Kathryn and Adam were married on August 12, 2017 at the gorgeous Josias River Farm in Cape Neddick, Maine on an absolutely perfect summer day. It had been nearly a year since I had last seen them at their engagement session at Wagon Hill Farm, and they were every bit as kind, welcoming, and gorgeous as they were back then. Under the delightful planning and coordination of Kathleen at Fancy Figs, this wedding went over beautifully and will be long remembered by family and friends.
Inspirational style takeaways from this wedding:
- How they used different parts of the property for different parts of the day. Side yard for the ceremony, front of the barn for cocktail hour, tented area in the backyard for dinner, and inside the barn for dancing.
- Exquisite ceremony details: the huge wooden arbor handmade by the groom, and the way they lined the aisle with rose petals which was an easy way to add extra detail and it looked really full and lush in the photos.
- The way the food presentation became as integral a part of the wedding decor as the florals. Beautifully arranged food displays of fresh seasonal fruits and veg, breads, and cheeses gave a very luxe look to this upscale barn/garden wedding.
- Notice how the property is arranged so that there are no cars anywhere in the background of any photos. I love this.
It was such an honor to receive such a beautiful testimonial from Kathryn shortly after their wedding. She had this to say about her experience with me:
“It was Erika’s appreciation for natural beauty and comfortable, yet elegant, photography style that caught my attention. We jumped on the opportunity to have Erika photograph our engagement session last summer, and our wedding on August 12th. Erika is an ideal pairing of professional and fun! She has a natural eye that can’t be beat and was able to capture so many beautiful moments at our wedding. She is a true artist.
Erika was a pleasure to communicate with from the start of the wedding planning process to its completion. It was so nice to be able to shoot her an email with questions from time to time and be able to get such a quick response.
Erika has such a sweet personality, and she is so patient! I was running a bit behind for my first look photos and Erika never made me feel rushed or added to the stress I was already feeling.
Erika flawlessly photographed the best day of our lives. Adam and I truly feel privileged to have had her as our photographer and would choose her 1000 times over!” ♥♥♥
getting ready
There is a large and lovely room in the back of the farmhouse which is perfect for on-site preparations. The ladies had plenty of room to spread out, and the doors accessed the back of the yard. Kathryn and her bridesmaids had their hair and makeup done at the venue, and the getting ready room was buzzing with activity and excitement when I arrived.
Kathryn’s Monique Lhuillier mermaid flare gown was the stuff of dreams. She is one of the lucky few with a figure able to pull this gown off, and she looked so incredibly gorgeous.
The wonderful wedding planner had built time into the schedule for a first look and bridal party photos before the ceremony which was the best way to organize the day. With that business already taken care of, this left only bride and groom photos during cocktail hour while the guests enjoyed themselves with appetizers and signature drinks. It was such a relaxed and easy schedule, which made it easy to just roll right into a delicious meal catered by the one and only Black Tie Co. of Maine. They are a top-notch caterer that is such a pleasure to work with and photograph because of their artistically arranged displays of local and seasonal foods. Being August, the summer harvest was in full swing, so there was a colorful variety of cheeses, herbs, blueberries, green beans, peaches, tomatoes, and leafy salads.
first look and bridal party portraits
Kathryn and Adam had a very manageable sized bridal party of 3 bridesmaids and 3 groomsmen. The guys looked dapper in their blue suits, and the ladies were summery perfection in dresses that were so light pink that they almost looked white. The bright florals brought everything together in a lush August palette that was vibrant and classy.
ceremony, cocktail hour, and portraits
Kathryn and Adam’s ceremony was held in the garden beside the barn, and its focal centerpiece was the gorgeous arbor that Adam built himself. Placed in front of a low stone wall, and flanked by a gorgeous bed of black-eyed susans, the site was sunny and welcoming. It was the perfect place to symbolically begin a new life together. It was the second wedding that summer that was officiated by Governor John Lynch, who I had met previously in June at Leah and Justin’s wedding at Bellevue Barn. As it turns out, Kathryn’s mother is good friends with Justin’s mother and so they share a lot of the same friends.
Moving right into cocktail hour, it was a breeze of mingling, congratulations, and easy going enjoyment as guests enjoyed food and drink on the shady lawn. Then I took Kathryn and Adam around the property for a few bride and groom portraits.
tented dinner
Cocktail hour took place in the side yard of the farm, shaded from the August sun by full grown trees. Then, dinner was served in a beautiful tent behind the barn. Each table was decorated with a lush flower arrangement by Sorella Flower Co., full of greenery and summery blooms like zinnias, roses, daisies and hydrangeas. Bottles of wine dotted the tables and welcomed guests as they found their tables with seating cards in the shape of French bulldogs, matching Kathryn and Adam’s furbabies.
evening dancing in the barn
The rest of the evening was spent in merriment in the barn: dancing, drinking, and eating more wonderful food from The Black Tie. Rustic pies were served as the late night dessert. After all the formalities were done, everyone danced the night away. Just before I was to conclude photography at 9:00, we did a staged sparkler “exit” outside the barn so that Kathryn and Adam could end their time with me with some epic magical sparkler shots. What a way to end an absolutely pleasurable day with wonderful people who made my job so easy.
I’m proud to say that I shot this wedding by myself. Whew! I no longer offer wedding photography with just one photographer for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it’s absolutely exhausting for a old lady like me. All of my packages now include two photographers which is absolutely amazing for my couples. Still, I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish alone on this day, and it was the last time I did so. Kathryn and Adam were so wonderful to work with that it made the day easy.
#happilypooreverafter
Venue: Josias River Farm
Coordination: Fancy Figs
Catering and Beverage Service: The Black Tie Co.
Rentals: Exeter Events and Tents
Florist: Sorella Flower Co.
Hair: Jamie Shatney
Makeup: Cassie Cloutier, Utopia Day Spa
Dress: Monique Lhuillier
Bridal Shop: Madeleine’s Daughter
DJ: Steve Lux
Ceremony Musician: Pete Kilpatrick
Officiant: Governor John Lynch
Photography: Erika Follansbee Photography
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