Sweet Love
Rori & Justin
 
Rori and Justin found a lovely Maine retreat for their picture-perfect garden wedding.
 
By Melanie Brooks
Photography by Emily Delamater Photography
 
Rori Cremer and Justin Moss met in the most unusual way. Rori was physics major at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and Justin was the school’s rugby coach. Both competitive weight lifters, the couple met during an Olympic weight lifting competition.

The gym that Justin trained at was close to the Bowdoin College campus in Brunswick, Maine. When he found out Rori’s team was based out of Boston, he talked her into switching gyms for convenience sake. On training days, Justin would text Rori, asking her if she wanted a ride to the gym. “Picking me up wasn’t always convenient for him,” Rori says. “Still, I didn’t get it until my friends kept asking me about the guy who was going out of his way to drive me to the gym all the time.” Over time, the relationship blossomed, and Rori and Justin became more than just workout buddies.  

Justin knew that no ordinary engagement ring would do for his bride-to-be. He told Rori he was traveling to New York City for business, but what he was really doing was shopping with several of his family friends in the diamond industry. Once he found the perfect diamond, he had it set in a custom band.

The couple loves the area surrounding the white mountains of Maine, and decided to hold their English garden-themed wedding at the Eastman Hill Farm in Lovell. “The Eastman Hill Farm had an apple orchard, a beautiful view of the white mountains, plenty of bedrooms for guests, a charming white porch, and an English-style Oak Room auditorium that looked, on the outside, like a pristine white New England barn,” Rori says.

Lindsey Norton of L. Brook Events helped the couple plan their Maine wedding from their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. With guests traveling from far off places, such as Hong Kong, New Zealand, and England, it was important to Rori and Justin that they felt welcomed in Maine.

On Saturday, the women spent the day at a spa while the men hiked Mount Washington in nearby New Hampshire. That night, Rori and Justin’s guests were treated to a classic Maine lobster bake. Sunday was sunny and warm, and Rori took photos with her parents on the farmhouse porch before being walked across the way and down the aisle by her father. Rori and Justin’s ceremony was held in the formal gardens at the estate and the reception was held in the Oak Room.

“The day plays out in my mind like a grainy film I’ve watched over and over,” Rori says. “I remember yellow light and jazz pouring out of the house onto the terrace, mixing with the sounds of crickets and peepers. I remember the crunch of crushed stone under my grandmother’s blue shoes and the smell of crisp mountain air and cigars.”

Rori loved her big, beautiful wedding dress, but she admits it was a bit cumbersome. The traditional gown was what her parents had pictured her in, but she knew it was going to be hard to dance in all night long. She wore the gown during her ceremony, and then slipped into a cocktail dress for the reception. “Justin and I were trying to stay on budget, so I entered a million contests,” Rori says. “I ended up winning a gift certificate from BHLDN, and that’s where I got my reception dress.”

Her favorite accessory on her wedding day was something old, borrowed, and blue all at the same time—a pair of shoes that belonged to her grandmother. “When my grandmother passed away, my father let me choose some things of hers to keep,” Rori says. “I found the blue pair and I remember thinking instantly, ‘These are what I’m wearing for my wedding.’ My grandmother and I were very close.” Luckily Rori and her grandmother had the same size feet, and Rori could keep a part of her memory close throughout the important day.          

In Rori's Words
We asked the bride more about the big day. Here's what Rori says . . .

I’m so glad that...my family and closest friends stayed at the house with us.

Some of my favorite moments were...dancing with my new husband, dancing with my father, and watching my mom’s face light up when the band walked in playing John Boutté’s Treme Song.

I didn't realize...how much my family and friends would want to be involved. It was amazing to have so much help, but it also meant a lot of opinions!

I wish…I had more photos of the rehearsal dinner.

Maine Vendors
Photography: Emily Delamater Photography
Venue: The Eastman House, Lovell
Event Planner: L. Brook Events, Freeport
Florist: Marianmade Farm, Wiscasset
Wedding Gown: Spoil Me, Falmouth
Tent & Lighting: Gourmet in a Pinch, Bethel
Entertainment: Mark Tipton Jazz Quartet, Portland