Wildflowers, antiques and pies add rustic charm to a wedding brunch By Deborah Conway Feature Writer They met about four years ago, when Sarah VanDer Linden applied for a teaching position at the Highlands International School, high in the Andes Mountains in the city of LePaz, Bolivia. Prior to being sent overseas, she was required to attend a training session in Memphis, Tennessee. Scott Cunningham, an administrator at Highlands, was sent to Memphis to meet the new staff. When they became engaged, they decided to get married near Sarah’s hometown. Although Sarah grew up in New Gloucester, Scott, who lived in Texas and Nigeria, had never set foot in Maine until a few weeks before their July 14 nuptials. “The hardest part about planning a wedding from Bolivia,” said Scott, “was not being able to see what we were committing to. But the logistical difficulties of planning a wedding from afar helped us focus on developing a healthy relationship ... and Sarah’s mom helped a lot.” A friend sent photographs to Sarah of flowers at Pineland, and the inspiration for their country-style wedding came from the pallet of colors they saw in those Maine wildflowers. The mauves, periwinkles and creamy florals found their way into Sarah’s bridesmaids’ dresses, and her flower girl wore a dress the color of dark lilacs. Although Sarah’s wedding dress, purchased online, was white, her “something old” included a pair of soft, dusty rose shoes that she had previously worn when she served as maid of honor for a dear friend. Scott wore a charcoal gray suit with a “bright blue tie that he had made in Bolivia.” His groomsmen wore blue suits with burgundy ties.
Sepulveda Photography
Planning their Maine wedding while living in Bolivia enabled Sarah and Scott to focus on their relationship while Sarah’s mother helped with logistics back home.
“We wanted something outdoors,” said Sarah, and so the wedding took place in Picnic Grove at Point Sebago Resort on the shore of Lake Sebago. Although the setting was casual and rustic, the ceremony was traditional. According to Scott, “Even though it was outside, we wanted the seriousness of our vows to be ref lected in the ceremony. Generally, we’re both fairly casual people, so we wanted to make [the reception] a more casual celebration.” The tables in the Grove were laid with cloths matching the colors of the wedding part y and decorated w ith canning jars, buckets, and bottles filled with wildf lowers picked and arranged by a friend. Family photographs in rustic and antique frames depicting their youths, courtship, and parents’ and grandparents’ weddings decorated tables, trees and two antique ladderback chairs. More photographs were hung with clothespins on twine strung along a fence at the edge of the Grove. Rather than a traditional guest book, guests were invited to record their thoughts with permanent marker on a beautiful
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WEDDING GUIDE
wooden tray created by a Bolivian woodworker and set with inlaid Bolivian tiles. “Rather than having something that we put on a shelf or in a chest and never look at,” said Scott, “this is something that we will look at and use almost every day.” Small Bolivian tiles attached to magnets, similar to the tiles in the tray, were taken home by guests as wedding favors. A n a nt ique t r u n k, or ig i na l ly ow ned by Sa ra h’s g reatgrandmother, was set out to collect wedding gifts, and an old wine box was used for cards. The wedding took place at 10 a.m., and a country brunch was prepared by Ruth York and the chefs at Point Sebago Resort. The menu included eggs, waff les, potatoes, sausages, petite sandwiches, punch, iced tea, and coffee.
In addition to one small traditional wedding cake decorated with fresh flowers, desserts included raspberry and blueberry coffeecakes and strawberry rhubarb, peach, apple and tripleberry pies, all of which were baked by Heather Keach of Heather’s Bakery. The desserts were set upon different-sized wicker baskets turned upside down, giving the delicious display both height and depth, as well as a rustic look. After the wedding and reception in Maine, the couple celebrated with family in Texas. Having been kept in the dark as to honeymoon plans, Scott surprised Sarah with a honeymoon trip to the Dominican Republic. “Our wedding was everything that we imagined and more.” Several weeks later, the new Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham found themselves heading home to LePaz, Bolivia, where, said Sarah, “We're busy making house ... cleaning out a bachelor pad and making a home.”
Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Sunday, August 26, 2012