Laura & Hoang's New England Outdoor Center Wedding

There’s not many couples who meet in their teens, but Laura and Hoang’s relationship started in high school at 16, where they did such things as run against each other for Health Club president (Laura won), and participated in the science fair together (in which they placed in the international science fair for a project on Alzheimer’s and fruit flies). Clearly, they weren’t just any ordinary high schoolers, and their maturity carried them through living in different cities as they worked toward their own professional goals, and ultimately led them to their wedding day at the New England Outdoor Center (also known as NEOC) in Millinocket, Maine. Many people overlook NEOC, as it isn’t on Maine’s coast and is in northern Maine, but it’s one of my favorite venues in Maine. Mount Katahdin, Maine’s tallest mountain, is prominent over Millinocket Lake, and there’s a sense of serenity as you take in the view.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature wasn’t feeling particularly serene on Laura and Hoang’s wedding day. While the chance of rain was low on the day of, rain started to fall as Laura finished getting dressed. Guests ran to whatever overhang they could find, and there was a moment of panic. Should they continue on with their outdoor ceremony, or move it to the event center? When the rain stopped, they decided they’d go forward with their original plans. Naturally, as Laura walked down the aisle with her mother, it began to rain, heavily. We continued on, and I photographed in what is likely the heaviest rain fall I’ve ever had to shoot in on a wedding day. Special thanks to Liz, my second photographer, who abandoned her gear for about ten minutes to hold an umbrella over me as I did my best to avoid my cameras being destroyed while still capturing the wedding. It was quite the adventure (and honestly, made for some great photos). Luckily, Laura and Hoang had a Chuppah, which helped stop them from getting too wet, and Hoang held an umbrella over their heads, keeping them safe from the storm.

The rain eventually petered out, and the sun broke through as the pair left their ceremony, which felt like the perfect metaphor to life. After we took portraits with Mount Katahdin in the background, we headed to NEOC’s event center, where delicious mocktails awaited us. The night passed without any more dramatics- toasts were shared (including an actual piece of toast, waved in the air by Laura’s uncle) and tears shed, dances were had, and the dance floor was full and energetic.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Laura and Hoang’s wedding. Enjoy!