I Do: Diana & Jason in Caribou, Maine

Who: Diana & Jason
What: A country chic wedding with a sweet strawberry theme in Northern Maine on the first day of summer.
Where: Ceremony at the bride's longtime church (Holy Rosary) in Caribou, Maine followed by an elegant evening reception at the former Officer's Club at the Loring Air Force Base in neighboring Limestone.
When: Friday, June 20, 2008
How: Hair at Images Salon in Caribou, makeup done by the bride's longtime friend, Sarah, using the Bare Minerals line (my favorite!), favors of homemade strawberry jam made by the bride's mom, Joan, who along with the rest of the family, runs the McElwain Strawberry Farm and catering provided by The Flight Club on the Loring Air Force Base.
Why: At every wedding since she was a little girl, Diana has taken home a neatly wrapped piece of wedding cake and placed it under her pillow, in hopes of having sweet dreams about the man she would one day marry. Yet there is only one dream she can remember: the one that showed her she would wed a man who spoke fluent French.

As I watched Jason lovingly greet his grand-mère en francais outside of their reception on Friday night, I knew my dear friend Diana premonition had been perfect, just as she and Jason are together.

I cannot convey in words the warmth I have for this couple and the families who are so important to them. A colleague turned confidant, it was the darling Diana who made my first year of graduate school as scholar and teacher a delight, keeping me grounded with her steady smile and support. I hope I was able to do the same for her on her wedding day and I pray their wedding images bring Diana and Jason the joy they bring t the world.
To say the McElwain family was eager for Di and Jason's wedding would be an understatement. Her wedding capped off a huge week for the family, which include her little brother's high school graduation and victory as part of the Class B state tennis champs!!!

Diana began beaming the second that tiara was placed!

Diana's friend Sarah served as makeup artist following our lesson down in Boston during the bachelorette weekend back in May. She did a beautiful job!

If you know Diana, you would not be surprised that she picked pink wedding shoes. What fun!

Her dress was stunning.

A view down the aisle.

Diana was so excited for the ring exchange!

And of course they had to check out the new bling together while others at the mass took communion.

I love this moment between them. After all, laughter has been my marriage secret!

A final blessing from the father.

And I love this too: here Jason helps Diana down the church steps. It shows their true tenderness. In the pre-wedding madness, she forgot to put on her petticoat and so her dress hung a little bit lower than she was used to.

I usually don't post formals, but I work hard to keep them fun, and I think that comes through here. What a great bridal party!

Often, you see things through imagery that you might not so easily notice in person. What strikes me in my photographs of Diana and Jason together is how content they are in each other's company. Very peaceful!

We were very worried about rain, but luckily, Diana employed an old wives tail that worked: the night before her wedding, she donned her wellies (to our delight) and hung her rosary out on the clothesline. Sure enough, bright blue skies hung over this field of flowers I scoped out across from their reception site.

A most beautiful bride... Diana used to drive a pickup truck (since deceased) named Princess, but on this day, it could have been her title!

Heading into the reception- simply stirring!

The entryway into the former officer's club had some cool lines. Of course, I wish the cars weren't there, but they were.

Once inside, there were many hugs!

The first dance.

Growing up on a strawberry farm, Diana knew she wanted them on her cake, which was so good, after their official first cut and feeding, they both snuck a bite on their own!

Who's that handsome guy? Kyle doesn't usually come with me to weddings, but we attended Diana and Jason's wedding as both guests and me as a photographer and though I was too busy to dance with him, I am glad he got to twirl Diana around the dance floor.

Diana and Jason...Much love to you both from us both, and we wish you all the happiness in the world! Beaucoup d'amour!!!

P.S. What do you think of the BIGGER images? I am experimenting with different dimensions in preparation for launching my new blog soon, but me thinks these might be a bit bigger than I bargained for...