| BDN MAINE MARRY ME MAGAZINE Spring / Summer, 2013
“When I thought about getting married, all I ever thought about was running away to an island somewhere. When I really sat down and thought about it, the last time my family was together was at my grandmother’s funeral. That’s when we decided we needed to hold a wedding.” - Michele Dwyer
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renovation. As active 30-somethings, Michele and Mark enjoyed getting outside. So it made sense that he would pop the question on a cross-country ski excursion in the Bangor City Forest. “We were in the middle of the city forest cross-country skiing, and no one was there,” she said. They started a conversation about children and the future, and then “he got down on one knee while still on skis and asked me. I just sat down, right on the trail. I spent like an hour looking at it. Then I realized we had two miles to ski back.” While Michele had not given him any indication of what she wanted, he had other things in mind. “He chose a ring with the best cut that reflected light, a brilliant cut diamond,” she said. “He did months of research. He knows I didn’t want anything huge.” The couple chose not to rush into planning. Instead they
talked about what they wanted. “When I thought about getting married, all I ever thought about was running away to an island somewhere,” she said. “When I really sat down and thought about it, the last time all my family was together was at my grandmother’s funeral. That’s when we decided we needed to hold a wedding.” Together they decided on a “Maine” experience hosted in August. Michele’s family, she said, is from out-of-state, and many had never been to Maine before. They knew their ideal location needed to include lodging on site for guests, pretty views, and an opportunity to experience Maine at its best. Mark discovered the “perfect” spot while working in Brooklin and it was appropriate that what drew him to the property of the Lookout was the “kissing trees.” The location was discovered while he explored the area. The location held a bed and breakfast, rustic cabins, great