A Naturally Beautiful Summer Wedding in Maine

When Taylor Trew and Brian Tenggren first met on December 20, 2015, Brian knew he didn't want their date to end. “We wandered Harvard Square, eating Mexican food and checking out bookstores, and I was devastated when she had to leave for a work holiday party,” he recalls. “As a last-ditch effort to make our date last, I asked if she’d walk with me to Park Street—a whole four miles away, in December, in Boston—and she said yes!” Needless to say, the pair have been together ever since.

When it came time to propose, Brian was worried he’d already ruined the surprise by asking too many questions (in an effort to pick the perfect ring, of course), so he planned a proposal that was extra special. In June 2018, he and Taylor headed to Portland, Maine, to stay in a gorgeously renovated Victorian home and see Taylor’s favorite band, The Shins, in concert. The next day, they caught an afternoon ferry to Peaks Island, where Brian finally popped the question on the rocks surrounding the beach. “After 15 minutes of crying and laughing, Taylor finally said yes, though it took another 15 minutes for me to compose myself and give her the speech I’d prepared,” Brian recalls.

The couple adores Portland, and since it was the site of their engagement, they decided they would host a wedding weekend there as well. "We wanted our guests to unwind, unplug, and celebrate," Taylor says. And they did—54 guests joined Brian and Taylor at Granite Ridge Estate on July 28, 2018. “We wanted our wedding to feel enchanting, understated, and timeless,” says Taylor. “We’d originally wanted an October wedding, but once we found Granite Ridge and learned their only 2018 availability was in late July, we had to rethink our vision to make it work for the summer.” They used blush pinks and dusty blues alongside pale yellow and cream, mixing in dried flowers for a textured and creative touch.

The easygoing and organic celebration was the perfect combination of festive and relaxed thanks to the work of Nicole Mower Weddings + Events and Henry & Mac (vendors Taylor had found before she was even engaged!). Keep reading to see all the curated details from this beautiful summer wedding in Maine!

“I was sure I wanted a lacy, detailed dress until I tried on this Alexandra Grecco design,” says Taylor. The silk georgette gown, the very first dress she tried on, has a T-shirt silhouette with a square open back and a soft skirt. "It made me feel like myself," she says.

She paired the gown with Jenni Kayne shoes and an anklet with a blue stone (her “something blue”) that was a gift from one of her maids of honor.

Campfire Floral created bouquets that mixed fresh and "dried flowers with a wild streak." Taylor carried roses, ranunculus, and jasmine vine paired with beige-colored dried buds, while her ‘maids carried more minimalist arrangements of hydrangeas, roses, and dried flowers in a monochromatic palette.

“We wrote our own vows but decided to exchange them during our first look instead of the ceremony,” says Taylor. “We met behind the barn and took our time crying, laughing, and sharing the words we’d written, then our officiant took a line from each of our vows and used those during the ceremony.”

Brian wore a lightweight jacket from Bonobos with black chinos and a custom tie. “We had all the men wear chinos and loved that the matte finish looked more casual and at home with the jackets,” says Taylor. Her bridesmaids wore shades of pinks and blush, each hand-selected by the bride. “I offered to let them pick their own dresses, but more than half of my bridesmaids preferred that I choose. So I took my time, picking a dress that flattered each woman’s shape, skin tone, and the things she likes best about her body.”

“The night Brian and I got engaged, we were having dinner and talking about what we’d imagined for our wedding. Brian told me that he wanted someone really, really tall to marry us, which was the silliest request I’d ever heard!” Taylor laughs. But they knew just the person. The couple’s friend, Eric, is six foot nine and happens to be incredibly sentimental and heartfelt. “We sobbed through his vows at his own wedding,” Taylor recalls. Eric checked every box, and within just a few hours of getting engaged, a wedding decision had been made!

Behind the couple and their officiant, a dramatic installation of lunaria looked as it was growing around them.

Guests’ table assignments were displayed on acrylic panels decorated with floral illustrations.

The reception décor drew from the words Taylor and Brian had originally chosen to describe their celebration: romantic, ethereal, organic, considered, and intentional. Long tables were topped with textured linens and ikebana-style arrangements. “Florals and greenery were scattered in between, almost like the arrangements had been taken apart and turned into a runner,” says Taylor.

Taylor and Brian are both allergic to gluten, and they opted for an all-gluten-free menu so they could eat whatever looked good without worrying. But that didn’t mean it was boring! “All the food was cooked on outdoor grills right on site, and you could smell the fire and the smoke during cocktail hour,” Taylor recalls. Dinner included wood-grilled hanger steak, spitfire chicken with chimichurri, and fire-roasted vegetables. Later in the evening, they offered pork, chicken, and smoked mushroom tacos around the dance floor.

One of Taylor’s favorite details was the dried grass cloud that hung over the dance floor. Pampas grass, lunaria, and branches came together in a wild installation that tied together the rest of the floral elements.

The simple cake was delicately decorated with dried lunaria and fresh roses. “We had lemon poppy seed pound cake with lemon curd, and lemon cake with raspberry jam,” Taylor describes.

The couple have their planner—and their clear vision—to thank for a relatively easy planning process. “There are a million ways to plan a beautiful and memorable wedding, and with so many small details it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture,” says Taylor. “Having something specific and clear in mind from the beginning meant we could return to that overall goal whenever we felt lost, making sure every detail supported the feeling we were trying to achieve.”