♥ local love
JEN and DAN
June 17, 2017 // Sara Drew Photography
J
e n c a n ’ t s ay s h e wa s t o o
shocked when Dan proposed during their
visit to Cadillac Mountain in Bar Harbor,
Maine. “We’re big beer geeks, so we had
planned to make a bunch of brewery stops along
the way,” she explains. “I knew something was up
when he wanted to skip a couple.” But the element
of surprise wasn’t necessary: Dan got his “yes” at
a secluded spot near the summit right as the sun
was setting.
The couple’s love for beer later made another
appearance at their wedding when the newlyweds
not only served their all-time favorite brews, but the
aptly named Cadillac Mountain stout as well. Their
affinity even somewhat informed their decision to
hold the event on Jen’s parent’s property in the
first place.
“We had looked at quite a few venues but they
were too expensive and had so many limitations on
things like alcohol selection,” Dan says. “Plus, nothing
else felt special to us. So we started thinking more
seriously about a backyard wedding and we realized
that we could pull it off pretty well.”
It helped that Jen’s parents were incredible hosts
who spent months preparing the grounds just for
their big day. In fact, the “it took a village” theme
remained prevalent throughout the planning process.
From planting and potting basil for the guest favors
to building unique centerpieces and cupcake stands,
Jen’s and Dan’s loved ones were more than happy
to lend a hand wherever and whenever possible.
They even came to the rescue on the morning
of the wedding once they caught wind that the
couple’s initial plans to set up ceremony chairs and
arrange flowers the day before were washed away
by torrential downpours. Everything got done just
in time, allowing for a relaxed and joyous occasion.
The ceremony featured tear-inducing vows (not
bad for a couple whose meet-cute involved making
silly faces across a room at a party) and a selfie at the
altar, while the reception featured an interrupted
father daughter dance (“For some reason the lights
went out, but I think my dad was thrilled that he could
fix something for me one more time,” Jen laughs), a
best man’s speech that left everyone in hysterics and
a ukulele performance of “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
by the groom that gave the bride all the feels. “It was
just one of the happiest weddings ever,” says Dan, “I
couldn’t go five steps without someone coming up
to me and saying, ‘This is amazing.’”
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