Revisiting the beautifully intimate wedding of Megan and Cole warms my heart, not only because of the magical spirit that I hold from this day, but because I am so blessed to be able to call Megan a dear friend. Her talented craft work in planning her wedding day was truly inspirational – enough for me to extend her beautiful props and talented hand lettering skills to our Clients. For those who do not know this lovely lady: Meg works as our in-house calligrapher, adorning many a chalkboard, mirror, window frame and anything else you can dream up for many of our Clients. She loved the process of creating all of her wedding day signage so much, she happily accepted our invitation to come aboard this ship and we couldn’t be more proud to have her.
Before Meg officially joined the AFA team however, she and Cole joined our loving “extended family.” Having had the opportunity to work with these two brought us immense joy – their sweet spirits and loving personalities were truly infectious and inspiring.
Even more charming than Meg and Cole themselves is their heartfelt love story. These two met when they were just young kids trying to navigate their way through high school, but quickly fell in love and never looked back.
“I don’t really remember our first official date since we were always such good friends,” recalled Meg. “But I do remember thinking he was the most handsome, blonde lifeguard I had ever seen.”
“She was very pretty and very smart,” added Cole.
While the small details of their first dates and time spent together may have drifted from their minds, Cole’s proposal was nothing short of memorable.
“Cole proposed on a foggy September day at our favorite beach in Georgetown, Maine,” began Meg. “We were living in Colorado at the time and I had flown home for a visit while Cole stayed behind because of school. After informing all family members (who kept it a secret!) of his plan, Cole hopped a red-eye from Denver to Boston, then a 5:00 AM bus from Boston to Portland, and drove up to Georgetown where he hid in the dunes of our little neighborhood beach. Thinking I was going to meet my father for a walk, I headed down to that beach where Cole was hiding. After waiting all alone on the shore for at least 20 minutes, I was beginning to get annoyed that my father had not yet arrived and almost decided to head home.”
“Cole likes to claim that the reason it took him so long to approach me on the beach was because he could not see me from behind the dunes, whereas I, personally, think he fell asleep! Finally, I heard someone say “Hey!” from behind me and when I turned around there was Cole walking towards me on the beach. At first I was completely stunned and then I began to cry when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. To say that it was a life-changing moment and a complete surprise would be an understatement.”
From the first time I spoke with Megan and Cole, I knew immediately that the planning process would be a unique one. They were both over the moon with joy and wanted to be a part of every decision that was made. We were quickly able to grasp a sense of their vision, coupled with a love for antiques (that may be greater than mine!), and worked to bring this magical day to fruition.
“I was so excited about planning my wedding and insisted on being involved as much as I could,” said Meg. Thanks to my ever-present mother, wonderful wedding planner and fabulous vendors I felt that they really let me have fun with this experience.”
From the sweet details to the delicious food, Meg and Cole’s special day was truly a dream from start to finish. Thanks to the lovely Emily Delamater, we are so excited to be able to share these details with all of you.
This brilliant display of textures and colors was composed by floral master, Carolyn Snell of Snell Family Farm. Meg was really jazzed to work with Carolyn because not only are her designs always a stunning display, but also because Meg was really excited to work with her Mom in executing the reception floral with the hundreds of vintage bottles they had sourced. On the day prior to the wedding, Meg and her Mom created a lovely assembly line and the process proved to be calming and a wonderful pastime for them both.
Toby, the most handsome and official best dog ever. That bow tie!
This sweet ceremony was truly one of a kind. Held at their home in Arrowsic, Maine with only their closest family members present, Meg and Cole celebrated their love for one another in the most delicate way. Their ceremony was beautiful and deeply personal, incorporating many unique elements such as a blessing of the rings and a Native American poem, to name a few. To make this moment even more special, Meg and Cole asked Cole’s father Mark to officiate the ceremony, giving him the honor of marrying his son and his newly beloved daughter-in-law.
“From the beginning, we knew it was important to us to have a private ceremony so we could really focus our love and attention on each other and be surrounded by those we are closest to,” recalled Meg.
Off to the reception! Following the ceremony, Meg and Cole traveled to the Maine Maritime Museum to greet their guests and enjoy the celebration.
Welcome drinks consisted of a fall cranberry lemonade. citrus infused water and hot apple cider served from silver servers to vintage tea cups.
“I think my favorite detail was the antique fireplace mantle that greeted guests as they entered the reception,”continued Meg. “It was decorated with candles, flowers, miniature oil lamps and driftwood, and held framed pictures of our loved ones who were with us in spirit.”
Though we were thrilled to utilize many of our props for this design, Megan and her Mom had quite the time sourcing many of the pieces themselves.
I also remember Meg telling me she wanted us to install the lights in such a way that it would appear as though we literally threw them at the ceiling. THIS was a challenge I happily took on! Lots of big and little loops were wrapped and hung from the stunning beams at the venue.
Each food and beverage station was carefully mapped out and drawings were sketched by us for each layout. Our whiskey barrels held antique doors that Meg and her Mom sourced for each food display. They were lively and the menu was designed to appeal to all. Presentation was paramount, and because of my 15 years of catering experience, this part was right up my alley! A big thank you to the staff at The Black Tie Company for working with us to bring this creative food vision to life!
Gorgeous grab and go guacamole! I’ll take two please!
Cheese fondue replaced some of the traditional hard cheeses and was served from cast iron pots with seasonal blanched vegetables.
The Asian Station consisted of satay and teriyaki, spring rolls and stir fry in grab and go take out boxes with chopsticks. Meg, of course, crafted all of the event signage.
There was no shortage of fun foods throughout the evening: a Comfort Food station consisted of mac and cheese bites, BBQ pulled pork on cornbread rounds, sweet potato fries and onion rings in paper cones with dipping sauces and mini sliders. Meg and her amazing Mom sourced antique silverware, vintage cocktail plates and delicate old cloth napkins for each station. Food came in waves throughout the night, both in stations and circulated, keeping guests excited and in suspense for the next round. The Black Tie Company executed the food and service flawlessly.
The abundance of love and joyous atmosphere continued throughout the evening with festive tunes from The Jerks of Grass. Needless to say, it was certainly a memorable evening for Megan and Cole.
And who can forget about dessert? The gorgeous and abundant displays almost deserved their own party. From the decadent gelato cart, to mini Maine Whoopie Pies, mini apple and pumpkin pies, cake pops, mini fluffernutters and assorted cupcakes…let’s not forget custom Maine shaped cookies and of course…The Wedding Cake!
This talented dessert team consisted of The Black Tie Company, The Cookie Jar, Mae’s Café, The Gelato Fiasco, and Simply Scandinavian.
Meg’s Mom Susan lovingly made that beautiful torn fabric backdrop you might notice on our prop rental page, and has since adorned many a dessert table since.
A little advice from the gorgeous Bride – “Stick together at the reception. Even though it was challenging, Cole and I made it a priority to make sure we enjoyed the reception as a couple and we are so glad we did! We also tried to take a few seconds every now and then to simply stop, look around and really appreciate all of the hard work that went into planning this day. It goes by so fast but all of our memories are shared ones which makes them that much more special.”
Meg and Cole, it was a true honor and joy to be a part of this process with you, and we’re so proud to call you friends and colleagues. We love you dearly! Always wishing you happiness and love for many, many years to come! Xoxo
We would also love to thank the following vendors for assisting us in creating such a magical day.
Hair: Turning Heads Salon ** Event Rentals: A Family Affair of Maine and personal collections ** Wedding Favors: Wicked Whoopies ** Invitation Design: Ladyfingers Letterpress ** Wedding Rings: Springer’s Jewelers ** Wedding Dress: Dentelle by Jenny Packham
A Family Affair Design Blog 