Maggie and Doug were married at Saybrook Point Inn & Spa on a perfect summer day. No detail was overlooked and you could tell that the main focus of their wedding was to honor their guests by treating them to an exceptional day together. Life is precious and to Maggie and Doug who work as surgeons at Mass General they know that it should be celebrated. From the moment I met them at their engagement session I feel like we’ve been old friends.

If you love all the seaside details of this wedding like I do, you’ll want to know a few thoughts that went into the planning. I’m continuing to feature our couples stories by asking them a few questions and having them share their answers. Here’s what Maggie and Doug had to say:

What inspired you to pick your venue?
Doug and I decided that we wanted an outdoor ceremony and cocktail house +/- an outdoor reception. We also both wanted to be on the water for the ceremony if possible. We both love summer and the beach- so somewhere on the water was really important to us. When we started looking at venues we looked throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts and liked a few places. I was with my mom, Aunt, and cousin when we went to Saybrook Point Inn for the first time. The moment we drove up I knew I had found the venue. It was very much just a gut feeling that I had- similar to the way I felt when I chose which college I wanted to go- I just knew! Doug came down a few weeks later and had a very similar reaction- we both loved the old New England Inn feel, the nautical environment, the ceremony site, and the people that we met with. Each and every person we interacted with in the introductory stages of wedding planning at Saybrook Point Inn was above and beyond kind, helpful, and lovely to work with. This continued throughout the entire planning process and our wedding day- everyone there made it so easy! 

Can you share one unforgettable moment on your wedding day.
There are so many to choose from but I think Doug and I will always cherish our wedding vows. We had a lot of people say we “were brave” for writing our own, that it was hard or stressful, but we are so happy we went for it. We also were so fortunate enough to have one our best friends from medical school as our wedding officiant- this was so special and really brought a lot of comfort to us for the ceremony. He was able to include personal details to the ceremony that made us laugh, cry, and love everything about our ceremony!

What advice would you give couples currently planning their wedding day that you wish you had known.
Be present together on your wedding day. Celebrate each other, love each other, and have fun together surrounded by your family and friends. Doug and I loved being with all of our closest family and friends but also loved being with each other! The day goes by so quickly so take a few moments to step away together, take a moment, and observe all the love that surrounds you on that day. 

What is a detail that you are really happy you spent the time and/or money on?
YOU! In all honesty though- photographs of our wedding day are what we are going to have to remember the best day of our lives. From the moment we saw Mike and Heather’s wedding album– we knew we had found the perfect person and just hoped that you would be free for our day! Having a wedding photographer that “gets you” and works with you to make your pictures everything you want them to be is so important. Everyone that has seen our pictures is in awe of your work- we are truly so lucky! 

How did you incorporate your personalities into the day?
For me it was the candy bar- I am very much a child at heart and the candy bar was a must have for me! For Doug it was the band – he loves a good dance party where he can showcase his moves- so finding the right band to make it happen was his number one goal. Both turned out perfectly! 

What was one of your favorite compliments from a guest about your wedding?

One of our favorite compliments was about our first dance. Doug and I took dance lessons (highly recommended!!) as a fun way to spend time together before the wedding— we don’t get a ton of “us” time out of the hospital so we thought this would be a fun activity but also wanted to make sure we had fun with our first dance- and not take it too seriously. Long story short- the compliment that both of us loved was: “Watching you two share your first dance was the most genuine and tangible sign of love that I have seen in quite some time. You two were locked in on one another. I could honestly say that the room could have emptied during that song and you wouldn’t have noticed.”

What was your favorite wedding planning resource?
My friends and family- most importantly my mom! She was the wedding planner extraordinaire- our wedding would not have happened without her! I found it really helpful to ask for recommendations from friends and family that had recently been married. Mike and Heather Gallerstein were able to recommend not only you but also our wedding band, Brick Park Entertainment! Having personal recommendations was great and made sifting through hundreds of options so much easier- it really narrowed our focus and saved a lot of time.

Thank you Maggie and Doug, your wedding day is one I’ll never forget!

xo

Tricia

VENUE – Saybrook Point Inn & Spa
FLORIST – Floral Affair
BAND – Brick Park Entertainment
JEWELER – Kellin Gems
GOWN DESIGNER – Carolina Herrera
FORMAL WEAR – Bella Bridesmaids
PHOTOGRAPHER – Tricia McCormack Photography
VIDEOGRAPHER – New England Wedding Films