A Surprise Boat Wedding Ceremony and a Black-Tie Dinner Party Reception in Maine

Valentine’s Day is already a romantic holiday, but it holds extra special meaning for Rob Kaczanowski and Ted Beyer. On that day in 2015, the two first matched on a dating app. A week later, they went on their first date. “We were texting each other all week leading up to it, so there was already a good feeling,” Rob remembers. "But when we met in person that first time, the connection was instant—we just clicked.”

The couple always agreed that Rob would be the one to propose, but he wanted to make it extra special nonetheless. His plan was flawlessly executed. “It was early December of 2019. When I walked into the house [from work], Rob was standing there—much to my surprise—with our suitcases packed,” Ted shares. Rob had cleared the days off with Ted’s work and kept his boarding pass secret. It wasn’t until they were at the airport gate that Ted found out they were going to Paris. “When I texted my mom and told her I was boarding a plane to Paris, she made me call her to make sure it was actually me, and not someone that had stolen my phone,” Ted laughs. 

A mid-trip photo session with a local photographer created the ideal opportunity to pop the question. “We were standing on the Pont de Bir-Hakeim posing for photos, alternating between looking at the Eiffel Tower and into each other's eyes, when Rob suddenly got down on one knee,” Ted says. “I had a feeling this moment was coming, but somehow it was still a complete shock in the best way. I said ‘yes!’” 

The couple is clearly big on surprises so that’s what they wanted to do with their wedding, as well. “We love surprising people, in good ways. Everyone who knows us expects us to be a bit atypical and to take everything just a bit further than anyone else might,” Rob says. “So the overall experience and creating something a bit out of the ordinary was priority one.” They envisioned a dinner party full of great food and wine along with a weekend of activities that would showcase their new hometown of Portland, Maine. 

“Getting started was definitely the hardest part; we had no idea where to begin,” the couple admits. “As much as representation of LGBTQ+ couples is growing in the wedding industry, we found the majority of resources were still very bride-focused. This helped us realize we really needed the assistance of professionals, and was what led us to find Ines & Marie." The planning and design firm took on everything from florals to invitations, and helped Rob and Ted bring their dream to life. “While it was to be a wedding in the sense that we were getting married, I'm not sure either of us thought of it in those terms. We had a lot of room to do things in a way that you traditionally would not, to incorporate new things, and to leave out the things you might do because that's how you've always seen it done.” 

Read on to see the stunning results of their intimate two-day wedding over Labor Day weekend, planned by Ines & Marie and photographed by K.R. Moreno Photography.

“During each step of the planning process, we worked with Ines & Marie to define how each element—from something as simple as the lining of an envelope to big choices like venues and catering—would embody us as a couple and our style,” Rob and Ted say. “We constantly asked ourselves, ‘Are we doing this thing because of some tradition or because this is what is important to us?’” A rich color scheme of black, nude, tan, mustard, and vibrant red, as well as masculine details like leather accents and a black wax seal made the invitation suite shine.

For their sunset ceremony, the grooms opted for seaside casual looks, donning cream linen suits from J.Crew and matching statement shoes by TAFT.

“During planning, we were brainstorming what else we wanted to do over the weekend when Rob had the idea of going sailing,” Ted remembers. "That quickly evolved into doing the ceremony at sea. Wendameen—owned & operated by Portland Schooner Company—was the perfect choice, both for her size, but also the style and history of the ship. She was built in 1912 in Maine—where we live now—but also sailed on the Great Lakes—where we’re both originally from—for a number of years.” Harbored in Casco Bay, the schooner was adorned with white and yellow florals for a soft, romantic scene lit up by golden hour. 

With only 25 guests the couple opted not to have a traditional wedding party, but asked their dearest friend, Morgan Tiemann, to officiate.

The ceremony was thoughtful and laid-back. Morgan even wrote the vows that the couple exchanged. “Being all together on a boat, we did not have a processional or recessional, but a wonderfully romantic playlist was curated for us by Ines & Marie that set the perfect vibe for being out on the water at sunset," the grooms share.

The vibe shifted for their dinner reception the following evening, which called for strict black-tie attire from grooms and guests alike. Rob and Ted matched in custom black tuxedos, white tuxedo shirts from Proper Cloth, and knotted cufflinks from Tiffany & Co. Their only point of divergence was the shoes. Rob opted for patent leather Louboutins, while Ted wore velvet slippers by Ralph Lauren. 

“As guests arrived for cocktail hour, they were greeted with a glass of Taittinger Champagne Brut Prestige Rosé,” Rob says. “We decided on a raw bar with oysters shucked to order and caviar—a must-have for us; passed canapes that included brown-butter lobster rolls and polenta crisps with local confit mushrooms; and a cheese, charcuterie, and crudité display.” A trio of signature drinks were an obvious homage to some of their favorite things, but “we also had more subtle details, like custom cocktail napkins made with an illustration of our pup, Oscar, and custom candles with our favorite scent spread around the space.”

Selecting Blind Tiger as their dinner party venue was one of the first choices the couple made. “We loved the style, vibe, and history of the old mansion. Plus, we were able to buy out the entire property, so it’d be just us and our guests staying there for the weekend.” It was the ideal setting for their intimate black-tie dinner. “Sexy and masculine, the room was transformed with red and yellow florals,” Rob describes. “Wood chargers, black flatware, and custom leather menus were at each place setting. We did not bring in specialty lighting; instead, we had candles flickering throughout the space. We used a lot of natural elements in the design—wood, leather, linen—to reflect our aesthetic and bring a more masculine feel to the weekend.”

“Our love of good food and wine was incorporated from the get-go, and manifested itself through the seven-course plated dinner curated for us by the chef at Big Tree Hospitality, with wines selected and paired thoughtfully with each course,” the couple says. The menu was East Coast-influenced and incorporated local, seasonal ingredients. Some highlights included New England clam chowder with local quahog and steam clams, tuna crudo, a palette cleanser of lemon-verbena sorbet, sunchoke and mushroom consommé, and grilled lamb. “To round out dinner was a wonderful raspberry and grilled olive oil cake, which we paired with espresso martinis.”

A string trio during cocktail hour gave way to a playlist of pop and classic songs curated by the grooms for dinner—a final personalized touch on their perfect night.

“We spent the week after the wedding in a secluded cabin on a private lake in the mountains of New Hampshire—just us and our pup, Oscar. Later, we went for a mix of adventuring and relaxation in southern Costa Rica,” the couple says.

Reflecting on their celebration, the grooms share, “We were able to really revel in the wedding process and have fun because we worked with planners who did all the heavy lifting. We were able to participate in the wedding like a guest and just take it in and enjoy instead of worrying about whatever was happening behind the scenes—which made it all so much more memorable and satisfying.”