So, I’m going to be honest here. Writing this blog post was hard. Kristin and Matt were married six months ago and I have been trying to write it ever since then. Thing is, Kristin is my best buddy in the world, like a sister to me, and everything I started to write just felt a little generic and like a typical “blog post” (have I ever told you how much I hate writing blog posts, by the way). I have to do better than that, for her.
It makes sense that I have had a hard time writing this, actually. During our senior year in high school when everyone passed around their yearbooks to be signed, she and I left the entire back page empty, dedicated to one another, because we figured we would fill the entire page with memories. However, when it came time to sign each others yearbooks, it felt strange trying to write down our memories and feelings. It was as if something was ending… so we decided to leave the page blank. We knew we were going to be life long friends and, kind of like this post, we didn’t know where to begin with all of the memories and emotions that comes with a relationship like this.
Kristin and I have been in each other’s lives since we were 14 years old – which, to do the math for you, means we have been friends for over eighteen years. . We’ve seen each other at our best and worst moments, and when she asked me to be her Matron of Honor I was beyond excited.
^This guy.
The first time my husband, Haven, and I met Matt, Kristin decided to bring him on one of our annual overnight camping trips. I was definitely a little surprised that she wanted us to meet this guy for the first time during an overnight trip. They had been dating for about 6 weeks at the time, and to be honest, I hadn’t heard that much about him! I figured this trip was maybe Kristin’s way of being able to tell if Matt was a keeper.
He was.
The four of us instantly hit it off and it honestly felt like we had known Matt for years. My favorite memory from that trip was when Matt and I were dancing next to the campfire and creating giant monster shadows on the trees. It was hysterical and SO. MUCH. FUN.
After that trip, Matt and Kristin came over to our apartment in Portsmouth for the first Pats game of the season. It was September 7th, of 2014. I remember vividly making a few cocktails for the four of us and Haven walking outside to grill up a ton of delicious food as he always does. When Matt followed Haven out the door leaving Kristin and I alone in the kitchen, I turned to her and said “you’re gonna marry that man.”
She looked at me and said “I know”, with a huge smile on her face and walked out the door after them. I took my phone out and wrote down the date and what had transpired because I was planning on using that moment as part of my Matron of Honor speech! It was awesome.
While helping them plan their wedding day, it was extra fun because not only was it for two of my favorite people but also because Kristin is in the wedding industry as well. She works as one of the top bridal stylists at Madeleine’s Daughter in downtown Portsmouth finding the perfect wedding dress for her brides. She had her Amsale wedding dress picked out for years.
For her wedding day, we wanted something personal and unique for her and Matt. We had fun scouring the seacoast for something a little different. Since Kristin and Matt were living together in Kittery and most of their friends were local to the seacoast area, they wanted to hold the ceremony and reception in this location.
Matt and Kristin decided to hold the ceremony at Fort Foster since that was the place Matt got down on one knee. They were married in a grassy field with the ocean at their back. One hundred and thirty guests attended the wedding including their rescue pup, Charlie!
The cocktail hour and reception was then held in the Star Theatre of the Kittery Community Center, minutes from Matt and Kristin’s apartment. The KCC was very new to weddings at the time so it was exciting to bring the venue to life with our favorite vendors. During the cocktail hour, the wedding party stayed behind with Jess Jolin Photography to take some photos while guests enjoyed delicious apps and cocktails provided by Foster’s Clambakes & Catering.
Madeleine’s Daughter Crew!
Kristin and Matt have recently bought their first home in Portsmouth, NH, enjoyed their honeymoon in Costa Rica, and celebrated 6 months as a married couple. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for them and to continue being by their side creating lifelong memories.
Dream Team Vendor Crew:
Ceremony Site: Fort Foster in Kittery, Maine
Reception Site: Kittery Community Center
Wedding Planning: Nicole Mower Weddings and Events
Wedding Coordination: Love Affair
Photography: Jess Jolin Photography
Wedding Dress: Amsale sold by Madeleine’s Daughter
Florals: Heidi H Designs / Flowers by Leslie
Makeup: Joya Beauty
Hair: Kate Walsh Inc
DJ: JetSet Sounds
Catering: Foster’s Clambake
Rentals: Exeter Events and Tents
Desserts: The Flour Shop
