Here’s the coolest thing about Mariah and Will’s wedding – they recorded their own version of the song “The Book of Love” for their first dance (not the Monotones’ song that goes ‘who wrote the book of love’, but the Magnetic Fields’ song that starts ‘the book of love is old and faded’).  If anyone ever asks what the best song ever played for a wedding first dance is, the answer has to be Mariah and Will’s recording of the Book of Love – end of debate.

 

The Interview

I asked Mariah to tell me a little more about their wedding, and since her wedding gown was so stunning, that was the first detail I wanted to hear about.

“I wore a fit-to-flare silk organza gown by Melissa Sweet (“Saffron”), along with the matching veil. I fell in love with a picture of the dress online and was lucky enough to purchase the dress from Priscilla of Boston at a trunk show only a few weeks before the store closed. My shoes and clutch were both from Jimmy Choo. The Bello Peep Toe Wedges were perfect for the outdoor ceremony and, although my feet were killing me by the end of the night, I loved them so much I wore them the whole time!”

 

 

The Bride and Bridesmaids

“Laurel Wylie did the makeup for all the moms, my bridesmaids, and me. My wonderful hair stylist Domingas Fontes did everyone’s hair.”

“My bridesmaids were my sister Katie Olds, Will’s three lovely sisters, and my two closest friends. The girls were a dream – checking on me, bringing me mimosas, and keeping me calm.”

 

 The Groom and Groomsmen

“Will wore a black suit, white shirt, and silver tie all by Canali and his wingtip shoes were from Cole Haan”

 

 

“Will chose his oldest and closest friends to be his groomsmen, along with his brother and best friend Jim Bliss, and my brother Anson Jonathan Olds. The morning of the wedding, the groomsmen proved that they did not know how to use an iron, many forgot basic clothing items, and failed to get the groom a beer. Will still loves all of them”

 

 

The First Glance

You guys saw each other before the ceremony in what we call a ‘first glance’, then did a lot of your family pictures ahead of time.  How did that go for you?

“We were both really glad we chose to do a first glance before the ceremony. It was really nice to have this moment in a private and intimate setting, it just felt like it was the two of us and no one else. I’m really glad that Will and Lucia talked to us about this option because we were originally going to wait for the ceremony. This was a much better option because it took off a lot of the pressure and we were able to get most of our formal family shots done before the wedding, so we actually got to go to the cocktail hour!”

 

Tell me how long you’ve been together and how you met:

“We have been together for about five and half years. We met through a mutual friend (Eliza Camire-Akey, one of my bridesmaids) who introduced us at her birthday party back in 2007. Will FINALLY proposed in 2011, on April Fools day!! “

 

The Ceremony

“Our ceremony was performed by Reverend Mary Edes-Kull, who just happens to be our friend Eliza’s mom and a good friend! She made the ceremony feel really special and personal for both of us.”

 

The Reception at the Samoset

“Our ceremony and reception were both at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, ME. Will and I had visited the Samoset for Will’s birthday the year before and both immediately fell in love with the beautiful setting. Plus, I had always wanted to get married by the ocean and Will wanted to be able to play golf, so the Samoset was the perfect fit.”

 

Was there a theme or a style to your wedding?

“Our color scheme was tangerine and pacific blue, which carried through our flowers, table settings, the cake, etc. We didn’t have a specific theme but wanted the reception to feel romantic and natural.”

 

“My flowers were from Season’s Downeast Designs in Rockport, ME. Will Clayton referred us to Anna and she was fantastic. I especially loved Anna’s use of birch bark!”

 

 ”Will and I danced to a song we recorded ourselves – our cover of the “Book of Love” written by Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields. My brother and I danced to “Teach Your Children” by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Will and his mom danced to the John Lennon song “Beautiful Boy” performed by Celine Dion….Joe Dionne was our DJ and he was awesome! He even got my grandparents up and dancing.”

 

 

“It was awesome to work with Focus Photography. They are true professionals and it was like having a second set of wedding coordinators onsite. Altogether, Will and Lucia are just wonderful people to have around on your wedding day. You can really count on Lucia to know the “what, where, and when” for everyone in the wedding party all morning long. I also couldn’t believe how many names she learned! And Will is just a blast to have around, he knows how to make even the most nervous of brides (me) laugh.”

 

“Our cake was half vanilla with raspberry coulis and half carrot cake with cream cheese filling from Three Dogs Cafe, in Rockport, ME. Delicious!”

 

What’s your most memorable moment from your wedding day?

“There were so many great moments that it’s hard to pick just one! A few highlights though: our first glance; Will’s impromptu and amazing speech at the very end of our wedding, which could not have been more perfect; the moment we were pronounced husband and wife; the grand introduction by the DJ; the entire dance floor going crazy for the Ghostbuster Theme Song.”

 

It was an amazing night.  Just below here is a comment form – why not tell Will and Mariah how much you loved their wedding?

Thanks for looking – William von Wenzel

You can learn more about Focus Photography Weddings here.