1. Real Weddings

Laura & Bobby: A Low-Key Destination Wedding in Kennebunkport, ME

Laura and Bobby met at the gym while she was nursing a knee injury. Unable to run her usual route along the Charles River, Laura asked a cute guy on a

Laura and Bobby met at the gym while she was nursing a knee injury. Unable to run her usual route along the Charles River, Laura asked a cute guy on a recumbent bike (Bobby) if he knew which bikes were easiest on your knees. Without missing a beat, he pointed to the bike next to him. After chatting about sushi places in their mutual neighborhood, Bobby invited Laura out after their workout for their first date. The Bride Laura Boeker, 30, account executive The Groom Bobby Leighton, 41, manager The Date September 12 The night of his proposal, Bobby had planned to take Laura out for dinner after she went to a barbecue with her friends and he finished playing a hockey game. Laura didn’t want to leave the party, so she asked Bobby if they could skip dinner and he could join her, but he was adamant about going to the restaurant. Laura thought it was a bit odd since he was usually very laid-back, but agreed to go. Halfway through dinner, Bobby stepped out for a minute and then returned and stood at the head of the table. After telling Laura how much he loved her and their life together, he knelt and proposed. He event wrote out his proposal and gave it to Laura so she could remember it forever. The two said their “I dos” in a destination wedding in Maine, the state where they fell in love.

Instead of a traditional guest book, the groom’s sister drew small squares on a canvas and the couple set out paint and brushes for the guests to use. The painting is now part of Laura and Bobby’s art collection and serves as a reminder of the people who helped celebrate with them.
Laura calls these “spontaneous decorations” -- bottles filled with flowers from the backyard and a few shells to create a natural, beach-inspired altar.
The fabric flags that lined the aisle and the reception tent were also incorporated into the place settings.
To keep guests from accidentally walking into the ropes holding up the reception tent, Laura’s sister and mother hung fabric flags created by the wedding planner.
Laura and Bobby’s ceremony was packed with sweetly sentimental moments: They were married by an ordained friend, and the pair wrote their own ceremony and vows. Bobby even spontaneously shared the story of the first time he told Laura he loved her.
After a last-minute ceremony venue change due to the weather, the bridal party quickly scrambled to set up “pews” using kitchen chairs. Laura and Bobby’s wedding planner created charming fabric flags to line the aisle.
Instead of table numbers, the couple assigned each table a letter from the word LOBSTER. The head table had the letter “L.” Half of the flowers in the centerpieces were picked from the backyard, and half were from a local farmer Laura had met at a market a month before the wedding.
Laura and Bobby found this watering can in the garage and used it as inspiration for their naturally elegant wedding.
The wedding planner hung an ampersand between Laura and Bobby’s chairs at the reception. The symbol was in the same font as the letters used to identify the tables.
Laura and Bobby served whoopee pies (a Maine classic) in lieu of a traditional wedding cake, though they did order a single tier for the cake cutting. The shell-shaped pies fit in perfectly with their Maine beach wedding theme.
The couple used Mason jars, which the groom’s late grandmother had used for jams and jellies she made, to hold their reception centerpieces. It was a perfect way to pay their respects to a beloved family member.