Life On The Coast | Brian Wedge Photography Blog

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Rose and Cam: Island Wedding (Vinalhaven, Maine)

Published by brianwedge on August 27, 2008 in Brian Wedge Photography, Destination Weddings, Life on the coast, Uncategorized, Weddings, inspiration and maine wedding. 4 Comments

Penobscot Bay is my old stomping grounds, and is an incredibly special place. Back when I was a full time Captain with Outward Bound, I did laps around Vinalhaven island on every conceivable kind of boat possible, in all varieties of weather, and with a wide range of friends and students aboard. Penobscot Bay is where we completed numerous adventures and started even more.

The happiness…

It’s not surprising then that I was completely thrilled to be back in The Fox Island Thoroughfare heading to Vinalhaven to shoot a wedding weekend. The weather was perfect, the families were amazing, and more welcoming than we could have ever expected.

Getting ready for a bear hug… the best greeting ever!

Rose and Cam are incredible people and hosts. Never before have I had a client RUN across a field (and I mean run) to bear hug me at our first meeting. I soon discovered that Rose’s amazing energy and constant smile were gifts that she shared with everyone in her life. Cam was equally sweet and happily took folks across the bay repeatedly throughout the weekend (thanks Cam for not running full speed to bear hug me… it’s ok, really).

Squeezing in for the 30+ buttons.

Holding back tears…

Rose came down the isle (foreground) and Cam teared up. Very sweet.

It was wonderful to spend time with two people who so openly adore one another, their families and their friends. Their home on Vinalhaven is a truly spectacular location, but this weekend, it’s beauty was certainly elevated by the love and respect displayed during this wedding celebration. It truly was an honor to spend so much time with all of you!

Ceremony complete… they took some time on the dock to themselves. Nice Flemish Coils whoever did that. We appreciated it!

And some time on the porch…

Their hilarious and wonderful first dance.

Cam defies gravity…

Rose crowd surfing.

Unstoppable.

The merriment of the reception.

Notice that none of these feet are on the ground. These guys danced so hard the floor shook. We had to cut the cake early because of concerns that it would fall over (not joking).

The incredible fireworks display. No injuries reported.

The whirling, spinning mass of family and friends beneath the tent.

Thank you so much for having us! We loved meeting all of you and spending the weekend at your wonderful house. There’s a mooring and a cold beer waiting for all of you the next time you sail through Harpswell!

Want to see more? The complete photos are available here.

Vendors:

Catering: Belle Fete (great job Lori).

Band: Jenny Woodman Band

So this is what true joy looks like…

Published by brianwedge on July 7, 2008 in Brian Wedge Photography, Engagement Shoot, Life on the coast, Maine, Uncategorized, inspiration and maine wedding. 4 Comments

It’s Monday. Yes, one of “those” Mondays: one of our boats are broken, I’ve been working really hard and I have an amazing assignment coming up in Mexico that I’m racing around preparing for. But something happened today that changed everything.

As many folks already know, my Boathouse Studio is literally an old boathouse, on the edge of the sea… and I teach classes on the water often. When I teach private trips, we go out and “cover” the coast… usually by boat, capturing photos of wildlife, lobstermen, seaweed harvesters and our wonderful tideline communities in general. We’re photojournalists… and capturing the story is what we do best.

Jeremy called me about a month ago with a plan to take a “fake” photography trip with his girlfriend Robyn. It was “fake” because they were not there to learn professional photography tricks, nor gain photo access to the “real” Maine. Jeremy hired me to take them out by boat to an uninhabited island, and to photograph them while he surprised Robyn with his proposal.

How creative is that? It made my day. I’ve never had the honor of capturing an engagement as it happened, and I very much appreciate the trust that Jeremy placed in my hands to capture this special moment! It was a true privilege to be able to unobtrusively photograph (with a VERY long lens) such a meaningful juncture in their lives. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Want to see the complete set of photos? They’re all right here: www.brianwedge.com

Want to see the complete photos? They’re all here: www.brianwedge.com

Dancing badly… Around The World

Published by brianwedge on July 4, 2008 in Brian Wedge Photography, Life on the coast, Uncategorized and inspiration. 3 Comments

My friend Nicole sent this to me… and I had to share it! It’s a friend of hers who has been traveling the world and does a very simple, goofy dance in some incredible places. It’s inspiring, it will make you smile, and it makes me realize how powerful something so basic can be. Watch it. It will make you feel good.

I’m dedicating this post to my sister Lea, who is still recovering from her leukemia / bone marrow transplant and is dealing with a host of annoying, frustrating and necessary restrictions. Today was a tough one for her. She’s doing well, but she wants normalcy. She wants to play in the sun, swim in the ocean… and be a little less thoughtful about her lack of an immune system and health in general. Who could blame her? She’s been patient long enough.

Lea: we will travel the world again, and when we do… let’s dance badly. Your time is coming. Hang in there! I love you!

Click on the play button to start the video (I recommend going FULL SCREEN). After you get the video going, click on that weird star shape just to the LEFT of the word VIMEO to make it full screen.

Newagen Inn Wedding: Laina & Galileo

Published by brianwedge on June 26, 2008 in Brian Wedge Photography, Life on the coast, Uncategorized, inspiration and maine wedding. 3 Comments

Laina & Galileo’s wedding The Newagen Inn was undoubtedly THE most entertaining place to be last Saturday. Their wedding was a wonderful blend of cultures and style, filled with surprises that revealed the couple’s interests and incredible talents. They had everything from Salsa dancing to the entire Southport Island Fire Department putting out a (minor) fire on the property!

Foggy

The Fog, The Smiles… The beautiful Newagen Inn

Newagen Inn Wedding, Brian Wedge

They met salsa dancing… and WOW… they were amazing!

A final moment with her dad before walking down the isle.

After a week of non stop fog, the coast of Maine needed a little change. What Mother Nature failed to provide, Laina & Galileo delivered in spades. Gorgeous flowers, fantastic colors, one of the most amazing bands… and did I mention the salsa dancing… yes, the salsa dancing was so inspiring that it even made me (the 6′4″ clumsy Norwegian) turn to my wife and say “maybe we should go take some lessons!”

Laina’s sister holding back tears…

Only a pair of dancers could pull this off so gracefully!

Look to the left of the photo… how many family members are in tears? Very sweet!

Galileo gets the girl!

Laina’s family is from Maine, and Galileo’s family from El Salvador. Their celebration was a true union of souls, of families and of cultures… with bilingual ceremony, program cards and toasts. It was one of the most thoughtful and inclusive celebrations ever.

Newagen Seaside Inn Weddings