Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

If you and your sweetie are committed to buying local, selecting a wedding registry can spell the undoing of good intentions. As much as you’d like to furnish your post-nuptial nest with goods not made in China, smaller merchants tend to lack the online sophistication of Target’s Club Wedd.

But for those marrying in Maine, a surprising number of the state’s retailers and craftspeople can be found among the registry ranks. So whether you’re a native or an out-of-towner looking to boost the state’s economy, consider these options.

Even the husband and wife duo of Andrea and Joe Ford, owners of Cabin Pottery in the tiny town of Edgecomb near coastal Boothbay, offer a wedding registry. The pair crafts hand-painted, wheel-thrown stoneware pottery featuring various patterns, including a folksy moose design and a striking raven motif. And their story is just as inspiring as their art. The Fords grew up 10 miles apart from each other, “each of us not knowing that our life-long partner was in the neighboring town,” explains the bio on their website. Andrea, originally a painter, calls clay her second true love, “after Joe, of course.”

Another small-town favorite is Rooster Brother, an eclectic kitchen goods shop overlooking the Union River in Ellsworth. Housed in a stately Victorian building, the store is chock full of specialty cookware, tasty treats including blueberry jam and maple syrup, linens and some of the most amazing coffee you’ll ever taste. With Costa Rican and Colombian blends, organic beans and a bevy of grind options (whole bean, paper or mesh drip, French press and electric or stovetop espresso!), it’s a java junkie’s delight. Click here for the skinny on their wedding registry.

And why not curl up with a mug of gourmet coffee in stylish new sheets? Angela Adams, an inventive textile artist who skyrocketed onto the international design scene from her little shop in Portland’s East End, has earned a presence on national retailer’s websites. Check out Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond for her signature rugs, bedding and even funky shower curtains. And she’s just launched a new collection for Anthropologie, which includes a stunning honeycomb-patterned wool rug. Sweet.

Although it seems like a crime to cover up any part of Angela’s fantastic floor art, an exception could be made for the iconic Maine furniture maker Thos Moser.  Famous for graceful designs that elevate the natural beauty of their sustainably harvested Black cherry wood, Thos Moser artisans pledge that their chairs, bed frames, bookcases and cabinets will last as long as the trees they’re harvested from took to grow. Any of the furniture maker’s items — the Vita bed is a modernistic marvel — would add simple sophistication to your coupled home. After all, one of their Harpswell chairs was good enough for Pope Benedict to relax in during a visit to the White House. Find registry information here.

Stay tuned for more registry ideas in coming weeks, including a look at an intriguing site dubbed The Man Registry. Think remote-controlled coolers (the top seller) and a grilling accessory that sears the name of the groom’s favorite NCAA team into a hotdog. The men strike back.