Philip and Emily hosted their Maine destination wedding in a beautiful barn in the countryside. Emily grew up spending summers in Maine and dreamed of celebrating her wedding with her friends and families in this very special place.

The bride says there were a lot of subtle remarks from guests regarding how inconvenient and expensive it was to travel for the wedding. It wasn’t easy having family and friends unable to attend simply due to the distance, but Philip and Emily were thankful for those who responded with excitement and chose to celebrate with them. The couple tried to resolve negative reactions by reminding guests that people travel for weddings due to a variety of reasons and encouraged guests to see the wedding as an opportunity to experience a new place and to explore before or after the wedding.

According to the bride, Maine has become a hotspot for destination weddings, making it expensive to get married along the coast. For this reason, Philip and Emily opted for a venue that was a bit inland rather than along the coast. To plan their wedding, the couple used numerous wedding magazines and online websites like Wedding Wire to research vendors and track their wedding timeline. The venue provided Emily with a list of vendors that helped narrow down the search.

The bride and groom assigned projects to close family and friends, while they also worked on several DIY projects including making their own altar. A close family friend built the wooden altar and Philip painted it. For wedding favors, Philip burned CDs with a playlist of his and Emily’s favorite songs. The bride and groom also made their own wedding program. The bride and her Matron of Honor cut triangle banners and strung them over the bar area. Philip and Emily also got creative with the table numbers; they used numbered journals with childhood pictures. Guests were instructed to write notes that the newlyweds would read on their anniversaries and the number would correspond with that year’s anniversary.

The couple used their wedding website to inform their guests of surrounding airports, local activities and hotels. Philip and Emily decided against reserving a block of rooms. Instead, they provided a well-researched list of hotels in a variety of price points along the coast. “We encouraged our guests to stay on the coast and experience Maine from this perspective, but then join us inland for our evening wedding,” Philip says.

The couple says they were warned how stressful wedding planning can be, but they believe they “grew stronger in the relationship through the challenges.” Their advice is not to get lost in wedding planning and to take the time to invest in each other. “Our other piece of advice is that the actual wedding day happens fast, as do the days just before,” the happy couple says. “Take the time to slow down as much as possible and enjoy those moments and how special they truly are.”

Vendors: Photographer: TréCreative Wedding Film and Photo, Wedding Planner: Mezzanine Catering, Ceremony/Reception Site: Maple Rock Farm, Florist: Sidelines Custom Floral Designs, Inc., Stationery: Minted, Cake: Mezzanine Catering, Hair & Makeup: Organic Roots Salon and Day Spa, Gown Designer: Romona Keveza, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Ralph Lauren, Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Azazie and The Black Tux,  Catering: Mezzanine Catering, Band: The Dapper Gents Band, Rentals: One Stop Event Rentals.