The perfect storm, part II-Selkie

[Selkie]

Ack! I Hit enter too early! Selkie's pro pics is the rest of the title.

I heart my photographer! She put the proofs up online three days early. So, continuing my thread from earlier, \"Perfect Storm,\" here are more pics and the full story.

We met sailing on a wooden tall ship, so we wanted to get married and have the reception on a sailboat. We chartered a schooner in Gloucester, MA, which is near where I grew up and my parents still live. Of course, having grown up in New England, I knew we needed a rain plan. We're pretty hardy types and would go out in almost any weather, but figured our guests would appreciate being able to stay warm and dry. We booked an inn which overlooks Gloucester Harbor for the whole weekend, and our families and some friends stayed with us. We also arranged to have the inn be our rain location.

This was the inn, and the view from it. It's an 1845 mansion. You can see why Gloucester is a popular place for artists.

 

[Selkie]

Charles Hovey House

 

[Selkie]

Gloucester Harbor

 

[Selkie]

Our favors, which my mom put together. The little baskets were from Christmas Tree Shop, and the candles from Yankee Candle. There was a tag with a pic of us and the guest''s name attached to the handle. She also made shell shaped chocolates and put them in little bags.

 

[Selkie]

Me (obviously!) in the classic "gaze out the window at something in the middle distance" pose...

 

[Selkie]

Who, me?

 

[Selkie]

Handtied bouquet-my friends made it for me, and I couldn''t stop looking at it, they''d done such a nice job.

 

[Selkie]

After I came down the stairs, he was all teary-eyed...which of course got me going, too!

 

[Selkie]

This was him waiting as I came down.

 

[zoebartlett]

Hi Selkie! I love your pictures!!

I think we considered contacting your photographer but when I realized she was in MA, I didn''t think she''d travel up to Maine. I never actually contacted her to ask though. Ah well. C''est la vie. She does amazing work by the way.

 

[Selkie]

At this point, the guests were starting to arrive for the pre-wedding reception we had planned (supposed to go from 4:30 to 5:30 while we took formals). This is the only thing that irritated me that day-the owner of the inn had said she would provide iced tea and lemonade for the guests, but that didn''t happen. I''m partly to blame because I didn''t remind her the day before, but still. Not a big deal I guess, since the reception was going to be in about 1.5 hours, but it would have been nice to have something there for people to drink, at least.

Earlier in the day there had been a massive thunderstorm, but it had blown over and it looked like it would stay clear. Nope. At about 5, when we were outside taking pictures, the clouds were piling up again, and by 5:30, when we were supposed to head down to board the boat, the lightning was flashing and it was POURING. This is me, feeling those first few drops start to fall.

 

[zoebartlett]

I love your dress -- I gasp a little every time I see it.

To threadjack for a minute: I really love the favors you had. I''m assuming you or your mom attached the shells to the baskets, right? This may be a dumb question, but is the basket meant to hold the candle while it''s going or was it purely for decoration? What else could you do with a basket that small? Hmmm, I may have to make a trip over to the Christmas Tree Shop and price out 100+ baskets. That, plus the candle, could get really pricey though. I''ll see if I can make it work. Oohh, maybe I could do something similar and put them in the welcome bags. That way, it would only be half the money, roughly, as guests would be doubling up and I''d give one basket/candle per couple. Now you''ve got me thinking....

Sorry to threadjack...post away!

 

[Selkie]

This one''s for Sumbride, she''ll know why

 

[sumbride]

Ah... you two... that tear shot was just perfect! More!

I''ll sit back and be patient now.

 

[Selkie]

Date: 8/15/2007 8:54:59 PM
Author: zoebartlett
I love your dress -- I gasp a little every time I see it.

To threadjack for a minute: I really love the favors you had. I''m assuming you or your mom attached the shells to the baskets, right? This may be a dumb question, but is the basket meant to hold the candle while it''s going or was it purely for decoration? What else could you do with a basket that small? Hmmm, I may have to make a trip over to the Christmas Tree Shop and price out 100+ baskets. That, plus the candle, could get really pricey though. I''ll see if I can make it work. Oohh, maybe I could do something similar and put them in the welcome bags. That way, it would only be half the money, roughly, as guests would be doubling up and I''d give one basket/candle per couple. Now you''ve got me thinking....


Sorry to threadjack...post away!

Zoe, actually the baskets came with the little decorations. They were meant to look like scrimshaw, and some had little boats instead of a shell. Unfortunately, she bought them over a year ago, so CTS probably doesn''t still have them. I bet you could find something similar though!
I think people really liked them and everyone took theirs (I''ve heard about favors getting left behind). There''s a ton of things you could do with them.

I''m not sure about the candle...it sits in a glass votive holder inside. I haven''t tried to light ours yet, but I''d be a little nervous about the basket catching fire.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 8/15/2007 8:56:31 PM
Author: Selkie
This one''s for Sumbride, she''ll know why

AH!!! Thank you!!! She can''t make it to my bachelorette so that''s the most I''ll see of her until October!

(Selkie''s sis-in-law is my MOH!)

 

[Selkie]

contemplating the flowers again...

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks for the info Selkie! Yeah, I don''t think I''d actually use the candle while it''s in the basket, but they look great together.

 

[Selkie]

Sumbride, she was telling me how to pose like "Blue Steel" from Zoolander...

. I have some others I'll email you. She was so sad that she couldn't make it...stupid work.

 

[Selkie]

For Zoe, here are more dress details...

 

[Selkie]

hem

 

[Selkie]

I have to say, I was so glad I only spent $20 on my shoes (Payless satin ballet flats) because I was running around in the wet grass in them half the day, and you can''t even see them (except for the soles) in a single photo.

 

[Selkie]

Date: 8/15/2007 8:48:20 PM
Author: zoebartlett
Hi Selkie! I love your pictures!!

I think we considered contacting your photographer but when I realized she was in MA, I didn''t think she''d travel up to Maine. I never actually contacted her to ask though. Ah well. C''est la vie. She does amazing work by the way.

By the way, did you decide yet on your photographer?

I bet she would have travelled to Maine. York is really only about 45 minutes from where she works.
I loved her, she had a calm, unobtrusive manner, and her work speaks for itself. The weather didn''t faze her, and even without the assistant she usually has, she took tons of pictures.

 

[Selkie]

Had to put this one up to show my "something old," the carved ivory rose choker. It was made in 1919, and my grandmother gave it to my mother (technically, it''s something borrowed too, since I borrowed it to wear to my prom in 1990 and never gave it back!)

I debated up until the last minute about wearing it, or another necklace I have that''s a sparkly vine type thing. I''m so glad I went with the rose on the red choker, I think it has a nice vintage look to it.

 

[Selkie]

Cool shot of our ceremony text with our officiant''s glasses. He''s an old, good friend of my husband.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 8/15/2007 9:07:10 PM
Author: Selkie
Sumbride, she was telling me how to pose like ''Blue Steel'' from Zoolander...

. I have some others I''ll email you. She was so sad that she couldn''t make it...stupid work.

Cool!

And yes, work sucks.

But she did come down for my shower the week before your wedding so I did get to spend a little time with her.

 

[Selkie]

So, as the storm continued, all the family shots were taken, and we arranged with the boat captain to wait things out a little longer. Eventually, we decided to do the ceremony and reception right there at the inn. Luckily, by that time, all the guests had found their way there. My brother was amazing, he trucked back and forth between the boat transferring drinks and directing guests and the caterers to the inn. I didn''t even know he was doing it until later.

The best man and several other of the guys went in to the parlor and moved furniture around so that there was space for everyone (only 40 or so guests). We had our "first dance" in there too, which was totally impromptu because we hadn''t planned to dance at all on the boat.

 

[Selkie]

Our friend the officiant, DH, and his best man, waiting for me to walk in.

 

[Selkie]

I was so glad I was able to have my parents walk me in. That was another impromptu thing.

 

[Selkie]

Nice shot showing the fireplace and mirror...