Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

Maybe you grew up in Maine and later moved away. Perhaps your family summered here or has a cottage on the coast somewhere. A relative of yours might call the Pine Tree State home or perhaps you did while attending college here. Or maybe a loved one got married in Maine and now you can’t imagine having your wedding anywhere else.

Maine has for years attracted brides and grooms seeking a special place to get hitched. Last year alone, nearly 9,500 couples wedded in the state, roughly 10% of whom came “from away,” as Mainers like to say. Many had ties to the state where they tied the knot, while others sought out Maine for its renowned coastline or top-notch venues at affordable prices.

Among the more high-profile brides to choose Maine for their wedding site are Ali Larter of the NBC drama “Heroes,” who was married in quaint Kennebunkport, Kara DioGuardi, the “American Idol” judge who wed in the fishing village of Prospect Harbor, and, back in 2006, actress Glenn Close, who held her ceremony in the secluded Prouts Neck.

But Maine’s rocky coasts and scenic mountain vistas are far from exclusive. A relaxed garden ceremony officiated by a justice of the peace is just as accessible as an extravagant event on a seaside cliff. Flip flops or formal wear, flowing ringlets or French twist, anything goes.

And if you’re like many couples planning a Maine wedding, don’t worry about dressing for church. Fewer brides and grooms are goin’ to the chapel to tie the knot, opting instead to sink their feet in the sand at a beach or marry at one of the hundreds of inns throughout the state, making for a blessedly short post-reception trip to the hotel room.

While couples have been known to exchange “I dos” on a snowy ski slope or under autumnal trees bordering Moosehead Lake, most come to Maine during the summer. June through September are the state’s peak months for wedding ceremonies.

Deciding when to get married often proves far less challenging than determining where to get married, however.  Maine offers a variety of options, depending on the atmosphere you seek, your wedding budget and the distance you’re willing to travel.

Before attempting to Google your way through Maine’s more than 30,000 square miles, check back here as we’ll be featuring an overview of the state’s most popular wedding destinations by region, from south to north, over the next week.