Warm Summer Vibes
Margo & Scott's Relaxed Wedding Weekend in Southern Maine
Story by Susan Grieve
Photography by
Revolution Summer Photography
Margo Goodrich and Scott Blagden both grew up on the North Shore of Boston, about 30 minutes from each other. They had many mutual connections and even went to the same summer camp but never met until college. The couple finally met officially on the sailing team at Northeastern University. Margo was trying out for the team, and Scott was the captain.
“Team members get really close throughout the season,” Margo remembers. “And we immediately hit it off!” Scott caught Margo’s eye immediately, and the two began to bond as the team traveled around New England.
“Sitting in that first info session for the sailing team, I knew I wanted to talk to him then and there. But looking back at our full relationship, it’s the mutual interests, the lack of drama, the honesty, the respect for one another, the fun we have together, and the way he just ‘gets it’ when I have trouble explaining. These all contribute to knowing he would be ‘the one.’”
Building on the water theme of that first meeting, Scott decided to propose to Margo as the couple boated around East Point Lighthouse in Cape Ann.
“As boating has been such an integral part of our relationship, proposing while doing what we love was very sweet and meaningful,” Margo recalls. “We were then able to boat over to Marblehead to celebrate with my family following!”
Margo and Scott chose to have their ceremony and reception at
Beech Ridge Barn in Scarborough, Maine. The amenities offered by the venue made it possible to spend an entire relaxing weekend with their family and friends. Margo remembers the barn and its owner fondly.
“I simply cannot say enough positive things about this venue! We loved the proximity to Boston and Portland, so our wedding guests could make a weekend out of the event. We also loved the indoor/outdoor flexibility, which gave us major peace of mind when thinking about weather and COVID variables. The venue has two houses right on site that we could book for the whole wedding party for the full weekend — so we got to fully occupy the venue from Friday to Sunday instead of just a couple of hours. Additionally, the venue owner Bridget was so prepared and on top of every aspect of our wedding — it was like we had a second wedding coordinator on hand!”
Margo and Scott focused on providing a relaxed experience for their guest instead of trying to stick to a specific theme.
“Though we didn’t have a theme for our wedding, our main goal was to provide our guests with a big, fun, and easy party while remaining elegant in the decor. Our first priority was to find a gorgeous, flexible venue, then to find a kickin’ band, then to finagle an open bar, and the rest would fall into place,” Margo remembers. “Most of our decorations were bought online, but our coordinator helped us put everything together so tastefully, you would have never known we were able to keep the decor on a tighter budget. It helped to have a venue that was so beautiful on its own!”
In addition to the overall feel, it was essential to Margo and Scott to include a few unique touches to the day that would add to the magic.
“After our ceremony, we had our guests wave streamers which provided for easy clean up after the ceremony and for some fun color while we walked back up the aisle.” Instead of a traditional sit-down dinner, they chose to go with food trucks.
“For dinner, we had food trucks which gave our guests more options for what they would like to eat. That gave us a lot of flexibility for adding or subtracting last-minute guests, as we could pay for what we use. Additionally, we ate “cafeteria-style” at long tables with benches and no seating chart, which allowed our guests to squeeze in or spread out as they desired. This informal arrangement saved us lots of time having to put together a seating chart and figuring out who would want to sit with who.”
After dinner, they chose to bring in a twist on a classic summertime favorite.
“For dessert, we did a s’mores cart which featured a variety of flavors of marshmallows made for you on-site.”
Guests took polaroid pictures of them- selves throughout the evening and wrote notes on them instead of a guestbook.
Margo’s memories of the day are clear and focus on the fun she and Scott had with their loved ones. Some quick thinking by her planner and the venue alleviated some last- minute nerves brought on by the weather.
“My day was perfect and went flawlessly— solely due to the help of my amazing coordinator Rachel and venue owner Bridget, whose adaptive and quick thinking helped pull together what could have been a stormy, hot mess! It was a very warm day — the last day of a big heatwave in August, and there were thunderstorms headed our way to cut the heat. As the day progressed, quick thinking and rearranging ensured that everyone stayed comfortable. Rachel helped us acquire a super last-minute tent and photo-worthy umbrellas from
One Stop Events, so we could still have the ceremony outside.”
“Everyone was looking at the weather all day wondering if the storms were going to hit right as the ceremony started or if they would pass over us. I could tell people were a little nervous — except for me, because I knew I was in super safe hands with Rachel and Bridget! Because we had so much flexibility at the venue, the plan was to see what happened with the weather, and if need be, swap the cocktail hour and the ceremony while the storms pass and then perform the ceremonyafterward.”
This last-minute change made all the difference, and the guests never knew that it even happened.
Another late change tothe plan helped keep everyone comfortable and energized.
“The air was so hot that day, they also helped organize a last-minute change to put our band outside under the tent instead of inside the barn for more comfortable dancing after dinner. That meant completely changing around the ceremony site into a dance floor area the second our ceremony ended. We were so fortunate that the clouds parted right as our ceremony was supposed to happen, but we were still happy to have the tent to keep all guests and wedding party members nice and cool during the ceremony! The switch around to turn the ceremony area into a dance floor area worked so smoothly — you’d never know that this was a day-of decision! Though it was a hot day, the spirits of all guests and vendors were super high. My wedding day went off without a single incident and that is exactly how the bride should experience it!”
The Wedding Team
Wedding planner: Rachel Johnson,
Odyssey Event Designs
Venue:
Beech Ridge Barn
Officiant: Rev. Christopher Young
Caterer:
Millie's Skillet, Falmouth &
Taco The Town
Dessert:
The Marshmallow Cart
Bar Services:
Maine Mixologist
Florist:
The Flower House, Marblehead
Hair/Makeup:
I Do Spas
Attire:
BHLDN (Bride),
Revelry (Bridesmaids),
The Black Tux (Groom/Groomsmen)
Invitations: The Knot
Reception Rentals:
One Stop Event Rentals
Reception music:
Horizon and The Horns