When Dan and I began planning our wedding, we knew immediately we wanted to get married outdoors and on the water. With two very large extended families we also knew a small wedding was never an option. As my father and mother put it at the time, "We want to throw a good party most of all."

Since we both grew up in Midcoast Maine, and had made our home here; we never considered hosting our wedding beyond the Knox County lines. And why would we? The Midcoast has some of the most beautiful locations in all of Maine. Dan was the best type of groom: He was involved when he needed to be and let me run with the details. As a pending bridal shop owner and wedding planner at the time, I had plenty of ideas.

Our main objective was to ensure our wedding day was a true representation of our relationship and personalities.

Dan is a true man of the sea. He's the happiest when he's on the water and has made his career as a fisherman and boat builder. I grew up treasuring the ocean and have had an affection of the lobster/seafood industry as part of my family's background and as a former Maine Sea Goddess.

Our wedding took on the obvious coastal theme before we realized it. The wedding was held in the Cousens family's field on Waterman's Beach in South Thomaston. Dan and I named all of the reception tables after our favorite nearby islands and created centerpieces by filling glass vases with sea glass, sea lavender, and mussel shells we collected on One Tree Island near our home in Tenants Harbor.

The morning of our wedding the centerpieces received a little extra local charm. It was windy during set-up and the centerpieces started to blow over, so my business partner, and long-time wedding planner, Linda Lewis asked the groomsmen to collect "pretty rocks" from Waterman's Beach to anchor our centerpieces. By adding some extra weight all centerpieces managed to stay put and look great.

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