Caitlin and Mustafa’s Wedding at the Hulls Cove Schoolhouse

How many couples get to marry each other twice in one day? Not many! But Caitlin and Mustafa did just that – once during an intimate Afghan ceremony with just their immediate families and once during an American ceremony at Suminsby Park in Mount Desert. Before we get to all that, however, let’s tell you a bit about these two…

Caitlin and Mustafa have been together for just over seven years. They love to cook and listen to music. They also enjoy the outdoors, and they spend lots of time with family and friends.

On a beautiful winter’s day last December, Mustafa invited Caitlin to go ice skating. This was surprising because Mustafa hates to ice skate – so Caitlin suspected something was afoot. Ice skating was followed by dinner at one of Caitlin’s favorite restaurants. After dinner, as they were saying their goodbyes for the night, Mustafa dropped on one knee in the snow and asked Caitlin to marry him. The moon was full and bright, making for such a romantic scene, and Caitlin immediately said yes!

When deciding where to get married, Caitlin and Mustafa had plenty of choices. They travel together a lot, and they’ve spent time in Seattle, Ottawa, and San Francisco, among many other places. But they really love visiting Maine and camping on Mount Desert Island. So, they ultimately decided Maine was the perfect place for their wedding.

They rented an old farm house in Bar Harbor, and it was there that they had the first of their two ceremonies – one that was inspired by Afghan tradition. As is customary in Afghanistan, Caitlin wore a green wedding dress. Mustafa’s father officiated the ceremony, which took place around the dinner table. The table, too, was decorated in green, and it was a wonderful, heartfelt moment.

Afterwards, Caitlin changed into her white wedding dress, and everyone went to Suminsby Park for the second ceremony. There, the rest of Caitlin and Mustafa’s guests had gathered and were waiting near the water’s edge. The sun was shining, and it was such a beautiful fall day – the perfect day for a wedding (or two). Caitlin and Mustafa exchanged vows and committed to each other for the second time, capping things off with a kiss.

From there, we took the happy couple to Eagle Lake for pictures. Eagle Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Acadia National Park, and it’s such a pretty spot. It has walking trails, carriage roads, bridges, and, of course, water views. Caitlin and Mustafa couldn’t stop laughing and smiling, which made for wonderful photographs.

We left Eagle Lake just as the sun was starting to set and made our way to the Hulls Cove Schoolhouse for an evening of food, cake, merriment, and dancing. It was quite the party, and that little schoolhouse was hopping all night. You might not guess it, but Mustafa has quite the dance moves, and Caitlin has a few moves of her own, too.

So! In case you’re wondering what it’s like to get married twice in one day, check out the pictures below. We had so much fun working with Caitlin and Mustafa, and we wish them much happiness now and in the future. It was a pleasure photographing their wedding day!