Robb and Bea hosted an intimate, family-only wedding at The Whitney Farm Estate in Oxford, ME. All hands were on deck to help; some cooked, and others prepped. From the very beginning, the couple had planned for a DIY approach. The bride wore a dress that she handcrafted herself after having been inspired by her mother who had done the same some 20+ years prior. For the confetti toss, family cut into the freshly fallen leaves from the nearby October maple trees. The couple's wedding favors were sourced locally, enlisting the help of a family-owned farm for honey and beeswax candles. Mainely Pig Roast helped with the catering and Hanna Daman of Maine's Maple Creemee Co. safely served up a sweet night-cap from the window of her ice cream truck.

Below, Bea offers insight on some of the thoughtful decisions the couple made while planning their wedding.

Q: Talk a bit about your wedding. What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

A: We didn't really have a theme, but nature had a strong influence on our designs. We didn't stick to a strict color scheme, although we started out with six colors as a bases- cream, sage green, darker leaf green, golden yellow, bright burn orange, and burgundy. We had a simple Christian wedding ceremony with an Irish blessing or two said throughout the day, but we didn't have much else in the form of cultural traditions.

Q: Let's talk design. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

A: We DIY’ed almost everything. We made our own flower arrangements and centerpieces. My mom even grew some of the flowers and greenery we used including the beautiful draping burgundy love-lies-bleeding used on our arbor and in the bouquets. My husband and I foraged the year leading up to our wedding for lichen, birch bark, and pine cones for our center pieces. We also foraged and pressed oak leaves which we used as place cards. We thrifted vases as well.

Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?

A: As mentioned, we did all our own floral arrangements, including the bouquets and boutonnieres. The flowers that my mother did not grow were purchased from our local Trader Joe's. I was so excited to find beautiful dahlias, just as I was hoping for. Flowers were very important to us. I practiced arrangements prior to the wedding and planned out what general colors and textures we wanted to have. We were able to find things that we wanted and things that were unexpected. My husband and I made the arrangements on the arbor and lined the aisle with greenery and flowers. My mother and sisters helped me with the bouquets and boutonnieres. My mother grew the greenery that wove through our center pieces as well.

Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

A: We had someone shucking oysters, a pig roast, a soft serve ice cream truck, as well as a wonderful hand crafted cake. Having the food being good was very important to us. It was also important to have local things featured, like the maple ice cream and the oysters from local waters. My husband wrote the music I walked down the aisle to, the song we walked down the aisle together to, and our first dance song. We spent a year curating the playlists we created for the cocktail hour/dining and for some dancing. We brought our own vintage speakers and receiver from home to play the music on.

Q: Let’s talk style. How’d you land on what you were going to wear?

A: My mother was an extremely talented seamstress and sewed her own wedding dressing. I am less of a talented sewer by far, if you can even say that about me, but ever since I was little I wanted to sew my own wedding dress like my mom. I don't tend to know my own limits. I knew exactly what I wanted my dress to look like- a lace boat neck illusion neck line with a sweetheart neckline underneath, full lace sleeves, little buttons on the back, A-line silhouette, and a small train. After much scouring I found 2 patterns that suited my needs and was able, with the help of my mom, to piece them together. I did all of the sewing on my own, as my mom was far away and in pandemic times, but she absolutely received more than one frantic facetime call. The lace I picked was one with a woodland feel- leaves with small flowers throughout, and a slight shimmer just when it caught the light. Overall the dress wasn't the most perfect, but I was very happy with what I accomplished and it was perfect for me. Green vintage heels fit the style of the dress and the colors of the rest of the décor and bridesmaids' dresses (sage). I knew I wanted to wear tights, as they are a part of my normal wardrobe, and a lighter green seemed only natural. I wore my mom's old petticoat from her wedding day. Yes I made sure I had all the things from the rhyme- I borrowed a perfume from my sister, my engagement ring is blue, and I did have a sixpence in my left shoe. I'm not superstitious, but why not.

Q: How did you and Robb meet? Is there a proposal story you’re willing to share?

A: Robb and I have been together for 10.5 years now. We went to the same high school. The story of how we met is long and involves a cake, a tree, and a letter that turned into more letters and a strong love. Robb and I spent our 9th anniversary having a lovely day. We went fly fishing in the morning on a beautiful river new to us. We spent the day together in nature then in our home. We then went out for a nice dinner to celebrate. When we arrived back home, I sat down on our armchair. He told me to stand and give him a hug. I did as he said and then suddenly he was on one knee with a ring. It was quiet, it was intimate, and perfect. He then gave me a letter he wrote when he was 19 years old in which he also proposed. Pretty cute. We spent the rest of the night reading old letters and I spent the rest of the night also crying.

Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

A: Just being married! It had been a long time coming for us, so we were both excited to finally make it official. It was lovely to have our family all together to celebrate with us. It was also wild to see all the planning we had done come together to an actual well functioning event. Like, wow, we actually pulled it off!

Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?

A: We did everything ourselves which was quite the task. It took a lot of planning and coordination, but it made the final day feel very special and exactly what we imagined. If that's the route you want to take, go for it. It's very doable, don't be afraid. You have to lean on others for somethings, so accept help when offered and reach out if needed. And flexibility is key. Not everything will go perfectly, but keep what's important in focus, which is getting married and being with your loved ones.