Waterman's Beach, South Thomaston,

Maine, September 1, 2007

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.

We wanted to provide our guests with a favor that would remind them of our wedding day years later. We gave our guests Christmas ornaments marking our wedding date in the shape of lobsters, lobster boats and lobster buoys.

One of my favorite elements was the pram sailboat that my dad and uncle built years ago. For the wedding reception we filled it with ice and drinks. My dad surprised us (but really surprised Dan) by renaming the boat "Yes Dear" for the wedding.

For our rehearsal dinner, the Falla family hosted dinner and sunset cruise aboard the Monheagan Boatline's Elizabeth Ann. The dinner and cruise was the perfect way to relax before the wedding with all our friends and family, including all of our aunts and uncles. Our guided tour started by passing the Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, where Dan proposed just nine months before.

Dan and I are both family-first people. My sister, Kelly Saunders, and closest cousin, Jennifer (Brechlin) Soderberg served as my maid and matron of honor; Dan's two cousins Matt and Ben Falla (who are just like brothers) served as the best men. Rather than have a stranger marry us, we asked my Aunt Patricia Lane (she is also my mother's twin sister) to perform the ceremony and Dan's sister Rebekah (Falla) Milton to perform a reading.

During the reception we surprised Dan's mother with a special performance for her mother-son dance. Dan's four cousins (all sisters) brought the house down with an amazing rendition of Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance." Not a dry eye to be seen!. When it was time to get the party started we filled the dance floor with all our family members, each coming up by relationship, during the song "We are family."

Like any good event, we made sure to feed our guests well. It was important to Dan and I that after our ceremony was over, our guests could walk across the field and immediately enjoy cocktails and nibbles. For dinner our guests enjoyed either roast beef or lobster dinners that were caught in Tenants Harbor by Dan and his groomsman Jed Miller.

A year after our wedding and we still wouldn't change a thing about our wedding day! It was a great day in every facet, but most of all I married my best friend, surrounded by the people and ocean we love.