From Arizona to Maine, This Couple Survived the Elements to Elope in Maine with Just Banded
VENUE: @JUST_BANDED; PHOTOGRAPHY: LEXI FOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY; OFFICIANT: @MARIANNESEVENTYR; FLORALS: ELDEBERY FLORAL
Steph and Chris flew all the way from Arizona to celebrate their love by eloping with Just Banded. They shared with us that over the previous two years they had planned their wedding twice and both times had to cancel it for various reasons. By this time they were tired of the planning process and ready to just get married. They started looking for alternative celebrations and randomly typed into Google “lobster boat elopement”. To their astonishment, and ours, we came up!
They scheduled flights to Maine a few days in advance of our scheduled elopement day and fortunately they were able to make it, even though they flew by thunderstorms and tornadoes to get here!
The morning started out early for the couple and the amazing photographer they selected for their Maine elopement, Lexi Foster of Lexi Foster Photography. She drove up the night before from New Hampshire and stayed over so she would be ready to meet them at their bed and breakfast at 2am to start photographing. We had planned their vow ceremony to take plan in Seguin Cove just as the sun was coming up, so it had to be an exceptionally early start!
As with any Maine elopement, it is very important to consider the elements. We always hope for perfect sunny weather but as everyone knows that isn’t always what’s in store! We had lots of rain the night before and the morning started with overcast skies. While it made the sunrise during the vow ceremony a little less different than what was hoped for, the overcast skies created sense of stillness and tranquility that was etherial during this important moment for them. I often find this kind of weather with the still waters and the overcast skies, enhances the presence of life around us just as it makes the greenery in summer so much more lush and green. The seagulls that flew overhead were with us, just as the sea life below was too.
As with any publicly managed cove in Maine, there are likely to be many moorings that anyone can tie their boats up to so there is never a guarantee that where we end up with be empty. Often there will be a sailboat or two at Seguin where the captains aboard are traveling the world. You can imagine their excitement when they climb into their cockpit in the morning to see a wedding happening just next door! Sometimes they will pull out their binoculars as it is too exciting to resist, and then to everyones excitement, an erruption of cheers and horns follow the completion of the ceremony. This man, at our request, so kindly offered to putt Lexi around to take photos from outside the boat!
We all enjoyed the champagne we served and had a blast photography the spray.
After the ceremony Steph and Chris enjoyed a picnic basket of snacks along with some coffee, while we listened to their favorite tunes and took in the moment. It is always such a special time for our crew also, we feel so honored to be sharing that incredible moment and there is often a closeness we experience with our couples immediately following the ceremony. Nerves wash away and they can finally relax and more easily enjoy the adventure!
Once they’ve had some sustenance and everyone feels ready, we gear up in our Grundens and head for our lobster traps.
Steph and Chris wanted to get their hands in the traps and do some of the fishing, as many couples do(!), so Captain Ethan took some time to walk them through the process. He shares what you can learn about a lobster just by inspecting it and some of the laws used to manage the fishery.
Along with lobster there are lots of amazing sea life found in the traps. You will see crabs both large and small, barnacles, sometimes different kinds of fish and in rare cases we’ve even seen sea horses!
Steph and Chris finished their photography session with Lexi at the historic fort, at Fort Popham. It is right where you load on and off the boat and a wonderful place, enriched with so much history, to explore.
We are so grateful to our couples and love offering this elopement service where we get to share the beauty of the Maine coast and our fishing heritage, creating memories that will be remembered forever. Thank you Steph and Chris for choosing Just Banded to celebrate with and for making the trek all the way from Arizona!