Honestly?  I’d love to live in Vinalhaven….at least for the Summer.  I knew right away there was “something” about Vinalhaven when we (we as in myself and  my husband Dave who DJ/MC’d the reception) were in Rockland asking about how to proceed to get our car on the ferry.  They guy at the ticket booth said “you must be going to Josh’s wedding!”  We replied “ya?” with a strange look on our faces….still with our rushed “mainland” attitude.    This was our first trip to Vinalhaven (which is an island off of Rockland, Maine).  It is about an hour ferry ride. . When we arrived, we were directed to a local breakfast spot on the water….complete with fisherman and townspeople.   As I glanced around the room, I realized that I was the ONLY person in there that was staring at my cell phone.  In fact, I was the only one in there that HAD a cell phone.  That pretty much says it all.  As we were walking back to our car, I said to Dave “I feel like I’m on a movie set.”  It was as though the island was staged for a movie producer trying WAY too hard to depict downeast Maine.   Very vivid and real.

As we proceeded to the wedding, it became clear that most of the island population was there at the wedding!    Many of them arrived on a Vinalhaven school bus!  After the very beautiful ceremony out by the water on the lawn of the “Rhinelanders” (a private home), the guests all gathered at the barn  (which is actually a boathouse).   Meagan and Josh met in middle school (Meagan was 13 and Josh was 15) so THIS….was a party!   Dave “rocked the barn”  and even stayed overtime because they did not want it to end!   There was no late boat that night….so the mainland guests  were “forced” to stay the night.  We were put in a little ma and pa quaint  motel which again, made me feel like I was in a movie.  We went back to our breakfast spot the next morning before boarding the ferry.  Many of the guests from the night before were there along with the same fisherman and townspeople.  THIS time I had  no cell phone in hand.  We were just getting into the “unplugged” groove of island life when our ferry arrived.  In the midst of our busy wedding schedule, that little trip was good for the soul!  (the entire collection of wedding images will be available on 10/8/12.  Until then, enjoy the sneak peak below!)

PHOTOGRAPHER:  Kim (Kim Chapman Photography)  •  DJ:  Dave Dionne (Dionne Entertainment)  CAKE:  Hillary Bunker  •  FLOWERS:  Linnell Mathers