I have a busy day ahead! Meetings all morning, a work event tonight, and preparations for my Valentine Making Party tomorrow! I will definitely be sleeping in a bit in the morning!
Today I am excited to finally be sharing our Maine getaway with you!
This past August, one of Bryce's very best friends Chris got married in Kennebunk, Maine. I had never been to Maine before, so I was very excited for the trip! We decided to extend the trip by a couple of extra days after the wedding to make it our vacation for the summer. It was a fabulous trip and posting this has me wishing I was headed in Maine right now. Well...maybe not right now in cold February, but y'all know what I mean!
We left the house around 3:00 am on Friday morning and flew into Boston. After a long day and a rainy drive from Boston in the rain, we decided that our first priority was, you guessed it, getting a "lobstah" roll! We were pleased to learn that The Clam Shack, located in Kennebunkport, was home to America's best lobster roll by Food & Wine Magazine! What sets The Clam Shack apart is its round, hamburger bun and also the option to have butter, mayonnaise, or both added to your bun. We, of course, had them slop both on our buns!
With full bellies, we then walked around Kennebunkport. It was a rainy, foggy day, but that didn't dull the beauty all around us. I loved this Lock Bridge across from The Clam Shack. Tradition has it, that lovers are supposed to place a lock on the bridge and throw the key into the water to symbolize unbreakable love.
Later that afternoon, we headed to the wedding rehearsal. The bride has family that lives in Kennebunk and was lucky enough to be able to use their gorgeous historic home for both the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception.
The rehearsal dinner was in the home's garage or "barn" and was a traditional lobster boil! We feasted on lobster, clam chowder, corn on the cob, and potatoes. For dessert, we had homemade blueberry cobbler.
This might be my favorite pic from the weekend!
The next day, Bryce was tied up with groomsman activities, so he treated me to a spa day!
I visited the Cottage Breeze Day Spa and got a body scrub and facial. I am not exaggerating, when I say it was the best spa visit I've ever had. The staff was all very friendly and thorough. I left feeling so relaxed and rejuvenated!
I then grabbed a quick lunch at Market Day before getting ready. Market Day was a really cute gourmet sandwich shop, and reminded me a lot of two of my Virginia favorites Bel Air Market and Taste. In addition to their delicious sandwiches, they had a great selection of prepared foods, cheese, wine, and craft brews. I SO wish we had a place like this in Richmond!
The wedding was at 3:00 pm at the most beautiful little chapel by the water, Trinity Chapel. The bride, Allison, was nice enough to allow me to share a few of her professional photographs from the wedding with you. The credit goes to Closer North Photography.
The ahhhhdorable lobster cake was one of my absolute favorite details from their wedding. I also really enjoyed the late night mini Maine blueberry ice cream cones!
I also snapped a few pics myself:
At the ceremony, the bride, groom, and party faced outward toward the congregation. The priest's reasoning for this, was that a marriage is also about those loved ones that support you, so it is important to include them in the ceremony. I really loved this element and am saving the idea in the back of my mind...
The chapel was right off the water!
Another aspect of the wedding that bears mentioning is the food. Chris and Allison had 3 main food stations: a Virginia/Southern station, a Maine station, and an Italian station. It was delicious, and I, of course, had to sample a little bit of every station!
The next day, we headed to nearby Freeport, Maine. We had lunch at an old classic, Jameson Tavern! Bryce had a lobster roll and clam chowder and I feasted on the seafood scampi.
After lunch, we shopped around a bit and the highlight was definitely the L.L. Bean flagship store. It was incredible! I, of course, got a photo by the boot!
We had an ice cream snack before heading back to Kennebunk, and I loved all the Maine themed flavors at the shop. My favorite was the Muddy Bean Boots!
Upon making it back to Kennebunk, we relaxed for a bit and then freshened up for dinner. We were a bit over lobster at that point, and decided some yummy pasta was in order. We ate at Ports of Italy and had an amazing experience! Our service was superb, and the food was out of this world delicious! We also struck up a conversation with a couple from Atlanta at the table next to us, which was fun. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend the pappardelle which came with smoke duck breast, cherry tomatoes, and chanterelles. I am drooling right now, just thinking about it!
The next day was the last day of our trip. We headed to Snug Harbor Farm, a nursery we had passed on our way into town the first day. Gardening is one of Bryce's passions and from the road, the place looked like a gardener's dream. I am so happy we stumbled upon this place, because the visit there may have been my favorite part of the entire trip. I am going to do a whole post on Snug Harbor, but will share some teaser photos with you now!
I felt as if I had set foot in a Beatrix Potter story!
We also popped into a charmy teeny tiny little antique shop across the street!
These dahlias were the size of Bryce's head!
I swooned over all this coral!
We then headed back to Kennebunkport for one last lobster roll and a bit of shopping before making our way back to the airport.
We ate lunch at Federal Jack's and Bryce enjoyed getting to do a flight of their beers.
Kennebunkport had so many cute shops. One of my favorites was Abacus Gallery.
Have you ever traveled to Maine?
What are some of your favorite vacation spots?
Have a great day!
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