Kerri and Peter spend their winters skiing at Sunday River. For their October wedding, they returned to the mountain with family and friends, surrounded by the autumn color of western Maine.
Their day moved from private vows at the summit to a ceremony at the Jordan Hotel and a reception filled with the people, music, and small details they loved.
From the White Mountains to Sunday River
I first met Kerri and Peter for their winter engagement session in the White Mountains. By the time their wedding arrived, we had already spent time together outdoors and become comfortable working together. Knowing that they would be getting married at a mountain they returned to each winter made Sunday River feel like a fitting place for their wedding.
I like knowing the connection a couple has to the place they choose. It helps me understand what to pay attention to, beyond the view itself.
The Chondola first look
We took the chondola to the summit for their first look, with the valley stretching out behind them. After family and wedding portraits, Kerri and Peter stepped away together to exchange the personal vows they had chosen to share privately.
Those few minutes gave them time to take in what they were about to do, before returning to the rest of the celebration. It is a part of the day I wanted to document with care, without interrupting what they were sharing.
Then we headed back down the mountain to the Jordan Hotel for the ceremony.
The Jordan Hotel ceremony
Their friend Alex officiated a brief, personal ceremony at the Jordan Hotel. Having someone who already knew them lead those twenty minutes brought a familiar voice to the occasion.
Deep green, copper, and burgundy ran through the flowers from Pooh Corner Farm and the rest of the wedding details. Against the foliage outside, the palette felt at home in the season, with vintage touches and references to the couple’s love of skiing woven throughout.
Golden hour on the mountain
While guests gathered for cocktail hour on the deck, Kerri and Peter joined me on the ski hill for a few photographs in the evening light. The warm backlight, autumn trees, and chairlifts kept the setting distinctly Sunday River.
We had already made time for family portraits earlier, and this gave us another opportunity to photograph the two of them in a different light.
The reception
The dance floor filled at the grand entrance and stayed busy until the end of the reception. Oversized posters brought their cats into the celebration, shotskis paid tribute to their winters on the mountain, and light-up sneakers made an appearance later in the evening. There was plenty of personality in the room, and plenty to photograph.
Documenting a wedding in the Maine mountains
What I want these photographs to hold is the feeling of being there: the scale of the mountains, the closeness of a private vow exchange, and a room full of people who stayed on the dance floor. That is what draws me to documentary wedding photography.
The creative team
Photographer: Eleni P Photography
Venue: Jordan Hotel at Sunday River, @sundayriverweddingcompany
Florals: Pooh Corner Farm, @poohcornerfarm
DJ: Double Platinum Celebrations, @doubleplatinumcelebrations
Dessert: Katherine's Bakery, @katherinesbakery207
Dress: Marry & Tux Bridal, @marryandtuxbridal
Your story, in a place that means something.
Maine documentary wedding photography, with availability in New Hampshire and throughout New England.
