Marry Me in Maine: Adam Leech, of Congdon's Donuts, wants to officiate your wedding

WELLS, Maine — Chances are, you may recognize Adam Leech from his family affiliation with Congdon’s Donuts and all those food trucks the family business hosts on Post Road during the summertime. Or maybe you recognize his name as the byline on the articles he wrote during a 10-year stint as a reporter and columnist for local newspapers.

There are some folks out there, however, who know Leech as the one who officiated their wedding. There are going to be more such couples, now that Leech officially has his own business, Marry Me in Maine, and will be leading loved ones through their vows in Vacationland.

Marry Me in Maine is new — Leech got it up and running earlier this month — but he has been officiating the weddings of family and friends since 2017.

Recently, Leech took a break from helping couples tie the knot and answered these questions the Coast Star asked him about Marry Me in Maine.

What inspired you to get into the wedding business?

I started officiating for family and friends five years ago, and I just fell in love with it. I love to tell stories, and there's no greater feeling than helping couples tell their story on the most important day of their lives, in front of the most important people in their lives.

What did you have to do to acquire the credentials for your new business?

One of the great parts about living in Maine is there are very few barriers when it comes to officiating a wedding. There's beauty in the simplicity.  It allows all couples to get married the way they want by who they want — truly, the way life should be.

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What sets Marry Me in Maine apart from all the other wedding-officiating businesses?

There are a lot of great officiants out there who do an incredible job. My career has focused around writing, telling stories — whether that was reporting news, writing columns about my kids, or managing social media. It's all about communicating. The customized ceremonies I create with couples are the product of a process designed to understand who they are as a couple and as individuals — and ensure that their personal story is reflected in the ceremony, from start to finish.

What has surprised you the most about this new business venture of yours?

After I got through my first few ceremonies, I was actually surprised how much I liked it. A lot of people who specialize in written communication don't necessarily love public speaking. But I love helping couples tell their story and playing a central role in making their day everything they dreamed it to be.

Would you like to share the wedding story about you and your wife?

My wife Barbara and I were married on the weekend of the Mother's Day floods in 2006. It was supposed to be a gorgeous outdoor wedding alongside the Kennebunk River, behind the beautiful Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport. Obviously, that didn't quite go as planned, but it was still an amazing wedding that was uniquely us. The reason for that is we had the right people helping us. Tim Ames at the Nonantum made sure it was as special as we planned it to be, even with a monsoon outside. He and the Nonantum will always hold a special place in our hearts because of that.

Tim, by the way, also put me in touch with two longtime wedding officiants, Julie Draper and Maria Northcott, who were both very generous with their time answering questions and sharing their wisdom as I started putting Marry Me in Maine together.

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Who are your ideal clients for Marry Me in Maine?

Any couple who wants a ceremony that is customized to fit their need. With every wedding, so much attention is dedicated to the celebration afterward, but the ceremony sets the tone for the whole day. That's our opportunity to tell their story the way they want it told.

What is the quirkiest aspect of officiating weddings?

Some of the most memorable weddings I've been to are a little quirky!  The definition of "quirky" is unique or special in an appealing or interesting way, which is also everything you want in a modern wedding. Weddings don't have to fit a set script the way they once did, and I love being part of that.

What is the most moving or endearing aspect?

Marriages are filled with our most cherished memories as well as our greatest challenges — celebrating new lives and mourning lost ones, achieving career goals or changing paths, incredible adventures and terrible tragedies. The wedding is the moment when two individuals know they won't have to go through any of it alone. There is undeniable beauty in the formalization of that bond.

Will there be any crossover between Congdon’s and Marry Me in Maine? Will donuts have a role to play somewhere?

Ha ha, I haven't thought that through just yet, but perhaps! My wedding cake was actually a tiered stack of honey-dip doughnuts. And actually, my wife is a travel agent as well, so maybe I can offer a ceremony/reception dessert/honeymoon package down the road. Who knows?

For more information about Marry Me in Maine, send an email to adamwleech@gmail.com or visit marrymeinme.com. Marry Me in Maine also has a Facebook page and can be found on Instagram at @marrymeinme.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine weddings: Adam Leech ready to officiate, personalize your day