Catt & Cody’s Seawall Elopement in Acadia

When Catt and Cody initially reached out to me, they shared that they wanted an intimate elopement in Acadia National Park, and were hoping for my guidance as to where to have their ceremony. Initially, they asked about Otter Point, to which I advised them against. Now, Otter Point is a STUNNING SPOT for an Acadia elopement, and it is a spot many of my couples choose for their ceremony or portraits, but unless your ceremony is at sunset or sunrise, there’s a good chance that you’ll be sharing the spot with many other tourists. Because of their hope for privacy, I recommended Seawall, a rocky beach the quiet side of the island that has a few private nooks and crannies, and is a ceremony option for couples planning to have more than ten guests at their wedding. While Seawall is a decent distance away from the Park Loop Road and downtown Bar Harbor, it’s still close to a lot of relatively quiet scenic spots, some of which are my favorites on the island. And, even though the ceremony was early in the afternoon, we only saw a few people during the ceremony, which was wonderful!

It was cold and windy in Bar Harbor, so I brought a light winter jacket just in case, but we were greeted with warmer, milder weather at Seawall. Catt and Cody’s immediate family greeted them, and we then started their ceremony, headed by one of my favorite Acadia officiants, Malen Hsu. After, there were lots of hugs (even for Malen!), and everyone spent some relaxed time sharing toasts over champagne. Catt and Cody love to hike, so we then carpooled to a nearby hike that was suitable for everyone’s ability levels. We leisurely trekked into the woods, stopped to enjoy a cove, and eventually returned to our cars. Catt and Cody had hoped to do a longer hike with me, so I suggested a mountain that would a.) be relatively quiet, and b.) not be too difficult to hike in a dress and suit. I knew just the spot, a mountain with a stunning view that we could access with a short hike up. And since Catt and Cody had aimed to have their wedding around peak foliage season, we were greeted with the most vibrant colors when we arrived. We took a moment to soak up the view, took a few portraits, then made our way back down.

We finished our evening back in Bar Harbor, where everyone gathered for dinner, wine, and dessert. When I shared that it was time for me to leave, everyone burst into applause, which was such a heart-warming experience that I’ll never forget.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from our time together. Enjoy!