I can’t believe these two just celebrated their two year anniversary! Congratulations, Rachel and Jake! My heart still flutters when I think of this dreamy September wedding, held at the beautiful Barn at Flanagan Farm under the the most pristine blue sky and warm sun. These sweet souls inspired me from the first time I met them, their creative spirits shining through each and every planning decision we made. Rachel and Jake’s wedding was even featured in The Knot New England Issue last fall, but now, we’re honored to have the pleasure of revisiting this sweet day ourselves and reminiscing about the magic and beauty that was created.
These lovelies met nearly ten years ago on their freshman move-in day at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Though it took a full year for Rachel and Jake to become friends, and another two years for them to start dating, these two hit it off right away. They quickly fell in love over their shared interests and love for the outdoors.
As both of their families would surely attest, an engagement was nothing short of destined. Showing his genuine personality and deep love for Rachel, Jake impressed with his thoughtful planning and sweet gesture leading up to the big event.
“When Jake first told my parents he was planning to propose, my mom offered him a family diamond from around 1920 that belonged to my great-grandmother,” explained Rachel. “He took the diamond and designed a ring for it that was classic and simple, but with a unique setting. I knew I wanted a yellow gold band and had shown him some rings that I liked, but I had no idea when Jake was getting the ring made and he surprised me with it! It’s perfect.”
From the very beginning of the planning process, Rachel and Jake prioritized location over most aspects of their wedding day, citing Maine as the perfect place to hold their special event. With the immense beauty this state has to offer, I can hardly blame them!
“We knew we wanted to get married in Maine, the state where we met, and also close to where I grew up,” said Rachel. “The Barn at Flanagan Farm had the right feel we were looking for: it was rustic and natural but also polished and comfortable for our guests. Plus the whole wedding party could stay at the farmhouse, which was so much fun! Because our family and friends are scattered across the country, it was kind of a destination wedding too.”
While Flanagan Farm was easily the perfect fit for these two, we continued to work with Rachel and Jake to build a team of inspiring vendors that would bring their wedding dreams to life. With the beautiful farmhouse serving as the inspiration for their design, we worked together to created an event that reflected their love for nature, with rustic touches that embodied a simplistic beauty.
“We picked an ocean blue and a sage green as two colors to carry through, but had a lot of other natural influences, like the wood barn and gold and pinks in the flowers,” the two explained. “The color scheme was not super intentional, we wanted it not to feel forced.”
Assisting with the design of the wedding website and invitation suite was also one of my favorite aspects of planning as well, mostly because I got to take an extra peek into one of Jake’s many talents! As a graphic designer at his firm, Jake excelled at designing the most beautiful printed day-of paper (including invitations, programs, and table numbers!) to reflect their sweet and adventurous personalities.
“Our print materials had fading blue mountains on them, which represent Maine and also where we live now, Colorado,” explained Rachel. “We’re big mountain people, we love skiing and hiking, and it was a way to reflect us in our invitations and print materials.”
From the joyous first look and intimate woodland ceremony to roasting s’mores over a bonfire at end of the night, this day was nothing short of perfect. The outpouring of love and support by Rachel and Jake’s family and friends was simply heartwarming, and I still reminisce about the beauty created on this special day. Thanks to sweet and über talented Cambria Grace Photography, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to share the details of this wedding with all of you.
Rachel wanted all of the bridesmaid dresses to be the same color, but different styles (and affordable!) and achieved this look thru David’s Bridal. I just love the styles they each chose, each being unique and different than the next!
Rachel’s family is Jewish and Jake’s is Christian, and they wanted to incorporate both religions into the ceremony. They were married until a chuppah, which was made and decorated by the incredible Broadturn Farm, and included Rachel’s grandfather’s Tallis over the top.
Tom Whitehead Music played music during the ceremony and cocktail hour and brought a local flair to the wedding, including the “Appalachian Waltz” as the processional number!
The ceremony included seven blessings (which they wrote!) read to them in English by their wedding party and Hebrew by the Rabbi. They also chose two bible readings, and ended the ceremony by breaking a glass! They were both escorted down the aisle by both of their parents, as is tradition in Jewish weddings. The ceremony was officiated by both a Rabbi that Rachel knew growing up and Jake’s dad, who is a Lutheran Pastor in Iowa.
Cocktail hour was on the lawn under a magical sailcloth tent. The weather was absolutely perfect that day, and wedding guests had fun playing corn hole and wandering around the farm site. 
Rachel and Jake had a 3-tier buttercream cake – half vanilla with strawberries in the filling (drool) and the other half was chocolate with a raspberry and chocolate mousse filling (again, drool). They also had a “funfetti” groom’s cake as Jake simply loves this cake. How cute is that?! 
Whew! What a wedding. These two really know how to have a good time. 
We just had the most incredible time watching these two celebrate their love with such style and personality! After their wedding Rebecca and Jake took to the Swiss Alps for some honeymooning – perfect for their passions of the outdoors and mountaineering passions. Thank you to Rebecca and Jake for being so lovely.
We’d also like to thank the following amazing vendors, who helped to make this day spectacular:
Wedding Dress Shop: Rebecca Schoneveld Wedding Dress Designer: Rebecca Schoneveld Bridal Shoe Designer: Caparros Groom’s Suit: Bar III from Macy’s Groom’s Shoes: Tango Wedding Rings: Etsy: The Sly Fox Engagement Ring: Family Heirloom Designed by Jake and made at the Jewel Boutique Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal Groomsman Suits: Bar III from Macy’s Transportation: VIP Charter and Maine Limousine Service Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Barn at Flanagan Farm Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Music: Tom Whitehead Music Event Rentals: One Stop Event Rentals and A Family Affair of Maine Photographer: Cambria Grace Photography DJ: M&M Entertainment Hair/Makeup Stylist: Head Games Salon Invitation Design: Jake Marty Place Cards and Programs: Jake Marty Calligrapher: Megan Fahy Floral Design: Broadturn Farm Caterer and Bar Service: 111 Maine Wedding Cake/Desserts: 111 Maine
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