Ruthie & Jonah's Camden, ME Proposal

Anticipation and the smell of salt water wafted through the air on the dock. Their families waited with baited breath to congratulate them. Suddenly in a moment of release, the sound of cheering filled the cove as the happy couple came into view. After exchanging hugs, a few tears, and many gawking gazes at her sparkling diamond, everyone boarded the Perwinkle and leisurely laughed their way through the ocean waves to celebrate the future Mr. & Mrs.

Ruthie grew up in Camden with her family before moving to NH. So, it was fitting that Jonah surprised her here, on the very beach where she used to take elementary school trips. She thought he was at work, but he was in Camden, waiting on a quaint, idyllic beach overlooking the cove, with a blanket inscribed with their names & the date, a few framed photos of them through the years, shaking hands, sweaty palms, a boyish grin, and a glistening diamond. While I, not so gracefully, hid behind a thorn bush to capture the moment when he dropped to one knee. :)

How they chose to celebrate their engagement tells you a lot about them. Since they are at the center of two close-knit families, they spent the evening cruising the coast and eating their way through Camden with their parents and siblings. They probably would have invited all their family & friends if they could have. Because that’s just who they are- kind & loyal friends.

Bri & Jason's Little White Church Lakes Region NH Wedding

I promised that I’d share more of Bri & Jason’s story, so here it is along with ALL my favorites from their wedding. (Disclaimer: there are a LOT of favorites, so you might want to stretch your scrolling finger before proceeding). But seriously, this wedding was a dream come true for so many reasons, so make sure to take scrolling breaks to find out why below!

Jason first spotted Bri when she was lifeguarding at the Alton Bay docks. He didn’t approach her then, but when she popped up as a friend suggestion on Facebook, he figured out what church she must go to because of their mutual friends. Then, all he had to do was conveniently shows up at her church, so they could meet. Bri remembers that he definitely caught her eye when she saw him from the platform as she sang with a group of friends. Fast forward to their engagement, they got engaged right by the same dock where Jason first spotted her lifeguarding! Click here to see their engagement photos and the very spot that he popped the question! Doesn’t God write the best love stories?

All of the locations for the day were a dream for this natural light photographer! Bri and her girls got ready at the top of this gorgeous ‘tower’ at Camp Maranatha in New Durham. The room had huge windows on all sides letting in floods of gorgeous light! It gave their photos the dreamiest bridal glow!

From there, we headed to the property of friends of the bride for some epic portraits on a rock formation with a view of the mountains behind them. Another nerdy dream come true for me was the perfect light layer of clouds perfectly diffusing the mid-day sunlight for the lightest and airiest photos!

Another amazing part of their wedding story was how they landed on a ceremony location. The mother of the bride recounts how she wished she and her husband could have gotten married at this cute little white church in New Durham way back when. It didn’t work out for them because their wedding was in November and the church wasn’t heated.

Bri had dreams of getting married in the same church, too, but COVID restrictions got in the way so she booked another location. Less than a week before the wedding, I got a message from Bri. With COVID restrictions starting to lift, the little white church was allowing them to get married there! So, they quickly made necessary changes and I’m SO glad it worked out! Check out this adorable space! It was so full of light, elegance, and my favorite- New England charm!

Then, there’s the get-a-way car! The bride’s cousin was able to secure this bad boy from his boss and then, he even fulfilled the roll of a dapper chauffeur!

Two things that are very special to the bride’s family are: Camp Maranatha and fresh flowers. Bri’s family has volunteered countless hours at this camp, so it was only fitting to hold the wedding reception here. Fresh flowers have been part of many special family traditions and this wedding was no exception. The Mother of the Bride (along with some other family helpers) ran all around New Hampshire to find these gorgeous blooms and arranged all the floral decorations, including Bri’s bouquet!

Also, you’ll see one shot here of Bri & Jason making ice cream sundaes for each other. They both love ice cream (obviously, one of the main reasons we connected with them!), so they did this in lieu of smashing wedding cake. I loved this personal touch and didn’t complain at all about ice cream sundaes!

We connected with Bri & Jason right away over our mutual love for ice cream, Alton Bay, NH and so many more things! When I first talked to Bri, she told me that she remembers Kaelyn & I from our time working at The Wilds of New England. I spent 4 summers working on staff there, and Bri happened to be a camper the summer after Kaelyn and I got married. She remembered seeing us walk around the campsite holding hands and it left an impression on her. I had no idea that little action would make an impact, never mind introduce us to such a sweet bride & groom someday. I’m so thankful how God works!