For Danielle + Nick’s wedding, they wanted to celebrate with their closest friends and family on the lake where Danielle spent her childhood vacations.
Of her DAWSON gown, Danielle said: “I had a hard time finding a dress with modern florals and somewhat of a bohemian vibe, but classic look. The Dawson gown felt like the perfect mix of what I was looking for, the crepe bottom created a beautiful silhouette and the unique lace on top added a little extra style.”
Names: Danielle & Nick
Wedding Date: 05.14.22
Guest Number: 120
Wedding Location: Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake, Maine
Photographer: The Leighton Co
Tell Us Your Love Story
How did you meet?
We originally met in college at Quinnipiac University, over 13 years ago. But our story wasn’t all that simple, we didn’t start dating seriously until 2018, after a continuous friendship proved to be much more. I was living in New York when Nick had a 3-day work conference in Brooklyn. We met up for dinner and drinks both nights while he was in the city. From there, we jumped into a long-overdue-long-distance relationship, before deciding to move in with each other in Connecticut.
How did he put a ring on it?
After multiple failed attempts (of me unknowingly sabotaging his plans) while we were in New York for a friend’s wedding on New Year’s Eve. Nick ended up proposing the next day at home on our couch, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way! I was completely caught by surprise. He had the most thoughtful speech prepared and it was such a special moment between just the two of us.
Where did you draw inspiration from?
Everywhere! Magazines, Instagram, Pinterest, you name it. I’m a graphic designer, so the first thing I did was start pulling images and putting mood boards together.
What made the wedding personal to you?
When we made the decision to move our wedding date, we knew that regardless of where restrictions and vaccines were at when June 2021 rolled around, we couldn’t let our original date pass by without officially tying the knot. We invited our immediate families and wedding party to witness our vows. It wasn’t what we originally planned, but having a smaller ceremony allowed us to weave in more personal details to us. We got ready at home, wrote our own vows, I arranged my own bouquet, and we were able to have pizza and cider at our favorite spot in town to celebrate.
Our larger postponed wedding reception in Maine was all about our family and friends coming together to celebrate and dance the night away! It was a “Camp Bartlett” themed weekend, everyone was able to stay in the cabins at Migis Lodge, we had a camper guide book as our invitations, a lobster bake welcome dinner, and a bonfire after party. Somehow, we lucked out with sunny and 80-degree weather in May. Our guests even went swimming and took boats out on the lake! I grew up vacationing on Sebago Lake with my family and Nick’s parents live nearby, so it was so nice to have everyone we love enjoying a place that’s so special to us. Honestly, we couldn’t have asked for a better venue or a better weekend.
What were you most nervous or excited about?
I was most nervous about saying my vows in front of our family and friends, even though it was a small group. But I’m glad we were able to do that as part of the small ceremony, it was a really special moment and something we’ll never forget.
Aside from that, I was most excited to see everyone in person – for both events! We got engaged a few months before covid hit and many of our friends aren’t local, so it was really nice to be able to celebrate our love with everyone and finally break it down on the dance floor!
Now, the most important part – the Dress!
Tell us about your dress?
I had a hard time finding a dress with modern florals and somewhat of a bohemian vibe, but classic look. The Dawson gown felt like the perfect mix of what I was looking for, the crepe bottom created a beautiful silhouette and the unique lace on top added a little extra style. I also wore a flowy overskirt for the ceremony to pull everything together.
I had my seamstress add a belt and buttons from my grandmother’s wedding dress, as well. She passed away a few years ago, but she was quite the fashionista and we’ve been going shopping together since I was little. I know she would have loved to have gone wedding dress shopping with me, so it was really special to be able to include something of hers on my gown.
What stockist did you get it from?
Tulle Bridal in Andover, Massachusetts. I have to give a shout out to Elizabeth who seemed to immediately understand what I was looking for and was determined to find the right fit!
What was your most memorable moment from your day?
It’s hard to pick just one, but I think our first dance was the most memorable moment for me. We chose the song Bones by Maren Morris early on. I think we’ve both heard that song and imagined that moment a million times over the past two and a half years. Nick might never admit it, but we were both tearing up during it.
Vendors to credit:
// Venue Migis Lodge // Photography The Leighton Co // Bridal Shop Tulle Bridal // Hair Erika St.Pierre Hair & Makeup // Seamstress The Wedding Embassy // Florals Marcia Davis Flowers