Katherine and Patrick's Dockside on York Harbor Maine Wedding
Katherine and Patrick's Dockside on York Harbor Maine Wedding

After photographing Katherine and Patrick’s engagement session last year in York Harbor, Maine, I was very excited to return to York Harbor for their September 21st, 2019 wedding at The Dockside Restaurant. The Dockside Guest Quarters is a lovely Maine oceanfront B&B on the same property as the restaurant. Katherine and the other ladies in the wedding got ready there. You can see the rocky Maine coastline (their gorgeous ceremony backdrop) from the upstairs window. Katherine and Patrick had a beautiful coastal Maine wedding ceremony, officiated by one of my favorite local wedding officiants, Julie Draper. We took formal portraits outside on the lawn while guests enjoyed an outdoor cocktail hour nearby. Guests took their seats inside the Dockside and the wedding party was announced into the reception. Katherine and Patrick shared their first dance surrounded by their family and friends. After three heartfelt speeches with toasts, magnificent entrees of prime rib and haddock were served. We stepped outside for sunset portraits in the gazebo and on the dock, which is my favorite time to take photos at the venue. Once inside, the couple cut their wedding cake and Katherine tossed her bouquet before the dance floor opened up for the night for everyone to continue to celebrate into the evening.

Here’s my Q&A with Katherine:

How did you two meet?

One April weekend in 2016, Patrick and I were both out in Boston with different groups of friends. Towards the end of the night Patrick and his friends, and myself and my group of friends, both met up with a mutual friend of ours at the Red Lantern in Boston. Patrick and I were introduced to each other and chatted for the rest of the night. From there, the rest is history!

When and where did you get engaged? Tell us about the proposal.

On June 30, 2018 Pat and I were up at my family's shared lake house on Lake Winnipesaukee. After going for a long walk that morning (on one of the hottest days that summer) we headed back to the house to get ready to spend the day on the lake. When I went to my bedroom to get my things together for the day, I noticed something “extra” in my overnight bag. As I pulled the ring box out I looked over at Pat who was on one knee proposing. With my parents, sisters, aunt, uncle, cousins, grandparents and friends all up at the lake that weekend it was the most special way to celebrate our engagement with all of the people we loved!

How did you envision your wedding day? Tell us about your color palate, style and/or vision.

When we were in the early phases of planning our wedding one thing we knew for certain was that we wanted guests to experience the beautiful, coastal New England that we live in. What better place to represent the beauty of the New England coast than in York, Maine — the town I grew up in. The Dockside in York represented everything we wanted in our wedding — a relaxed, quintessential coastal venue with unparalleled beauty. We stayed true to the coastal backdrop with our colors and style. We chose navy as our primary color and added greenery and light colored flowers. All of our decor was inspired from the nautical setting from the lobster buoy place settings to the driftwood sailboat centerpieces (made from a local York vendor)!

What is your favorite moment of your wedding day?

Do I have to pick just one?! Everything about our wedding weekend was perfect. Our favorite part was being in the beautiful venue. The wedding was phenomenal, the Dockside made us feel like the most special bride and groom, and being with all of our friends and family was the best! It sounds cliche but every part of our wedding day was amazing.

Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc.

Our flowers were phenomenal - they were the perfect style for our wedding! Our cake was made by a local baker. We kept the Maine and navy theme by having fresh blueberries at the border of each layer. Additionally, we chose an assortment of gourmet cupcakes for our guests to choose from. For our favors, we chose a family favorite, harbor sweets, for our guests. Finally, for my gown, (which I could not be happier with!) I worked with a seamstress to make custom changes so it was the gown of my dreams! And my gown wouldn’t be complete without good hair and makeup! Erika and Tara of Lady Luxe Beauty were AMAZING and made each of my bridesmaids and mom and myself look and feel like movie stars!

Wedding Vendors:

Venue/Coordinator/Catering: The Dockside Restaurant on York Harbor

Officiant: Julie Draper

DJ: Clark Sillery of Fred Pappalardo Disc Jockeys

Florist: In Bloom Weddings and Events

Cake & Desserts: The Cake Cottage

Hair: Erika Planer of Lady Luxe Beauty

Makeup: Tara Avila Lady Luxe Beauty

Dresses: Modern Bride & Formal Shop

Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Linen Rentals: Marshall Tent and Event Rental

Table Decor: Salty Girl & The Long Dog

Trina DinnarTrina Dinnar Photography
Wilde Memorial Chapel and Saltwater Grille Portland Maine Wedding
Wilde Memorial Chapel and Saltwater Grille Portland Maine Wedding

Danielle and Tyler were married on September 28th, 2019. Each of them got ready separately and decided to wait until their ceremony to see each other. Their wedding ceremony took place at the Samuel Wilde Memorial Chapel at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, Maine. The stone Gothic chapel has interior woodwork of cypress and stained glass windows, which provided a lovely unique location for the couple to exchange their wedding vows. After the ceremony, we utilized the chapel grounds for portraits. Meanwhile, everyone traveled to the wedding reception at the Saltwater Grille, which is a restaurant with waterfront views of Portland Harbor. After the wedding party was announced into the reception, Danielle and Tyler shared their first dance, surrounded by family and friends. The docks outside the Saltwater Grille were a perfect place for us to sneak out at sunset for more bride and groom portraits. Inside, everyone enjoyed dinner and dancing and Danielle and Tyler cut their wedding cake. The heartfelt speeches given by the Maid of Honor and Best Man produced both laughter and tears. After the toasts were the parent and grandparent dances, bouquet and garter toss. The rest of the evening, everyone danced the night away. It was truly a wonderful celebration of love and I’m honored that Danielle and Tyler chose me to capture such a special occasion.

I asked Danielle for more details: 

How did you two meet?

Tyler and I actually met through the tinder app (yikes I know) but he also used to go to school with my cousins. We had our first date and hit it off immediately. Both of us realized pretty quickly that there was a connection there and we exclusively started dating shortly afterward.

When and where did you get engaged? Tell us about the proposal.

We got engaged at the Saltwater Grille on September 9th 2017, the day after Tyler came back from Marine Corps boot camp. Both of our families were there and he was in his dress blue uniform. He made a speech at the beginning of dinner and got down on one knee at the end of it asking if I’d marry him. I was surprised (but also kind of knew it was coming) and said yes after very an initial unladylike response somewhat like Holy Smokes. Because of his job with the Marine’s, we actually had a courthouse wedding 9 days later, 2 hours before his flight to Camp Johnson for infantry training. There were plenty of times after that that I was pretty sure that my girlhood dreams of a princess wedding would never happen because we were “already married”.

How did you envision your wedding day? Tell us about your color palate, style and/or vision.

Everything I envisioned for my wedding was exactly what we saw on the actual day. I have always been a princess and my visions aligned with that. From the cafe lighting and the ceiling drapery, to the sparkly bridesmaid dresses. Our colors were navy and gold to complement the colors of his Marine Corps uniform. My ideas were classic but also a bit glitzy glam, much like myself. I love things that sparkle.

What is your favorite moment of your wedding day?

My favorite moment of the wedding day would have to be hearing Tyler’s vows. They embodied everything we are together and I couldn’t believe he had found the words for it. Tyler says his favorite moment was seeing me walk down the aisle.

Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc.

Our flowers were assembled by the florists from Maine Event Design and Decor. They included an array of white dahlias, hyacinths, roses, and gold sprayed eucalyptus. My gown was from Andrea’s bridal and was absolutely amazing. I look at it still and wish I could wear it again. It shimmered and made me feel like the most beautiful thing in the world. Our cake and cupcakes were the artistic design of Gayle Forte at Let Them Eat Cake in Kennebunk. I didn’t design any of it past picking the flavors. I simply told her that I love sparkles and glamour and she did the rest. The decor was done by Maine Event Design and Decor, envisioned by Robyn Allen, and they absolutely nailed everything I could have dreamed of. The coordinators at Saltwater Grille, Julia and Megan, were on top of everything and were there for anything else I could have needed. Without all the vendors, yourself included, this day could not have been what it was, which is absolutely perfect.

Wedding Vendors:

Ceremony Location: Samuel Wilde Memorial Chapel at Evergreen Cemetery

Reception Venue: Saltwater Grille

Ceremony Musicians: Windfern Ensemble

DJ: Jim Fahey

Flowers/Lighting/Decor: Maine Event Design and Décor

Cake: Let Them Eat Cake

Hair and Makeup: Jessica Candage Glam Artists

Dresses: Andrea’s Bridal

Men’s Attire: Tuxedos on Broadway

Stationary: Busy Brides Stationery

Transportation: Atlantic Limousine of Maine

Trina DinnarTrina Dinnar Photography
Alayna and Shawn’s Falmouth Country Club Maine Wedding
Alayna and Shawn’s Falmouth Country Club Maine Wedding

After meeting Alayna and Shawn last year and photographing their engagement session, I was very excited to photograph their wedding at the Falmouth Country Club in Falmouth, Maine. Alayna and Shawn’s is the third wedding I’ve photographed at this gorgeous country club golf resort. In 2016, I photographed Mackenzie and Stewart’s wedding and in 2018 I photographed Ashton and John’s wedding there. The Falmouth Country Club is definitely one of my favorite wedding venues to photograph in Maine. Though we were lucky enough not to have a hurricane forecasted to pass through as predicted the weekend prior, rain was still in the forecast on September 14th, 2019. Once again, luck was on our side when the rain stopped prior to the ceremony and held off throughout the rest of the day!

The ceremony took place outside on the golf course, with beautiful décor mixed with floral arrangements by Katey of Campbell’s Floral Design. The wedding reception took place inside the tent that is on the property of the country club. I loved the color palate Alayna and Shawn chose for their special day. The deep reds, navy, blush pink and ivory hues perfectly complimented the elegance of the chandelier lit tent. The day went along so smoothly that the guests had plenty of time to enjoy dinner and dancing. It truly couldn’t have been more perfect of a day to celebrate the marriage of Alayna and Shawn.

I asked Alayna to tell more about how her special day came together:

How did you two meet?

We met at UMaine through my cousin Kelly. Kelly and I are very close, so when she started dating one of his roommates we naturally began to spend a lot of time at the guys’ apartment. It was "love at first sight." I can still remember what he was wearing the first time I saw him!

 

When and where did you get engaged?

The proposal happened at home in our living room. Quick, but sweet. It was an absolute surprise to me. I had actually initiated a conversation about marriage the night before completely unaware that he had already bought a ring and had intended to propose!

 

How did you envision your wedding day?

We envisioned a day that embodied elegance and simplicity. In my head I pictured an early fall/late summer wedding with crystal chandeliers, greenery, and pops of burgundy. Falmouth Country Club provided us with a beautiful, clean cut landscape to conduct our ceremony and also a spacious, white tent (complete with chandeliers and draping) to host our guests at our reception. I wanted my planning to be as stress free as possible so the fact that we did not need to utilize third party vendors for rentals was an added bonus. Our color palette was burgundy and navy blue. Whites and blushes were also incorporated into the flowers to bring out the subtle blush tones in my wedding dress.  

 

What is your favorite moment of your wedding day?

The dance party! We love to dance, as do most of our family and friends so getting everyone together to let loose and have a good time was particularly special to us. When the night was over we really felt like we celebrated to the fullest, making it a night that we will never forget. 

 

Wedding Vendors:

Venue/Catering/Wedding Coordinator: Falmouth Country Club

DJ: Jason of Double Platinum Celebrations

Florist: Campbell’s Floral Design

Cake: Izzy’s Cheesecake

Desserts: The Holy Donut

Hair: Hair By Shannon Belanger

Makeup: Makeup By Samantha Clark

Wedding Dress: Blush Bridal

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Azazie

Men’s Attire: Tuxedos on Broadway

Stationary: Full Court Press

MaineTrina DinnarTrina Dinnar Photography
Hannah and Michael’s Cape Elizabeth Maine Wedding
Hannah and Michael’s Cape Elizabeth Maine Wedding

August 17th, 2019 was an unforgettable day for Hannah and Michael. The couple got married at a private residence in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. There was a perfect amount of cloud cover that produced the most stunning lighting throughout the day. The ceremony had lovely coastal Maine oceanfront views, which made the perfect backdrop for Hannah and Michael to share their special day with family and friends.

After the wedding ceremony, everyone gathered inside a gorgeously decorated tent that was set up onsite. The tent was filled with perfect little details, such as floral arrangements of deep reds and pinks, accents of gold and elegant wooden signage. Hannah and Michael were welcomed into their wedding reception with heartfelt toasts and speeches. They then took the dance floor for their first dance, followed by their parent dances. Hannah and Michael decided to get announced into their reception after their first dance where they were joined on the dance floor by their wedding party. Family and guests soon joined in and the dance floor remained full for the rest of the evening. All in all, it was a beautiful day at an amazing location complete with extraordinary details and, of course, great people.

Here’s my Q&A with Hannah:

How did you two meet?


I had just recently moved across the country, from California to Boston, and was out at a bar with a girlfriend, trying to meet new people. I met Michael that night and he became one of my first friends in Boston. I thought he was absolutely hilarious, and on our first date he took me to Legal Seafood, which is a restaurant I had always been to as a kid when I visited family in Boston. We always look back on the beginning of our relationship and marvel at what a coincidence it was that we came from totally opposite ends of the country, and met and fell in love so quickly after entering a phase of our lives where we were in the same geographical place.

When and where did you get engaged? Tell us about the proposal.


The summer before our wedding, Michael and I rode our bikes to one of our favorite state parks on the coast of Portland. We sat looking at the ocean and just taking in the beautiful day for a while, and then Michael got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was just the two of us and the Atlantic Ocean, which was always the kind of perfect, private proposal I envisioned for myself. Later that evening we had a picnic dinner on the beach.

How did you envision your wedding day? Tell us about your color palate, style and/or vision.


We got married outside, by the ocean, surrounded by nature and an intimate group of the people we both love most. Our color palette was navy dresses for the bridesmaids, gray suits with navy ties for the groomsmen, and bright, vibrant bouquets full of fuchsia, magenta, deep red, and indigo. We also had a white sail cloth tent for the reception, with beautiful twinkling lights strung inside. I always envisioned it being whimsical, magical, coastal, and intimate, and really was blown away by that exact vision coming to life.

What is your favorite moment of your wedding day?


My favorite moment of the day was watching Michael and his parents, followed by my Mom and step dad, followed by my bridesmaids walk down the aisle to "Seven Wonders" by Fleetwood Mac, before any of the guests could see me in my dress or even knew that I was watching. It was like watching my favorite people on earth live out a moment I had dreamed of for my entire life from totally behind the scenes.

Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc.


My flowers were done by an AMAZING Maine vendor, Honeysuckle Way, and were all sourced from local Maine farms. I was extremely particular about what I wanted for flowers, and they far exceeded my expectations of a beautiful, bright, unique, bouquet of rich reds, pinks, and dark blues. My dress was whimsical, with a flowing layered bottom half and a tight, satin spaghetti strap top half. I loved it! For cake we did a naked cake decorated with strawberries, Cosmos (bright pink summer flowers), and vanilla frosting in between the layers. For favors we did bags of Coastal Maine Popcorn because we wanted it to be something that guests would really enjoy and something characteristic to our time in Maine. We always used to go to their Portland location when it was still there to sample the different flavors, so we thought it would be fun to do as a gift to our guests!

Wedding Vendors:

Venue: Private Residence in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Photography: Trina Dinnar Photography

Wedding Planner: Pinch Me Planning

Caterer: Kitchen Chicks Catering

Guitarist: Adam Waxman

DJ: Brian Phoenix of The Music Maine DJ Service

Florist: Honeysuckle Way Flowers

Cake: Scratch Baking Co.

Hair and Makeup: Akari Salon

Rentals: One Stop Event Rentals

Trina DinnarTrina Dinnar Photography
Jess and Dan’s Boothbay Harbor Maine Wedding
Jess and Dan’s Boothbay Harbor Maine Wedding

Hurricane Dorian was expected to pass by Maine on September 7th, 2019, the day of Jess and Dan’s wedding. Needless to say, everyone was a little nervous about the weather putting a damper on the day. Jess got ready at Boothbay Harbor Oceanside Golf Resort while Dan got ready at his family’s cottage on Capitol Island, off of Southport, Maine. The couple did their first look out on the docks of Capitol Island, where the day began cloudy and windy but quickly turned warm and sunny. It was pretty remarkable! After roaming the island taking photos together, Jess and Dan traveled over to Barrett Park for their wedding ceremony. They had even rented an antique car for their transportation! After the ceremony, we took more photos at Barrett Park before heading off to Boothbay Railway Village for the wedding reception. The wedding party was announced into the wedding reception and Jess and Dan shared their first dance. They had a lovely buffet dinner followed by three great speeches by members of the wedding party. After the parent dances, the floor was open for family and friends to join in on the dancing. Everyone was having a wonderful day celebrating with Jess and Dan. Finally, the couple had everyone light sparklers as they cut their wedding cake —an interesting twist from the traditional cake cutting and sparkler exit. All in all, Jess and Dan’s wedding ended up being a perfect day filled with love and laughter.

Here’s my Q&A with Jess:

How did you two meet?

We went to high school together but didn’t officially meet until college at UMaine. We met at Dan’s fraternity house, Phi Kap. He sat next to me and we talked the night away. 

When and where did you get engaged? Tell us about the proposal.

We got engaged on top of Mt. Agamenticus. Dan has been ridiculed on a constant basis by friends and family (on both sides) for a few years of when he was going to finally propose to me. He asked if I would like to go to the botanical gardens in Boothbay or hike Mt. Agamenticus in York a few weeks in advance so we could have a getaway. I still was surprised because he was looking to propose!

We got to the top of the mountain, while it was sprinkling none-stop, and explored the view. Dan took his backpack off and knelt down in the mud. I then yelled at him to get his knee out of the mud (mind you I had no idea of his plans) and he then pulled out a Cliff bar and gave it to me. I was very happy with the Cliff bar and walked away with it (hunger hit and Dan knows how to deal with me when I’m hungry). He promptly asked if I could come back and pulled out the ring. 

 

How did you envision your wedding day? Tell us about your color palate, style and/or vision.

We envisioned our wedding day exactly how it played out. Minus the rain or Hurricane Dorian trying to crash our weekend. We wanted it to be by the ocean and in a place that meant something to us. Dan grew up in Southport on Capitol Island in the summers and his family spent a lot of time in Boothbay. Knowing how gorgeous Boothbay is to us and how much our loved ones would enjoy their time there, we decided that was the perfect location. Our Sister in Law and my Mother in Law came up with the idea of Barrett Park because of the bay, and the Boothbay Railway Museum because of the location and we are both history buffs. 

We had a mixture of color pallets and themes as we had a lot we wanted to incorporate. The main colors were purple, blush and navy, however, we needed to also include our family’s tartans. The Lewis, McNiel and Mackenzie tartans were included for immediate family members to honor our Scottish heritage. My Jewish heritage was also honored by our ceremony. The Nautical theme was because we were in Boothbay, but also because we love being on the water. 

 

What is your favorite moment of your wedding day?

Our first look was our favorite moment of the entire day. We didn’t have 150 people around us and it was the only moment we had for ourselves which allowed us to breathe and take the day in. 

 

Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc.

The absolutely gorgeous flowers were done by Lee’s Floral and Garden. Lee is a good friend of ours and our bridesmaid Amanda’s Mom. I told her our color pallet and that we needed to include the tartans on my bouquet. She asked me what kind of flowers, and I told her I just like pretty things and she created everything! 

My gown was from Andrea’s Bridal in Portland. I am not a huge shopper and I get overwhelmed with all of the choices. I wanted it to be a one stop shop. My dress was the third one I tried on, and I tried a total of five dresses. I knew it was the one I chose because I felt like a princess. I have always strived to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast and I felt like her in my dress! We knew that was the one when I tried it on. 

Our cake was from the awesome creation of Renee and Jesse Landry of Landry Confections in Topsham. We told them our vision of our day and they created a red velvet cake with chocolate ganache, cream cheese frosting on the inside and buttercream frosting on the outside. Our cupcakes were absolutely amazing as well. They did such a good job blending our tastes. 

Wedding Vendors:

Ceremony Location: Barrett Park in Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Reception Venue: Boothbay Railway Village

Caterer: For the Love of Food and Drink

Bagpiper: Elliot Smith

DJ: Mike Mahoney of M&M Entertainment

Florist: Lees Floral Garden

Cake and Desserts: Landry’s Confections

Portable Bar: Maine on Tap

Hair: Jessica Griffin

Makeup: Whitney Beal Beauty

Wedding Dress: Andrea’s Bridal

Transportation: Northeast Charter and Boothbay Railway Village

MaineTrina DinnarTrina Dinnar Photography