I knew from the very first time I met Tara and James that their wedding was going to be unique. Considering that they met when they played together in a men’s basketball league and they hoped to have their ceremony on a basketball court, I knew this was going to be fun. Although they didn’t have their ceremony on a basketball court, they succeeded in finding a completely unique location.
Our day started at The Sheraton in Portsmouth, NH. As we walked up to the room door, I noticed a yellow post-it with a phone number stuck to the door. "I wonder what that’s for." I said to George. As we entered the room, we noticed more and more post-its everywhere we looked. They said things like, "green couch @ Winslow Place," "the first time I met your dad", "my favorite spot near your eye" and "5lb lobster".
We soon found out that James had secretly entered the suite the night before to decorate it. He left multiple flower arrangements on the coffee table surrounded by rose petals and candles. The post it notes – numbering in the dozens – were memories, places and experiences that he and Tara shared together. I had never seen anything like it and was darn impressed. More importantly, Tara was blown away when she came into the suite. "He even put them in drawers!" she told me.
George had lots of details to work on. The dress, wedding bands, earrings, bracelets, and shoes all lay in wait. Tara had two pairs of shoes – a pair of magenta pumps and a pair of hot pink Chucks. She was ready to party!
George finished up his detail pictures and then headed off to find James and the guys. I stayed at the hotel with Tara and her entourage. The ladies were dressed soon after and hopped into the awaiting limo.
We arrived at the Seacoast Science Center. The ceremony was set on the Gun Mount in the state park adjacent to the Science Center. The area itself isn’t well-known for weddings and I think the stretch limo pulling in took many onlookers by surprise. But that’s one of the reasons Tara and James picked this location. They’re not looking to do what everyone else does. They love to be different and original. Their ceremony site, a gun mount from another era, had never been used for a wedding ceremony prior to theirs. Tara and James actually spent the previous weekend cleaning the weeds out of it so it would look nice for the ceremony. And oh how beautiful it was!! The symmetry and the symbolism of the location were wonderful. The guests were seated to not only see Tara and James, but also the Atlantic Ocean, only a stone’s throw away.
Following the ocean side ceremony, we took the family formals and wedding party formals on site. The sailboats in the background and overcast sky were a photographer’s dream. The wedding party (all 27 of ‘em) were even brave enough to climb onto some rocks. A stone wall also provided some wonderful photo ops and an opportunity for one of the bridesmaids to find out how aerodynamic she was (yes, you Nicole). We finished the formal session with just Tara and James. Walking along the stone path against the water was gorgeous. We then found a huge piece of drift wood (basically a whole tree) and gave Tara a chance to show off her stuff. James sure enjoyed the show!
It wasn’t until the toasts that evening that we found out the meaning behind the post-it note with the phone number on it. Tara’s sister Erin shared during her toast that Tara was too shy to approach James directly, so she had her sister deliver her phone number to James on a yellow post-it note. It was their first memory together.
The rest of the evening was off the wall fun. Tara and James had spent some time living in Sweeden and had actually to proposed to Tara when they were there. A large group of their friends from Sweeden were there for the wedding. I got the impression that they wouldn’t miss a party ever – even if they had to fly across the Atlantic for it!
The live band kept the music rocking and the wedding party (all donning their Converse all-stars at this point) kept the dance floor hopping. Tara and James mingled with their guests, danced, laughed and did their best to take it all in. When the reception ended, the guests hopped into a school bus and headed for the hotel to continue the party.
Tara and James – I absolutely adore your passion to be different! The entire day was filled with personal touches and symbols of your love for each other. I admire you for staying true to who you are as individuals and as a couple. I know that attitude will grant you many opportunities for success in the future. Wishing you all the best as you continue to live every day to the fullest!
Vendors:
Dress: Pricilla of Boston – Boston, MA
Florist: A Whole Bunch – Burlington, MA
Caterer: Mahalos – Portsmouth, NH
Décor: The Prop Factory – Peabody, MA
Rentals: Festive Occasions – Woburn, MA
Band: Loose Grip – Hollis, NH
Venue: Seacoast Science Center – Rye, NH
Wedding Planner: Edna of EFD Creative – Uxbridge, MA
To see a slide show from their wedding, click here.
Shoes with attitude!
The hanger was hand-made for the occasion. Although it didn’t stand up to the weight of Tara’s dress, I loved the personal touch it added. And the dress was SO fun! And SO Tara!
Just one of dozens…
Definitely a theme for this wedding!
George’s sick ring picture!
Boys being boys.
I love the simplicity of this shot!
Favorite!
Oh, Nicole…
We laughed way too much!
One of my favorite bouquet pictures ever. Look at the colors!
Sharing the love!
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