I’m a native of Maine.  If I ever had to relocate, I honestly don’t think I’d even make it out of New England, despite all the beauty this world has to offer.  Maine has so much to offer… a span of rugged and rocky coast… indigenous blueberry fields… the fingertips of the Appalachian Trail… and Acadia National Park.  If you haven’t visited the Bar Harbor area, I really suggest that you do.

I loaded my ride with my camera equipment and overnight bag, and I headed north for Labor Day Weekend this year, to photograph the marriage and celebration of Nell and Mike.  Bar Harbor is where Nell spent her childhood… for many of us, there’s something about being close to home when we practice sacred ceremonies, in this instance the tradition of marriage.  Nell and Mike are avid outdoor folks like myself, so I leaped with delight (literally) when they commissioned me for their wedding coverage.  I knew they’d be game for some fun wedding portraits that would contain grand landscapes as our backdrop.

I awoke early the morning of their wedding.  I quietly turned the hotel coffee maker on auto-drip and packed my tripod in the trunk.  The roads were a bit busy as I suspected, as we all were making our way to the summit of Cadillac Mountain.  I arrived just in time and found my own spot among the sea of tourists.  I watched the sunrise, keeping a special bride and groom in my thoughts, knowing that [today], their day, was going to be a joyous one.

Below is my encounter with an intimate chapter of Nell and Mike’s story.  Their tale doesn’t end here, it’s really only just the beginning… and I sure as hell see a lot of adventures on their horizon.