegetables with crumbled marinated feta, chopped kale salad & fennel with lemony-vinaigrette, bowls of fresh minty tzatziki and grilled Iraqi flatbreads. While guests enjoyed dinner Cate snuck Alex and Elliott away for some glorious golden hour shots in the yard.

When the toasts were wrapped up there was dessert - cake was provided by Sweet Woodruffs (funfetti, which could not be more on point with the abundance of color) and The Holy Donut also made an appearance as a GF option. Delightful and delicious.

And then of course dancing began. And you can just see below what that was all about. Toward the end of the evening Lake and Co brought out Margarita Jell-o shots and late night tacos. I mean. Perfection.

So how does one continue the fun after this splendor? Italy! In 5 days they went to: Venice, Florence, Montepulciano, and Rome! Mmmmm, love + pizza + wine - nothing better.

All my thanks go to Alex and Elliott for inviting me to be a part of what will go down in my personal history as a favorite wedding of all time. What a wonderful outpouring of love. I’m legitimately sad as I wrap this blog up because I have have such a good time remembering everything about this special weekend and everything that happened to make it so fabulous. I’m so grateful to you both - can’t wait for future Holiday cards with your costumed cats and lots of Terlingua dates . . . CONGRATULATIONS! xoxo