Angie and Matt were married on a bright October afternoon at Brookside Barn in Gardiner, with the maples at full color and their closest family and friends gathered around them. It was a relaxed, easygoing day in navy and burgundy: a ceremony on the lawn under a wooden arbor, portraits along the old stone wall as the sun dropped, and a barn strung with lights for the party after.
Angie got ready at a house just down the road, with the women closest to her in matching blue robes and her daughter right beside her. The gown hung in a sunny window while the details waited their turn: a bouquet of deep red, gold, and cream, a touch of blue on the garter, and a pair of sparkly sneakers stitched with her new name and the date. Then the dress, the earrings, the necklace, and one last look in the mirror. Matt finished up outside in a burgundy vest and navy suit, with a wall of orange maples behind him.
They saved their first look for the ceremony. Angie crossed the lawn with family on each arm, and Matt's grin when he saw her said plenty. They stood under a simple wooden arbor with leaves scattered across the grass, the late sun on their faces, and family leading them through their vows. There was a lot of laughing up there, and then a kiss that the whole lawn cheered for.
After the ceremony everyone headed to the back of the barn, where weathered doors, an old stone wall, and one glowing maple did all the work. Burgundy dresses on one side, navy suits on the other, and Angie and Matt in the middle.
Then it was just the two of them, and the light could not have been better. The sun dropped behind the maples and turned everything gold while they settled in along the stone wall, foreheads together, hands stacked to show off the new rings. Pinned to her bouquet were two small framed photos, so the people in them came along for the whole day. We finished out front, in a pair of chairs set down in a carpet of leaves.
Inside, Brookside Barn was all warm wood, white draping, and string lights. Angie and Matt shared their first dance in the middle of the room, wrapped up in each other while everyone watched from their tables. A few close family members took the microphone with heartfelt memories and well wishes for the two of them, and then they cut the cake together, a small white one with a Just Married sign on top.
Once the formalities were done, the glow sticks came out and the barn turned into a party. Jackets came off, a hat made its way around the floor, and somebody pulled out a move that stopped Angie mid sip. In between the loud songs, the two of them kept finding each other for another slow one.
Peak fall color, a barn full of string lights, and the people who matter most. Congratulations, Angie and Matt.
Planning a barn wedding in central Maine?
Brookside Barn gives you a lawn ringed with maples for the ceremony, an old stone wall and weathered barn doors for portraits, and a timber frame barn strung with lights for the party. If you are planning a wedding in Maine, we would love to hear about it.