Katie and Johnny’s Intimate Hidden Pond Wedding | Kennebunkport, Maine

Katie and Johnny are two of the most fun and interesting couples I’ve been blessed to know. I mean, they met at a hip hop dance club their freshman year at Bowdoin to start…how boss is that?! Katie immediately noticed Johnny because, well, he was the only guy in the class – and, as she puts it, she “couldn’t help wondering who this guy was, so immediately went over and introduced herself.” And turns out that was just the move for Johnny to notice Katie – out of a sea of girls this one came right up and got his attention. Throughout that semester, and watching each other’s fab dance moves, a natural friendship between the two grew.Johnny asked Katie out the night after a hip hop dance rehearsal, leading up to their first dance show that December. They had known each other about three months and were still in their first semester at school. The college was leading an initiative during that time – Date Week – which was meant to encourage healthy relationships between students. Johnny saw this as a perfect opportunity to casually ask Katie out on “Date Day” and get to know her better. As their dance rehearsal finished up late in the evening, Johnny had to sprint to catch Katie in her dorm hallway before she went to bed, in the last few hours of the night. The actual first date was soon after and consisted of dinner at a cute and classy restaurant in downtown Brunswick, followed by a movie. So classic!Years later the proposal came. And what a proposal it was! Johnny and Katie were living in Boston and Johnny arranged a scavenger hunt by planting little scrolls of paper all over the city in shops, stores, and outdoor spots while she was being treated to a massage. Johnny explains “[The scavenger hunt] was actually reminiscent of a scavenger hunt around the Bowdoin campus that I had given her for her birthday during our first few months of dating – making everything come full circle. Her final Boston clue led her down a trail lined with trees illuminated with white holiday lights, and at the base of a statue – the final destination of the scavenger hunt – I got down on one knee and asked Katie to marry me! She, of course, said yes! And, while she later remarked that she had a sneaking suspicion that something was up, she said that she was nonetheless still very surprised and touched by all the thought that went into such a perfect night!” Their love of world travel and immense playfulness captured our hearts and reliving this day today by way of the incredible images captured by Leah Fisher, has been pure bliss on this snowy Tuesday.It was really important for Katie and Johnny to have a “smaller” wedding, with about 70 guests, to create an intimate weekend for all invited. This gorgeous invitation suite and day of seating chart and escort board were so thoughtfully designed by Anticipate Invitations. Everyone was invited to go to the rehearsal dinner the night before where skits, songs, and toasts were among the festivities, so by the time the wedding took place many guests were already great friends. Since both Katie and Johnny love games and being active, they made sure that their reception had lots of activities (from cornhole to giant jenga, ladderball, and kub) so there would be no shortage of laughs and intermingling. As a matter of fact, Johnny began the day with his guys playing some favorites to get the playful momentum started.The details at this wedding were absolutely lovely. From the luscious floral arrangements provided by Field Floral Studio to the plethora of signage done by our in-house calligrapher Megan Theriault, every detail was perfectly executed. The pops of blue throughout, from both Mom’s dresses to the small blue flower accents to the table glassware, this one was to be remembered.Katie’s gorgeous day of look was created by the talented ladies at Bei Capelli. I still remember seeing Katie at her trial at the studio and she looked every bit as radiant on her wedding day as she did that day.Ohhhhh my gosh! The best!!There seems to be NO end to the vast beauty of this property, and all of the amazing photo opportunities for portraits, as Leah so beautifully took advantage of.Just look at these beauties!Johnny’s father gracefully officiated the ceremony, which was so meaningful for them both.And…MARRIED! Cool as cucumbers on a hot June day…Katie and Johnny were totally wild about the food provided by Earth at Hidden Pond – they had two hours of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres (yes please) that offered guests a variety of culinary delights. Maine farm-to-table goodness was apparent in each delicious item.We designed the dining room to mirror Katie and Johnny’s style perfectly as it was both intimate and classic. The couple adorned their guests place settings with golden compasses which were given as favors. We created custom black chambray runners for all of the dining tables and sweetheart table.The gorgeous plated feast consisted of a starter course: Fromage Blanc Gnocchi, Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes, Butter Poached Maine Lobster, & Aged Sherry Vinegar. Followed by a second course: Hidden Pond Greens with Oregano-Garlic Vinaigrette Ricotta Salata, & Crispy Prosciutto. Finally, the third course was guest’s choice of Shaved Vegetable Pasta “Lasagna”, served with Summer Vegetable Salad, & Reggiano Parmesan OR Roasted Eye of the Rib Eye, Root Vegetable Gratin and Summer Bean Salad OR Diver Scallops with Smoked Carrots, Chipotle Puree, Greek Yogurt, & Sunflower Seeds. They ate like Kings!And let’s not forget the adorable mini desserts! In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, Katie and Johnny instead opted for a variety of bite-sized treats including Maine Whoopie Pies, Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, and Red Velvet Cake Pops. YUM. Guests were able to just grab and go with these little sweets, and get back to that hot dance floor! Speaking of dance floor, K + J were simply thrilled with their DJ, Dave Windsor of Windsor Entertainment, who they say did an amazing job of getting everyone engaged, such that between each course, he actually had everyone up and dancing amidst the tables! Katie reflects that “it was then quite the task to get everyone settled back into their seats as more food came out, but totally worth it!” Plus Katie and Johnny had to show their guests that they were seasoned hip-hop experts! And as you can see the guests also knew how to bust a move . . . Game playing carried on throughout the evening for those not getting down!After their wedding Katie and Johnny headed up to Camden, Maine to enjoy a mini-moon to extend their Maine experience. After all, this is the great state in which they met and their relationship really took off – what better way to celebrate their wedded bliss? In Camden, Katie recalled that they had a lovely time a local Bed and Breakfast, with reading, games, and relaxing on the top of the to-do list. They were also able to take an afternoon trip sailing along the coast, which was such a beautiful and fun new experience to share, before heading back to Denver, Colorado, where they moved just a couple of months before their wedding. To close this one off, Katie and Johnny had the actual cutest response to how they are special as a couple – that they both found their “adventure-buddy” for life in each other. <YASSSSS!!> They both love traveling around the world (we are lucky to follow along, vicariously of course, on their travelling journeys through social media), being active and trying new things (from skydiving to mountain biking), and still have yet to come back from a trip sick of each other. Now, as Denver residents, they are able to continue to be each other’s adventure partner by hiking, biking, skiing/snowboarding, and anything else that allows them to be outdoors. Johnny is a software developer, and Katie is currently studying UX Design. And, go figure, they are staying super busy – Johnny just ran his second marathon in October of 2017 in Washington, DC with his brother (his first being in lovely Portland, Maine a few years back). And they still enjoy traveling around the world with each other whenever they get the chance. From the bottom of our hearts we wish countless adventures to come for these two wonderful humans.