Abigail McIntosh Chatfield married Samuel Howard on August 7th. Their wedding day was as lovely as the setting was beautiful, at Beauchamp Point at Penobscot Bay on property purchased by her grandfather in 1895 near Camden, Maine. “B”, as she is known to both family and friends, asked her sister, Jessica, to be her Maid of Honor. “Sam”, as he is known to his family and friends asked his twin brother, Nathanial, to be his best man. There were numerous bridesmaids escorted in pairs by the numerous ushers. Reverend Tom Pike, a family friend and Episcopalian minister officiated, with grace and kindness, turning away when the bride and groom sealed their vows with a kiss and an embrace. The wedding day began with a luncheon given by the bride’s Aunt Polly, a casual outdoor luncheon where the caterer served a wonderful sliced terrine styled as an “exploded sushi”. It was delicious! All the guests reassembled for the wedding, which began at 4:30 in the afternoon, and was followed by a reception at White Cedar’s, the family home where the parents of the bride, John and Jane Chatfield spend the summer months. As the sun began to near the horizon, all the guests meandered to an enormous white tent, where the dinner’s menu included local beef and fish. Wedding toasts were followed by the bridal couple dancing with one another and the traditional order of both sets of parents joining in. As the stars began to shine in the skies, and the blue lights within the tent set the mood for fun, wedding guests of all ages took to the dance floor to shimmy to the band playing “oldie moldies” including the Watusi! It was an uproarious party with good fun for everyone. As the youngest and eldest guests slowly drifted away, they left in their wake the dear friends of B and Sam, all eager to party until the wee hours of the morning.

Note: The New York Times featured this wedding in their Wedding’s Section on Sunday, August 15, 2010. Search the NY Times link by typing in: B. Chatfield Wedding. This article about their courtship is available  online at http://newyorktimes.com/pages/weddings/

PHOTOS: Left Column: Wedding guest assemble in a field overlooking Beauchamp Point on Penobscot Bay in Maine.  Center, Top:  Jessica Chatfield is escorted to her place as Maid of Honor.  Center, Bottom: The bride and groom are pronounce WED.  Right Column: 1. Abigail Chatfield, known as “B” is escorted by her father, John Chatfield. 2. Niece and nephew of the groom are given the job of scattering flower petals. This photo was taken just seconds before the flower girl decided to make quick work of this job by dumping her entire basket of petals in a pile on the ground. Everyone laughed, and her older brother looked over his shoulder to see if  the bride had noticed.

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                     BACK TO MAP  PAGE