Ever meet a couple and think to yourself, “wow, those two getting together will surely just make the world better”? I feel that energy at times with my couples. It can be a connection I feel when I talk to them, or the way they interact with each other, it can be a number of things really, but it’s just this overwhelming feeling of GOOD. THAT is Lauren and Dylan. They are two people who definitely make the world a better place individually, but together, they are an inspiration. Needless to say I enjoyed working with them immensely.

Their wedding weekend permeated love and support from their friends and family, who traveled far and wide to join at the forever gorgeous Autumn Lane Estate for the wedding day. Also traveling to Sebago Lake was The Libbys Photo and Film - who captured the essence of the day with such beauty and grace. This husband and wife dream team was the PERFECT match for Lauren and Dylan, with Lauren texting me after she received the photos and film “we cried, I can’t believe how talented they are!” So thank you to Amanda and Cole for this amazing coverage showcased throughout this blog. It was a pleasure to work with such a great pair.

Without further adieu let’s dive into the Lauren and Dylan love story.

How did these two find each other? Lauren and Dylan met while working together at St. Vincent Hospital back in 2018. Dylan was a Physician’s Assistant in the ICU and Lauren starting working as a Nurse Practitioner on the PICC team. Dylan would pick up overtime in Lauren’s department so they became friends working together on the PICC team.

First impressions were - mixed. Lauren says “I didn’t really like Dylan at first! I thought he was a little overly confident and sort of full of himself.” Dylan remembers that he “wasn’t really sure about Lauren either, he thought her “niceness” was too good to be true!” <<Disclaimer: the niceness is overwhelmingly uncommon and true to the CORE.>> After years of working together and “a little help from close friend, Tony, Dylan was able to get up the courage to tell Lauren his true feelings.”

So, when it was clear there was a spark there, what happened next? Recalls Lauren, “Our first date was to a Mexican restaurant where we both ordered nachos (hold the olives) as our main course (lol)… Basically we consider chips and salsa an essential food group.” Ummm, obsessed with this little tidbit. Love a nacho meal. Go Lauren and Dylan. Lauren continued to share details of the First Date, writing “the next part of the date is a story we have not really shared with many. Our closest friends know this, but as years have gone by I feel more comfortable sharing this part of our love story. After dinner we went back to my parent’s house. My mother was on hospice at the time, dying from metastatic lung cancer. Dylan spent all night at her bedside getting to know her, my dad, and my sister. My parents had heard me talk about my friend Dylan, but had only met him briefly at times when my mother was admitted to the hospital for cancer treatments. My mom instantly loved him. The two of them got along great, laughing and joking all night long about me and how I am silly, sometimes difficult, but most of all how much they both loved me. Watching Dylan sit so comfortably with her all night long was honestly the moment I knew he was the one. And my mom knew it too. The minute Dylan left for the night and I walked back into the room she said to me ‘he’s the one.’”

Reading the intimate story Lauren has so gracefully shared is so touching. The incredible impact and absence of Lauren’s mother was everywhere on the wedding day - from stories I overheard from aunts and cousins to this beautiful framed photo that made it’s way from one part of the reception to the next.

*Lauren’s mother was remembered often throughout the wedding day, and the picture below of her, in her own beautiful wedding gown, joined Lauren and Dylan for their dinner.*

From this moment forward, the love story really continued beautifully. Lauren writes that “I think what makes us special is our ability to find the fun in our regular day to day life together. We have this incredible shared loved for medicine and strive so hard to build and expand our careers. Since we are both midlevel providers we sort of get to do this together. All of our friends know that we spend about 85% of our time at our jobs. We love taking care of patients, building our medical knowledge, and we really love working together. During the pandemic, the two of us logged more hours than we ever thought was possible, often times working opposite shifts of each other just to meet the needs of the hospital. We devoted ourselves and so much of our time placing lines for critically ill patients admitted with COVID. I remember one morning, we crossed paths in the basement of the hospital…I was walking into work and Dylan was walking out of work. We both got so excited to see each other because even though we lived together we hadn’t seen each other in days! We joked that we see each other at work more than at home.”

On May 25, 2021, Dylan popped the question. On what Lauren thought was just a walk with the dogs in the park, Dylan got down on one knee. There is a beautiful park in Bristol, Rhode Island that has stunning views of the ocean and is right along Lauren and Dylan’s favorite bike path. Dylan collaborated with Lauren’s cousin Tiago, who captured the moment perfectly!

*Lauren’s engagement ring and wedding ring were from Sachs Jewelry.*

That brings us to the wedding planning - and when we met. I had given birth to my daughter, Poppy, in early March 2021, and received Lauren’s inquiry to work together shortly thereafter. There was just something about this couple and their story that made me put maternity rest on hold and have a talk with them. We connected from our very first Zoom, and I instantly knew we had to work together. Lauren and Dylan signed up for our Event Coordination and Logistics package with some help with rentals and timeline guidance along the way. Every time I talked to Lauren she was wearing her scrubs at the hospital, calling in from her lunch break with organized spreadsheets and notes galore. I loved her! She was SUCH a go-getter, and a dream bride to work with. Here we are below, joyously celebrating on her wedding date. Which leads me to the wedding!

*Lauren and I gushing about all things wedding day.*

Lauren and her bridesmaids got ready in the Couples Cottage on site (not sure if there’s a better place in the history of brides and bridesmaids getting ready than the couples cottage at Autumn Lane Estate). We’re talking comfortable seating, vanity mirrors, floor length mirrors, views of the lake! It’s spectacular. These ladies were gussied up properly by Natasha the Hair Fairy, who is indeed magical - these ladies looked spectacular. Some other details below - I love the spectrum of blues everywhere from the bridesmaid dresses to the jean jacket. So dreamy!

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Dylan and his groomsmen got ready in one of the incredible cabins on what was in June the recently developed portion of Autumn Lane Estate. Talk about a spectacular setting and overlook. A perfect place to be set away from it all, and have a little bonding with your people as you prepare to get married.

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Lauren did a First Look with her Dad (also known as the nicest sweetest man of all time). I love this tender touch between daughters and parents, especially now that I have my own daughter. This special moment is so appreciated by loved ones and absolutely heartwarming.

Lauren and Dylan’s also had a First Look - and private vows. The First Look took place on Autumn Lane Estate’s dock down on the beach on Sebago Lake. Lauren knew that it’d be way too overwhelming doing heartfelt vows in front of everyone so they kept this intimate moment to themselves, overlooking the completely still Sebago Lake. Lauren says that the private vows were her favorite part of the whole day recalling “it was just me and Dylan alone, so I felt like we could really listen to what each other was saying without the pressure of 200 eyes on us!” After their vows, they proceeded to get photos on the beach, on her uncle’s incredibly beautiful boat, and with their pups.

Their wedding ceremony was absolutely beautiful - Lauren walked down the aisle to “Kiss the Girl” by Brent Morgan, and it was like time froze right then and there. Lauren’s cousin, Mark, officiated the ceremony in a peaceful, genuine way that instantly made Lauren and Dylan comfortable. It was joyful, romantic, and lovely.

Lauren and Dylan’s friends and family were an overwhelmingly happy group of guests - they all knew they were in the presence of a true love story and smiling abounded. Their wedding parties were kind and calming, which comes as no surprise after meeting these two caring souls.

Let’s talk reception. Cocktail hour took place on the patio at Autumn Lane, where guests mingled at high top tables and played lawn games. Dinner took place under a beautiful sailcloth tent provided by One Stop Event Rentals. Each place setting had a knotted dusty blue napkin, brushed gold flatware, delicate glassware, and gold beaded chargers by One Stop Event Rentals.

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Farmhouse Floral’s By Estabrook’s provided delicate yet bountiful floral - from Lucious bouquets to greenery on the tent poles and down each table, the wedding radiated fairytale beauty.

One of the most special parts of the wedding, in Lauren and Dylan’s opinion, was the favors table! They recall that “we did a table of all of our favorite local things from Maine and many of our guests have since told us this was their favorite part of the wedding! We also did dog treats from Maine and did personalized dog treats for our furry friends.” The favorites for L+D included: Vintage Maine Kitchen Chips, Len Libby Candies, Coffee By Design, Bar Harbor Tea Company, Jarva Cakes, Cape Whoopies, Maine’s Gourmet Whoopie Pie, Two Salty Dogs (Boothbay Harbor), Stonewall Kitchen Blueberry Jam, Coastal Maine Popcorn, Bixby Chocolates, Wild Maine Blueberries, Blueberry Basket Chocolate Covered Blueberries, Maine Street Bee Honey, Brayer Ridge Soap, Bare Natural Soap Co., Downeast Doodle Candle, Maine Needham Company and Pure Maine Maple Syrup.

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Yet another thing that makes Lauren and Dylan extra caring and considerate? They wrote separate personalized letters to their family and friends to express how grateful they are for each and every one of them. Guests found that after their salad plate was lifted up there was this personalized note, just for them. Unbelievable touch.

Fire and Co wowed with their wood-fired masterpieces. Guests sampled chicken & waffle bites, pork street tacos, crispy avocado tacos, buffalo chicken sliders, and bourbon steak skewers during cocktail hour. Lauren and Dylan had signature drinks - a strawberry margarita and a blueberry vodka lemonade. Perfect early summer vibes. For dinner, farm-to-table family style meals were enjoyed by all.

The cake was made by a family friend! Seriously. And Lauren’s Dad, who knows his way around a kitchen, provided sheet cakes to be divvied up and brought to guests after the initial cake cutting. Things like this continue the theme of this wedding, there were just so many personal touches. Everyone wanted to be involved, in the best way possible. And the cake was delicious (gotta do some research in this position, am I right?) :)

After a delicious dinner, speeches, and toasts the dancing took off and DJ Danny DeBruin from Northeast Event Design had folks on the dance floor until the very last song. Maine Event Design and Decor’s custom chandeliers with greenery and beautiful draping provided the ultimate space enhancer to the already lovely barn, and everything just got more and more stunning as the sun went down.

And right when everyone’s stomachs started rumbling again Sportsman’s Kitchen and Keg dropped off a ton of hot and fresh pizza for late night munchies!

Lauren and Dylan and friends also had an epic sparkler moment outside the beautiful doors of the barn at the Autumn Lane Estate. I just love everything about these shots - from the colors of the guests attire to the greenery rings and lights of the chandeliers by Maine Event Design and Decor in the background. Simply beautiful. When the final song was complete everyone piles into shuttles provided by Custom Coach and Limousine, and made their way home.

And how about a honeymoon? Lauren and Dylan went to The Bahamas and stayed at the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort. Hmmmmmmm…..all inclusive paradise trip? YUP. On board!

We are so happy to have been a part of Lauren and Dylan’s wedding. Thank you to Lauren and Dylan for reaching out to us and making the planning process so seamless. Thank you to Autumn Lane Estate for having us on your spectacular property to celebrate this lovely pair. And a huge thank you to the dream team of vendors (below) who helped make this day perfect. Congratulations to the newlyweds - Lauren and Dylan!