Maine Wedding Photo Shoot-Part 2

Here are a few of my faves from Brea McDonald's professional photos from our last wedding magazine shoot. Dessert buffet, hand made pinwheels... Some of Sara Fitzgerald O'Brien's incredible custom designed, watercolor stationery...

A bouquet made by yours truly, so prettily photographed by Brea on a rusty old tool box, scavenged from a barn on a road trip through Vermont with my sister...

I can't stand these-so sweet! I made Ava this little dress for the shoot, though it came out a bit too big, it didn't stop her from sipping her milk from a pinwheel straw at the "kid's table"! Of course, she selected the sunglasses...

Here is her "thinking face" as she calls it...

What fun! I will let you know as soon as they are out in a magazine! Keep your fingers crossed!

Can't Stop Knitting

I have been up to so much lately, I have backlogs of folders of pictures to share...and here is part of the reason that I haven't been blogging much:

Yep, that is my desk. Can you see the lists buried under the luscious distraction?!? They are in there, you just have to really look. Oh and my laptop is under there somewhere too.

The trouble started the other day when I realized that every single knitting needle I own, has a project started on it. I discovered this when I went searching for an empty set of needles to start another new project. Hmmm... I am 2 sleeves away from finishing a sweater for my very tall husband, and it may likely be the last I make for him-how BORING to knit so many rows of Stockinette stitch...

I am about 3 inches of a sleeve away from finishing the first ever sweater for myself...

About 30 minutes worth of knitting away from finishing a hat for a Christmas gift...

And 9 napkin sweaters away from being ready for my next wedding photo shoot on Oct. 8th. I know, a napkin sweater, really? But it is going to be so sweet and even napkins need to feel cozy on a cool autumn evening at a barn wedding reception. Right?

I just finished Ava's 2nd birthday sweater. How can she be almost 2?!?

Unfortunately, I just found this little gem at my local library. It doesn't appear that there will be any end in sight...

I've Been Up to Something

Oh I've been busy-sorry to have been away. I recently worked again with two fabulous girls-Brea McDonald and Sara Fitzgerald-O'Brien to complete a wedding theme we had started back in June. We had some interest from a wedding magazine editor and needed to create the rest of the wedding story to photograph, before the season changes completely! These are just my snapshots, Brea's photos will be much more delish, but I wanted to share. We created a hand made dessert table, complete with scrumptious strawberry desserts provided by 111 Maine. We only had 4 days notice that this shoot was going to take place, so I had to whip up a bouquet myself-hard to make September look like June! As usual, I scavenged some of my vintage finds, old coolers, metal boxes, family quilts and collected pie pedestals to work into the theme. These lemon squares are quite possibly the best I have ever eaten. Ever. And I have eaten my fair share! The magazine editor wanted a little girl in a red gingham dress...in 4 days, I had to make my own dress and employ my daughter to be in the shoot at the kid's table. I didn't have a pattern, just made this by cutting out freely and hoping for the best...we shall see how it worked in the pictures, I will post some when Brea's are available.

I made an assortment of paper pinwheels, originally to line the ceremony aisle, but we opted not to shoot that scene, and instead, pushed the pinwheels into the ground around the kid's table-so cute!

There are so many other things going on here, I haven't even made the time to get the pictures into the computer to share...just suffice it to say that what is coming next will be a feast for your eyes, and will give you a peek into what our lives have been consumed by for the past year! Stay tuned...

Sneak Peek -Extra Special Coastal Maine Wedding

I think I can only show you the set up of this one...there may be a chance of it being published, and I don't want to ruin it. If this wedding gets selected for publication, then I will yell it from the rooftops and send you links to see the rest, but for now, I can show you the days of set up that were required at this extra special, unique and delightful wedding.

This may shed some light on what goes on behind the scenes at a tented wedding. When you are building the venue from scratch, there are many details and logistical concerns to manage. But of course, with good planning, willing help and a passionate vision and desire, it all can be done expertly.

The main tent going up on Thursday morning.

The house and gardens are a vision in themselves.

The mother of the bride (whom I cried with almost as much as I laughed!) worked so diligently on the preparation for this event, including the designing and caring for the gardens, under atypical weather conditions this summer.

The ceremony weather back up tent going up later Thursday.

The hopeful ceremony location...

Thursday mid morning-my two dearest buddies, Geoff & Ro, from New Orleans, (NOLA if you are in the loop!) who spent the better of 9 hours on a 16 foot ladder with me, installing the lighting in this tent. If only I could have these 2 at all of my tented weddings! We worked for the better of 2 days to get all of the elements set up and installed, including the last minute redesign of the band stage...It takes much more work than most people know, to get from this:

Just to this:

And another wave of labor and energy to get to this:

And that is only about 40% of what needed to be set up!

We had a vision- a big, floaty, illuminated vision....some of these babies were 4 feet in diameter!

But of course, they had to be illuminated, which takes a bit of craft, wit and faith!

Some of the bride's maids and the bride herself enjoyed the perfect Maine weather, in between tasks.

Oh I wish I could share more-keep your fingers crossed!