Jessika and Fred

Stockton Springs, ME

the details

The Venue:
The Retreat at French's Point

The Bride:
Jessika Brooks

The Groom:
Fred Brewer

vendor resources

Venue
The Retreat at French’s Point
Stockton Springs, ME
fpmaine.com
207-567-3650

Flowers
Flora Fauna
North Yarmouth, ME
florafaunaweddings.com
207-650-3563

Tent
Sperry Tents Seacoast
Portsmouth, NH
sperrytentsseacoast.com
877-773-7798

Photography
C.A. Smith Photography
Kennebunkport, ME
casmithphotography.com
207-967-0500

Stationery
Cottrell Designs
Stockton Springs, ME
207-567-4228

Just In Time

As owners of The Retreat at French’s Point in Stockton Springs, Maine, Jessika Brooks and Fred Brewer knew the region’s mild early-fall temperatures and brilliant foliage were ideal for an outdoor wedding at their venue. The problem was they weren’t alone in their assessment; eager clients quickly booked popular fall dates, forcing them to postpone their wedding. As the year threatened to end without a date set, the couple reassessed their plan by asking each other what mattered most for their wedding. Their answers: family, intimacy, and a personalized affair. With the goal set, the wedding professionals took just six weeks to craft their event at the restored estate cottage on the shores of Penobscot Bay in February 2008. Had you walked up to the venue that day, you never would have guessed how quickly they - together with their “dream team” of vendors - had put it all together.

Wedding Theme - Symbolic Pride

Jessika spent childhood summers at French’s Point before turning it into a wedding venue. Proud of guiding that successful transformation, the couple chose the concept of pride as the theme to tie together their own day’s details. The right symbol to convey pride? The peacock, naturally. Jessika used the kaleidoscopic colors of the bird’s feathers as inspiration for the color scheme of celadon, brown, gold, amber, pink, and ivory.

Wedding Flowers and Decor - Medieval Forest

Judy Bourgeois of Flora Fauna, a French’s Point regular, brought Jessika’s vision of an enchanted forest to life. Bourgeois draped the outdoor tent in garlands of grapevines, curly willows, bay leaves, fiddleheads, amber twinkle lights, and peacock feathers.

Wedding Dress - Warm Addition

Jessika purchased a Lazaro gown while originally planning a fall wedding, an act of foresight that saved her the headache of ordering a dress on short notice. The strapless ivory gown featured a gold sash with amber, brown, and pink floral embroidery. To keep her warm for the change to the winter date, seamstress Sandi McKeen designed a chocolate brown bolero.

Stationery - Iridescent Invites

Since the invitations would introduce guests to the event, the stationery suite established the peacock theme. Graphic designer Ross Cottrell of Cottrell Designs created and stamped a screened peacock feather on each piece, and printed them each on iridescent ivory or burnt sugar paper with chocolate brown ink to create a unified look.

The Lasting Memory

At first, the couple was unsure about a February date because they really wanted an outdoor reception. But they also knew that a heated tent—a must given the weather in Maine in winter—could only hold so many, and thus force them to limit their guest list. An intimate conversation at the reception with her 91-year-old grandmother who had introduced her to French’s Point made Jessika realize the smaller, more personal event was worth it. “I wanted her to know this dream [of French’s Point] was possible because of her. She was the one who started this legacy,” Jessika explains. “I will treasure that conversation always. We chatted throughout the entire meal, and nothing felt rushed or like I needed to move on or greet another guest.”


Are you Planning a Winter Wedding?
This theme weddings guide has plenty of advice, tips, and ideas for winter weddings