Caswell Farm Wedding | Julie + Ayesha

Barn Vibes & Blissed Out Brides

This August wedding at Caswell Farm in Gray, Maine was one of absolute favorites of the season. Their wedding was a blending of their familial and cultural traditions. When I arrived to the 300-year-old farmhouse where the brides were getting ready, Julie and her pals were huddled around her phone watching the highlights from the Women's World Cup match and warming up spicy curry and rice. If it wasn't already clear from the nonstop laughs we had during their engagement session, it was at this moment I was 100% certain that these were my kind of people. Ayesha was dressed in a gorgeous custom-made beaded and embroidered lehenga from India and Julie rocked a custom blue suit with hot pink satin lining from 9Tailors.

The ceremony was tucked back in the flower garden behind the tent and historic barn accented with a handmade birch arbor. Ayesha executed a fantastic procession performance down the aisle. She started off with what seemed like demure and formal procession to Pachelbel's Canon in D and then delighted her guests with an abrupt switch-a-roo to Justin Bieber's "Holy" and then boogied down the rest of the way to her bride's loving arms. The couple wrote their own vows while taking the traditional Hindu seven steps around lit diyas, candles, and a hand-fasting ceremony with a rainbow scarf as a nod to Celtic, pagan and non-demoninational traditions.

The cocktail hour was held in the storied barn with wild ivy curling around the weathered planks. Native plants and flowers provided welcome bursts of warm colors along the perimeter. The open floor plan, hand-crafted bar and lounge area on the second floor make this space truly unique and ideal for all of the mingling that ensued. Wedding planner Joe Rogers of Contagious Events put his signature disco ball stamp on the decor with a tall display of glittery orbs for table assignments.

Guests were guided under the sail cloth tent and seated at farmhouse-style long wooden tables. The menu continued on the theme of melding of eastern and western cultures and made a colorful family-style display. The spread consisted of flatbreads baked in the outdoor, wood-fired oven and creative seasonal salads featuring ingredients sourced right from the farm.

Friends and family kicked off the revelry with a Bollywood dance routine for the brides and after the performance, the dance floor in the barn remained packed while DJ Petro cranked out the jams. One of my favorite features of this barn is having access to the second floor so I can easily capture that vantage point.

I had a such a wonderful time capturing the moments for this lovely couple. It's always a treat when couple's make the effort to include personal touches in their decor and throughout each formality. It was an honor to travel to Maine to be their wedding photographer. Thank you and congratulations!