January 19, 2022

Kira & Shane’s Orr’s Island Maine Wedding

Kira and Shane’s wedding on Orr’s Island, Maine was our first ever in that part of the state. We had visited nearby Bailey Island for fun more than a decade ago, but we hadn’t found the opportunity to visit the area in a long time. Maine is full of many stunning locations, and Orr’s Island’s rocky coast is no exception. Needless to say, we were excited to get back there with cameras in hand.

This wedding was such a wonderful one to photograph. Kira and Shane met over ten years ago while working at a health food store where Kira trained Shane. They worked very different schedules, though, so they didn’t become friends until Shane was transferred to a new department a year later. But, clearly, that friendship grew into something more since we were the lucky photographers who got to photograph their wedding day.

Kira and Shane got ready separately in two houses down the road from each other in a quiet neighborhood. Joel photographed the guys getting ready while I was with Kira and her party as they got ready in a beautiful home overlooking the water. A neighbor’s house centered between the two other homes held the ceremony and reception in a tented backyard while the cocktail hour and family photos took place back where the guys got ready. As guests moved from cocktail hour to the tent, they passed Mobile Musette, a food truck that offered delicious items such as lobster tacos (so good!) and grilled cheese, to name a few.

Typically, we try to steal couples away for 15-20 minutes of sunset photos during the reception. Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t always allow for this since weddings usually get a little behind at some point in the day (totally normal!). We couldn’t sneak away with Kira and Shane at sunset; however, these two decided to hold off on grabbing food so we could head back to the cliffs for some twilight photos. I hate taking couples away from their meal because they’re so busy on the day that they often don’t get enough to eat, but Kira and Shane made their photos a priority (I love them for this!), and it was so worth it. The light we had to work with at twilight was refreshing.

I loved capturing Kira as she got ready alone, then with her mother and one bridesmaid. Occasionally, the rest of her party would wander in, but for the most part, it was quiet, calm, and quite different from the usual happy chaos that comes with lots of people getting ready together. Shane shed more than a few tears during the ceremony and after, which was incredibly sweet to witness. Best of all, family and friends were so warm and welcoming, regularly engaging us in conversations throughout the day. The wedding was laid-back and full of love — my favorite kind to photograph.

P.S. I found out after photographing the wedding that Kira is also a big One Tree Hill fan (my favorite show). I had to email her as soon as I learned this from Instagram because I was so excited. Of course, I knew I liked her from her very first email, but this made her even more fantastic in my book if that’s possible.

Here are some favorites from the day.