Melissa Mullen Photography Blog » Maine Wedding and Portrait Photography : New England & Beyond

Masthead header
  • Hello!  Welcome to Melissa Mullen Photography {Blog}.  Thank you for taking the time to view my photography journal!  I'm a Portland, Maine based photographer, specializing in weddings and lifestyle portraiture.  I serve all of New England and beyond as no event is ever too far.  Please feel free to take a look around and introduce yourself by leaving a comment of affection at the bottom of any of the posts.  Or drop me a note as I would love to hear from you.

    I suggest checking back often, {simply click subscribe above} as I update the journal regularly with the latest weddings, travel, engagement and portrait session features. 

    With Lots of Love . . .

Lobster Cove : Monhegan Island, Maine Photographs

After Sarah and Toby’s wedding and all their guests departed, I had a little time to explore a part of the island, I hadn’t seen before.  I headed out to Lobster Cove which is at the southern tip of the island.  There is a shipwreck that I was interested in seeing.  The shipwreck happened November 5, 1948 and it was a tug towing a barge in dense fog when it ran on the rocks.  There is a summary of what the photographs are below and I welcome anyone from the village to correct me .;)

Monhegan Island has taught me a lot and I’m very thankful for it.

 

1. Hill back to the dock with the perfect view of Manana Island and one of the houses along the way that I love.

2. I believe this is swim beach but I’m on the fence with this location.

3. I had seen this man preparing his lobster traps the day of the wedding next to the Monhegan House and then I got to see him go out.  I’m not sure if he was checking pots but it was neat to see him go out in that boat like we go out to our backyards.

4. He went outside the cove and the gulls found him.

5. Details I found on my walk to Lobster Cove.

6. View when you come out of the meadow to Lobster Cove.  It was very quiet, very sunny and warm.  I took a seat for a minute to take it all in.

7.  I walked down the path and I’m looking up a hill – to the left is the shipwreck.  See that wave?  Every so often a big wave came.  More on that later.

8. Painter.  Wish I knew who he was so I could share this photograph with him.

9.  More painters and now you can see the shipwreck as I’ve come up the hill.

10. Shipwreck.  A lot you could do with this, a location I’d like to explore in the future.  I hit this area at the brightest part of the day.  Not the best lighting conditions yet it was the time I had before my boat left.

11.  Now, I’m heading back up the trail to go back to the village.  I had stopped for a minute to let a group go by and I missed an opportunity to capture a HUGE wave so I stood there waiting for another one to capture it coming in.  I waited a good ten minutes but didn’t see a big wave.

12. My view while waiting for the boat to take me back to Port Clyde and off to my next wedding in Camden, Maine.

13.  The Island Inn that stands tall and greets you as you arrive.

14. Two people who worked at the Monhegan House and the Novelty jumping off the dock as we departed.

15.  Heading out to sea and the view of Monhegan as we left.

I got to Port Clyde and had a message asking me if I was OK.  A group was exploring Gull Rock which is on the back side of the Island and being that it was just after a storm {Hurricane Katia} those waves I was seeing {and missing} were coming in.  Even if the storm is far out to sea, combers {huge waves} come in without warning.  A man from Ireland, who was in that group and on the Island for a wedding got swept away.  Just crazy, sad, sudden and awful!  Just like that, life was tragically different for those involved.  I couldn’t imagine, one second you’re enjoying that place and the next the sea shows it’s strength and everything changes.  My thoughts go out to all involved!

Regardless, I love you, Monhegan Island!  I hope to explore you again soon!
xoxo . . .

 

BACK TO TOPCONTACT METWEET THIS POSTSHARE ON FACEBOOK

Monhegan Island, Maine Wedding

When I sit down to type out my thoughts for these blog posts, it usually comes to me fairly easy.  I’m struggling on where to begin for this wedding feature.  I kept wanting to start with, I LOVE MONHEGAN or MY JOB IS AWESOME or CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT I GET TO DO?! but those all seemed so about me and this is about two really awesome people and their really awesome family and friends who gathered in one of the most amazing places on the planet to get married.  I was lucky enough to go for the ride and capture their three day journey.  I took a boat out of Port Clyde, love that little nook of Maine and arrived to head straight to their rehearsal and a lobster bake.  You’ll see, it was a rainy day on the island but that didn’t stop this crew from enjoying what is one of the best parts of Maine – LOBSTER.

View their wedding day slideshow by clicking here.

 The aftermath at Fish Beach.

After the outdoor lobster bake, friends and family gathered in the Monhegan House.  The lobby is lit mainly with floor lamps, has big leather couches and chairs.

It’s easy to slip into and feel right at home.

The rain cleared for Sarah and Toby to exchange rings and vows at the church that sits in front of the Monhegan House at 4:30pm on a Thursday.

Their vows struck me.  Their choice of words were unique and very memorable.

Vows

His:

“I promise to cherish with you old and new memories

Because that is what makes you unique and wonderful.

I promise to encourage your imagination and unique sense of humor

Because through them your soul shines.

I promise to help shoulder our challenges,

For there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together.

I promise to be your partner in all things,

Respecting your individuality while working as a part of the whole.

Lastly, I promise to you perfect love and perfect trust,

For one lifetime with you could never be enough.

This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things.”

Hers:

“I promise to encourage your candor,

Because that is what makes you unique and wonderful.

I promise to keep you laughing,

Because through your laughter your soul shines.

I promise to hold your hand and stick by you through thick and thin,

For there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together.

I promise to be your partner in all things,

Respecting your individuality, but working with you as a part of the whole.

Lastly, I promise to you perfect love and perfect trust,

For one lifetime with you could never be enough.

This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things.”

We all stayed at the Monhegan House so getting up and getting ready was so nice.  When you stay at the Monhegan House, breakfast is included.  It’s not some run of the mill yuck, it’s DELICIOUS.  After breakfast, I spent time with the fairy houses that were made for each table.  I met up with the ladies to capture candid moments and details.  Then, I popped over to see the guys and captured the last few moments of Toby getting ready.

Sarah, Toby and their families planned a beautiful wedding.  I loved the flow of their day.  I felt very at ease and being creative in this environment comes naturally for me.

Toby and Sarah chose to see each other prior to the ceremony which I love.  I was able to capture all the family groupings and wedding party pictures prior to the ceremony.  After they were married, the three of us headed up to the lighthouse.  Cocktails, dinner and dancing all took place at the Monhegan House.  Dinner was lick your plate good and dancing was a freaking riot.  I slipped away at sunset and went down to the water for a few pictures and on my way back took a few night shots of the house.

Monhegan Island is a wonderful place to have a wedding.  The owner of the Monhegan House, Holden Nelson and his staff did a fantastic job!

The group took the early boat back on Friday morning so I was able to capture a few pictures of their departure.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed taking each of these pictures.

If you’re interested in learning more about any of the details from their wedding, please feel free to get in touch or leave a comment.

Thank you Sarah, Toby, your friends and family and the staff at the Monhegan House for making these three days wonderful in 2011!

I have a second Monhegan Island wedding from 2011 to feature as well . . . stay tuned!!

xoxo . . .

 

BACK TO TOPCONTACT METWEET THIS POSTSHARE ON FACEBOOK

[...] Sarah and Toby’s wedding and all their guests departed, I had a little time to explore a part of the island, I [...]

Cape Elizabeth, Maine : Baby Cousin Portrait

Baby Mia and Leni are cousins.  Leni lives in Italy and Mia lives in Massachusetts.  Luckily, summer vacation brought them together.  Their Mom’s got in touch with me while vacationing in Cape Elizabeth.  I got together with these ladies and little ladies one summer morning and loved every minute.

Sitting up is new and they do it very well together.

I mentioned to Lauren and Joanna, the Mom’s of these two dolls, that spending time photographing babies and kids on a Monday after a busy weekend shooting weddings is exactly what I need to balance it all out.  It was like from one world to the next, both so important and jam packed with memories.  Babies, you get to roll around on the ground and find the way to the giggles.

Thanks ladies and little ladies, I had a wonderful morning with you!

xoxo . . .

BACK TO TOPCONTACT METWEET THIS POSTSHARE ON FACEBOOK
Anastasia - January 26, 2012 - 10:32 am

Oh. My. Holy. CUTENESS!!!!
These girls are so adorable!!!

Family Portrait Photography : Camden, Maine

Kerri Bowden got in touch to set up a family portrait for her immediate family while they were visiting Union, Maine.  Kerri is a photographer in Ohio so it was great to work with someone who had a vision yet also allowed me to do my thing.  I met up with the family in Camden, Maine on a gorgeous summer evening. 

As usual, at the start, mood’s can be quite serious.

Give it a few minutes and it’s like we’ve known each other for a long time.

Family portrait sessions do not have to take hours and the time you dedicate will mean so much in the future.  I can help design your family session so the time we do have is utilized well and you can get back to your busy lives.  I had a great time with the Bowden Family in Camden.  Thank you Kerri for choosing me to photograph your family during your vacation in Maine.

xoxo . . .

BACK TO TOPCONTACT METWEET THIS POSTSHARE ON FACEBOOK
Kerri Bowden - January 25, 2012 - 10:41 am

Thank you for sharing this Melissa! You did such a wonderful job capturing these memories for us…many, many thanks:-)

Fall in New England : Mountain View Grand Wedding : New Hampshire

I traveled to Whitefield, New Hampshire for Anastasia and Brian’s wedding weekend.  From Portland, I took route 302 which leads you through the White Mountains in New Hamsphire.  This drive is one of my favorite New England drives especially through the Crawford Notch and in the fall.

View their wedding day slideshow by clicking here.

They met at UNH, parted ways and 9 years later, after a search on Myspace, they went on a date.  Their wedding weekend was to the day, 5 years after that first date.

I arrived on Friday so I had the opportunity to capture the two of them with their family and friends hanging out at the resort.  Waking up at the venue, verses driving 2+ hours the morning of the wedding, allows me the time I need to really scout the location, get to know the property, staff and document more of the weekend.

Anastasia and Brian were married at the Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa in Whitefield, New Hampshire.  Wedding film by Meg Simone Wedding Films.  Second photographer Alison Taylor.  Entertainment and up lighting by DJ Tommy Demers of Get Down Tonight.  Flowers by Carrie Scribner of Dutch Bloemen Winkel.  Dress Designer, Pronovias from bridal boutique Madeleine’s Daughter.

To view their wedding film preview by Meg Simone, click here.

If you’re interested in learning more about any of the details from their wedding, please feel free to get in touch or leave a comment.

Thank you Anastasia and Brian!!!  I’m so thankful that Meg Simone brought us together and thrilled to have witnessed and documented your wedding journey!

xoxo . . .

BACK TO TOPCONTACT METWEET THIS POSTSHARE ON FACEBOOK
Melissa - January 28, 2012 - 11:39 am

Anastasia & Meg – thank you both for your comments! It was such a great weekend and you both made it fantastic. I agree, let’s do it again!

Meg Simone Wedding Films - January 27, 2012 - 8:58 am

I would have to second what Anastasia said… I need a new list of descriptive words to annunciate just how incredible these images are! Just unreal! I wish we could do it all over again because it was way way way to fun! The weather, the scenery, the people – the best!

Anastasia - January 23, 2012 - 11:30 pm

I wish I had a thousand different ways to say “amazing!” I can’t believe it will be 4 months tomorrow since our wedding day! These pictures are beautiful!

F a c e b o o k
T w i t t e r