A Note from Amy & Douglas:
The Green Wedding Giveaway was truly a dream come true for us. Participating in the contest was a unique and inspiring experience that we'll treasure forever. We had an incredible, environmentally responsible wedding that we could not have pulled together without the help of Clay Hill Farm and all the amazing sponsors. We can never thank them enough for their generosity and support in making our wedding day so special. Our friends and family had a wonderful time; great food, great service, and lots of dancing! It was also really fun to get to know the other winners and keep in touch as we progressed in wedding planning - they are great couples who we share a special bond with now, and we hope to stay in touch as the years go on.
The GWG is more than just another wedding contest, it celebrates the beauty of your love for each other and your passion for the planet. One of the unexpected results of participating in the contest has been our renewed environmental spirit. It reminded us of the belief we held years ago when we started our green careers - you can make a difference by promoting positive change, every day. That's what the GWG does; it shows us all how we can easily make green choices without sacrificing the grandeur and traditions we feel are important on that very special day. We feel very fortunate to be part of the GWG as well as the Clay Hill Farm wedding family.
Stacks Image 375
Wedding Photos: Deb Cram Photography

Green Wedding Giveaway Winners Bring Worlds Together!
Under sunny skies on a picture perfect Maine summer day, surrounded by friends and family representing three continents, Amy Watson of Wiscasset, Maine and Douglas Figueredo of Rio de Jeinero, Brazil, exchanged vows at Clay Hill Farm on Sunday, July 10th.
Stacks Image 384
Stacks Image 386
Stacks Image 388
Doug & Amy's Wedding Blog
Follow the whole wedding story and beyond at this fantastic BLOG site: Click here
Stacks Image 393
Stacks Image 395
Stacks Image 397
Stacks Image 399
Stacks Image 401
The Grand Prize winners of Clay Hill Farm’s third annual Green Wedding Giveaway, Amy and Douglas attracted votes from 63 countries in their five-week contest campaign this past spring, to spread the contest message of green connectedness and encourage environmental awareness.Two cultures came together for the wedding at Clay Hill Farm, to celebrate a great love and the beauty of nature. While Amy read her vows from a Blackberry having forgotten her notes, Douglas’s long time friend translated in Portuguese. The green irony of saving paper by reading vows from a phone raised a chuckle from both sides of the gazebo aisle.Part of the messaging of the Green Wedding Giveaway is that couples do not have to sacrifice a single dream to make a difference in the world. “I feel like I’m dreaming”, said Figueredo re-capping the day on camera just before leaving the Reception. “Thank you to all who made this possible for us. Muito Obrigado a todos que tornou possível que nos.”

Clay Hill Farm’s annual Green Wedding Giveaway contest encourages couples to explore the parallel between a commitment to each other and a commitment to the Earth. Amy and Douglas’s video entry highlighted how their commitment to each other, and to a higher purpose, the environment, allowed them to overcome the challenge of living on separate continents. They waved each other’s native flags outside on their wedding day as a symbol of two cultures uniting in love, surrounded by the sights and sounds of natural beauty. Commenting on the Green Wedding Giveaway contest’s trademark slogan, We are all green in some way, so pick your shade and shout it to the world, the Grand Prize couple answered simply in unison, "We did."

*****************
Clay Hill Farm is an award-winning restaurant and wedding venue on 11 private acres in Cape Neddick, Maine. The first restaurant in the country to be a certified wildlife habitat and bird sanctuary, Clay Hill Farm is also one of the first businesses in Southern Maine to earn the Environmental Leader certification. Passionate about seasonality, local food and Maine-made ingredients, Clay Hill Farm embraces green living by also celebrating real people making a difference and encouraging social outreach in all shades of green.
www.clayhillfarm.com, (207)-361-2272

The Honeymoon
Amy & Douglas spent their honeymoon at the amazing Grand Velas Resort in Mexico, arranged by Debbie Archambault of Travel Experts of York.
IMG_6216
In a note to Debbie, Amy writes,
"Grand Velas was amazing! My only wish is that we could have stayed longer! It was so relaxing after our few days touring around the Yucatan. The resort is immaculate, the food was incredible, and service was unbeatable. We felt like royalty :-) It was especially nice that we were staying in the adult-only portion of the resort, so that the pool and beach were a serene escape for us; we want kids some day, but not right now, and appreciated having a quiet vacation. Since it's the off season, not all the restaurants were open every night, but we had a nice variety and really enjoyed Lucca (Italian) and Frida (Mexican). At Lucca, Douglas had the most amazing lasagna and at Frida I had an appetizer of mussels that was out of this world. The infinity pool was so comfortable that we were in it for hours, hopping between the open water in the sun, submerged benches, or relaxing at the swim up bar in the shade. The beach was nice (soft sand, and they sculpt the shape regularly), though the bottom was pretty rocky in places so we didn't go in the water much. Overall, it was just incredible, and we hope to save our money for future luxurious vacations such as this. I never would have considered spending so much on a hotel room in the past, but after this experience, I can understand why people splurge on it. It's not necessary, of course (most luxuries aren't!), but boy what a difference it makes... we were really able to relax after an incredibly stressful and exciting year. Thank you so much for donating this wonderful prize!"