A Rainy, Magical Maine Wedding on Bailey Island

Claire Baldwin

Jun 4, 20242 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

Almost ten years to the day we met, I married the love of my life and best friend. Here are the vows I wrote, and photos of the day by Kelsey Gayle Photography.

A romantic moment as a groom lifts the bride in his arms at the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. The bride wears a delicate lace gown and holds a colorful bouquet. The backdrop features an expansive sea under a soft, cloudy sky, capturing an intimate and serene atmosphere.

Almost the moment we met, I fell in love with you. It was the kind of love that made it hard to eat and sleep. The kind that made me feel the need to talk to you until I lost my voice. And since the day we met, running that relay race in Glacier National Park, we’ve made promises to each other. The first one was ‘we’ll figure it out’. Again and again, we set out without a plan, pitching tents wherever we could find a spot, hopping on buses up the east coast to Maine, sleeping in train stations and parking lots, then flying to the other side of the world and winging it in Ghana. ‘We’ll figure it out’ became a catchphrase, and a commitment.

A warm and intimate indoor wedding ceremony. The bride and groom stand at the altar beneath an arch decorated with greenery and flowers, illuminated by soft light from a large window behind them. Guests are seated in rows facing the couple. The space features high ceilings and twinkle lights, creating a cozy ambiance.

A close-up of the bride wearing a floral crown with vibrant orange and pink flowers. She smiles warmly as she looks at her groom, who is partially visible with his back turned. The ceremony setting features an elegant arch adorned with flowers and soft natural lighting.

We committed to finding our way together, even when we felt directionless. For years of long distance, of slogging through school, of traveling around. In the North Cascades, when we yet again got jobs in different places, and didn’t have cell reception, and had to communicate via notes in the pie crates that you packed up at the bakery, stuck on the shuttle bus, and I unpacked up the road at the ranch.

The bride and groom smile joyfully as they walk down the aisle hand in hand. The bride holds a bouquet of flowers and wears a floral crown and a sequined dress. Confetti is tossed in the air as guests celebrate. The candid moment captures their happiness in a timeless monochrome style.

When everything else was unpredictable, we were each other’s constant. We were each other's home. We promised to listen, to show up. To be kind, even when we were upset. To remember to pack spoons, the next time we went camping.

Today, I stand here in wonder that we’ve made it this far. We made it through countless road trips, through bad bosses and crappy jobs and lost jobs, and through so many moves. Through it all, your kindness - to children, to me, to my family, to strangers - totally astounded me. You’ve inspired me to grow in ways I never would’ve thought were possible. Your kindness and your you-ness sustained me through things I never would have dreamed we’d endure: apocalyptic wildfires, a pandemic. Throughout everything, we kept making promises. We broke them, and then worked to mend them. And we built something.

The groom carries the bride in his arms on a rainy day while she holds a colorful rainbow umbrella. The bride wears a sequined lace dress and a floral crown, smiling warmly at the groom, who is dressed in a navy suit. Blurred figures and greenery in the background enhance the joyful moment.

You and I have a love that is special and rare, a once-in-a-lifetime if you’re lucky kind of love. It’s a love built on friendship, on truly knowing each other, and on growing together. So I vow to keep growing with you. To be brave. To have a family with you. To mend things when I mess up. To be there for you through joy and loss, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse. I vow I will cherish you, and I will love you. And I will figure things out with you, til death do us part.