Catherine & Dan :: Wedding Ceremony & Reception at Portland's Ocean Gateway

June 20, 2013 Susie Simmons

I first met Catherine & Dan over a head in advance of their June 2013 wedding over a cup of coffee at my beloved Panera Bread. What struck me first was how genuine they both were and how they really seemed to be a matched set. Their demeanor complimented each other perfectly and I left really hoping that they would chose me to capture their wedding. Fortunately for me, it didn't take them long at all to make it official. Yipee!

Fast forward to this past weekend and all of their hard work and planning came to fruition at the Ocean Gateway in Portland, Maine, a gorgeous venue right on the ocean with an absolutely amazing view of both city and sea. Catherine started the day by getting ready with her lovely ladies at the nearby Residence Inn. They had a great room with tons of space for them all to hang out together and put on the finishing touches. We used the courtyard at the Inn for photos of Catherine & her family and ladies prior to the ceremony, which certainly made the timeline for the day go a lot smoother.

Once it was go time, we all headed over to the Ocean Gateway for their ceremony in the Moon Tide Garden, an absolutely gorgeous spot to start the next chapter of their lives together. The sun was glistening off the way, everyone was beaming huge smiles, and love was in the air. Even when Dan stumbled with his vows, partially due to nerves and partially due to the emotions of the day, we all could tell that he just deeply loved his almost wife. You could feel it.

After the celebratory champagne toasts alongside the ocean and the family photos had been taken, we scurried off to the Eastern Prom with the bridal party for some fun shots of them all together. The bridesmaids requested a jumping shot and I soon found out why. Those girls got game! They blame it on years of cheering and I say it paid off. Once the bridal party departed, Catherine & Dan and I wandered to the other side of the prom for photos of Back Bay and the city for some more variety. And then it was time to party!

Upon our arrival at the Ocean Gateway, the party started up super fast thanks to a notable toast from the Best Man that featured Dan's "Coke" from a party he attended years ago. It sure got lots of laughs! It counterbalanced the tears from Catherine's sisters' toast quite nicely. After a delicious buffet from Lake Region Caterers, it was time to fill the dance floor with tunes played by Don Corman and dance the night away with the sparkling city skyline as the backdrop to the ending of their perfect day.

I am SO lucky to have been there to capture Catherine & Dan's day for them and am so excited that I'll get to see them again as their friends tie the knot later this year. Thank you for letting me play a role, Catherine & Dan. I hope that you are both enjoying summer and the newlywed glow that you are now basking in.

Here is a sneak peek from what I captured during the big day. You can see even more of their sneak peek over on my Facebook page (make sure you hit "like" while you are there!). AND... you can find all of their images from the day in their gallery on my website already and order prints of your favorite shots. You will need a password from the Bride & Groom to see them all though, so hopefully you are on their "cool kids" list!

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