A note from Debi & Sean
With our deepest gratitude, we would like to thank Clay Hill Farm and all of the amazing sponsors for their generosity in the Green Wedding Giveaway contest. We are absolutely thrilled to be adopted into the Clay Hill family, making our special day even more meaningful. The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and strangers kept us energized throughout the process.
We concentrated our energy into the contest from the beginning – starting with meeting Jennifer and Rachel from Clay Hill, to obsessing over the entry so that it was just perfect (and literally timing each slide to the millisecond), to the anticipation of becoming finalists, and then the four week frenzy of shameless self-promotion. What a surprise blessing the campaign was! Exhausting at times but always fun, it was wonderful to reach out to old friends and acquaintances. One friend that I haven’t seen in about 15 years was probably responsible for getting the entire state of Alabama to vote! It was so much fun to see our progress on Facebook, and we were touched by all of the wonderful messages everyone left. It was also great to see the progress on where our friends were coming from. Ultimately we tapped into countless states and about 20 different countries, so it really felt like we were getting a big global group of cheerleaders carrying us throughout the contest.
With our deepest gratitude, we would like to thank Clay Hill Farm and all of the amazing sponsors for their generosity in the Green Wedding Giveaway contest. We are absolutely thrilled to be adopted into the Clay Hill family, making our special day even more meaningful. The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and strangers kept us energized throughout the process.
We concentrated our energy into the contest from the beginning – starting with meeting Jennifer and Rachel from Clay Hill, to obsessing over the entry so that it was just perfect (and literally timing each slide to the millisecond), to the anticipation of becoming finalists, and then the four week frenzy of shameless self-promotion. What a surprise blessing the campaign was! Exhausting at times but always fun, it was wonderful to reach out to old friends and acquaintances. One friend that I haven’t seen in about 15 years was probably responsible for getting the entire state of Alabama to vote! It was so much fun to see our progress on Facebook, and we were touched by all of the wonderful messages everyone left. It was also great to see the progress on where our friends were coming from. Ultimately we tapped into countless states and about 20 different countries, so it really felt like we were getting a big global group of cheerleaders carrying us throughout the contest.
2010 Green Wedding is a Beautiful Event with Meaning!
Under picture-perfect overcast skies, the winners of Clay Hill Farm's second annual Green Wedding Giveaway were ready to exchange marriage vows at the gazebo in the gardens surrounded by natural beauty and 100 family and friends. Just after the final note was sung in a moving rendition of Ava Maria, the heavens opened-up. The unpredictable Maine weather punctuated the emotion of the moment with a celebratory downpour.
The bride and groom, along with their bridal party, headed into the gazebo while the guests hurried for the shelter of deck umbrellas, the staff’s umbrellas and the solace of the restaurant. "That was awesome", said groom Sean Patch as he entered the restaurant in soaking wet flip-flops. Bride-to-be, Debi Pian, was also laughing as the vow exchange reconvened inside.
The weather drama certainly didn't dampen the festivities. The sun came out minutes later as guests wined, dined and danced the afternoon away.
The couple won Clay Hill Farm's second annual Green Wedding Giveaway; a contest which encourages couples to explore the parallel between a commitment to each other and a commitment to the earth. “Celebrating real people making a real difference is the core of Clay Hill Farm's environmental outreach,” said Jennifer Lewis-McShera, founder of the Green Wedding Giveaway contest. Clay Hill Farm and the contest sponsors give away a complete summer wedding weekend in Maine every year to help raise awareness of green connectedness.
Debi & Sean submitted a video that chronicles their relationship to each other and their relationship with the environment. Their winning video and blog entries can be viewed on the web at www.greenweddinggiveaway.com. The couple will be embarking on a 9-night dual-island Caribbean honeymoon generously donated by Curtain Bluff Resort in Antigua and Ladera Resort in St. Lucia. The honeymoons were arranged and coordinated by Debbie Archambault of Travel Experts of York.
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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