Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

Planning to tie the knot on one of the many islands sprinkled along Maine’s coast? There are a few things you should know. We checked in with Caitlin Prentice, who handles events at two island venues in Casco Bay, Chebeague Island Inn and Diamond’s Edge Restaurant & Marina, for the 411 on weddings off the mainland.

CP: Best opportunities:

• Beautiful water views that serve as fantastic backdrops and photo opportunities
• Natural settings play a big part in ceremonies – from trees to flowers to birds
• Sunsets
• The ability to step outside the box and create an experience that would not have otherwise been possible if you were restricted to the boundaries of an indoor building

Challenges:

• Weather – given we’re in Maine, you always need a back-up. Rainy/dreary days still make beautiful weddings if you’re prepared and realistic upfront.
• As for transporting guests, if you’re working with someone experienced, that’s not necessarily a challenge. However, if the couple wants an island wedding, they need to be flexible regarding the time of their wedding, should they choose the public ferry (as it runs on a schedule).
• Depending on the venue and island, food may or may not be a problem. If you choose a venue with a restaurant on-site, you don’t need to worry as the venue will most likely handle the food and has a system in place. If you’re at a venue without a restaurant on-site but there’s one elsewhere on the island, I’d contact them first. The transporting cost will probably be less than coming from the mainland and they are already familiar with the island. If you’re on an island where a mainland caterer is a must, ask for recommendations of caterers familiar to island weddings and they will take care of the transportation issues from their end.
• The majority of the islands in the Casco Bay region have a restriction on amplified noise (DJs, bands, etc.) that starts at 8pm. This is in large part due to the fact that sound carries on the water and there are private residents nearby. Sometimes it’s a deterrent for the couple, and sometimes the couple understands and are willing to sacrifice an “all night party” for picturesque views and settings. There may be an indoor alternative for “the late night party.”

L&L:  What do couples most often overlook when planning an island wedding? Do island events require more lead time?

CP: Couples most often initially overlook the cost of barging (aka transporting via ferry for large items) wedding supplies to the island/venue when developing their budget. Depending on the venue, there may be more or less items to barge over (some venues may have a tent, tables, chairs, etc., while others may not). Another oversight tends to be bathrooms, believe it or not. Some island wedding venues may have bathrooms for use, but others may not, in which case porta pottys need to be rented, which are also a bit of an expense.

Island events don’t require any more lead time than mainland events. Just like on the mainland, it depends on the venue the couple selects and what the venue provides v. what the couple is responsible for. An island wedding can be planned in 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years. It all depends on the availability of the venue and the vendors.

L&L: Can you offer any advice for couples about finding vendors experienced with island weddings?

CP:  Ask the event coordinator at the venue – I’m sure he/she knows best. There’s a good chance he/she has a list (written or to memory) of people he/she has worked with in the past and whose product he/she trusts – I know I do. Aside from that, I’d ask the vendor if they have ever worked a wedding on an island and, regardless of their answer, would definitely connect the vendor with the venue person if the couple is not using a wedding planner.

L&L: What transportation options are available?

CP: There are several transportation options for island weddings – the most common being the public ferry, which, depending on where the wedding is, would be Casco Bay Lines. For the wedding party, if they want to arrive separately, I’d advise taking a water taxi. It’s the fastest, most direct way to get to an island. Depending on budget and the size of the wedding, there are a number of companies that can charter a boat. Sometimes, if people are local, private boats are an option for a few guests, but definitely not for transporting the masses. If guests are staying on the mainland and are not in walking distance of the Portland piers, I’d recommend securing a bus or trolley. It’s fun and relatively reasonable in price.

L&L: Please share with us a memorable wedding or two your venues have hosted. What great food, decor or other ideas have you seen that reflect the island locale?

CP: A groom’s family from Tennessee, who had never encountered a whole lobster before, had the unique experience of having Chebeague’s oldest lobsterman, Dick Dyer, demonstrate how to eat a lobster tableside. Being the charmer he is, Dick continued around the table assisting anyone who needed help. All the while, his thick accent and funny anecdotes could be heard through the space — a memorable experience for all in his presence.

A couple from San Francisco wanted to take full advantage of Chebeague Island Inn’s Casco Bay location. For their rehearsal dinner, 80 people boarded a private charter to enjoy a cocktail cruise and a spectacular sunset. They cruised a short distance to a field on the Coast of Freeport, unloaded at a private pier and enjoyed a lobster bake under a blanket of Christmas lights overlooking the ocean. On their invitations, a beautiful map of Casco Bay was laid out with their ferry routes and images of lobsters and other ocean critters as demarcations of each location’s event.

L&L: How many weddings do each of your venues host each year?

CP: At the Chebeague Island Inn, we accept a limited number of weddings each summer (last two weekends in May, first two in June, last two in September, first two in October; in addition to one in July and one in August on a first-come, first-serve basis); typically we have around six weddings each season. Chebeague Island Inn is perched on a hilltop overlooking Casco Bay to the west and provides a destination wedding with the simple elegance of a coastal Maine experience and can accommodate up to 250 guests under a tent overlooking the bay. Weddings at the Inn are completely customized, down to the creation of the dinner menu – created by the bride, groom and chef. When you have your wedding at the Inn, you have full use of the entire property for the full weekend. The restaurant remains open to the public, but only wedding guests occupy the rooms. Lawn games are a popular activity, as are fresh lemonade and iced tea stands.

As this is our first season operating Diamond’s Edge, I can’t speak for previous years and trends, but as of now, we have five weddings booked, with new inquiries coming in daily, and we have the capability to host 20 weddings each summer. Diamond’s Edge offers two distinct wedding venues – an art gallery and a tent site. The art gallery, once a wagon shed, has been restored and reinvented and now showcases rotating Maine artwork. It’s a rustic yet elegant, intimate venue for parties of up to 65 people. The tent site is adjacent to a freshwater pond and is separated from the ocean by only a few steps. It has a sweeping lawn, perfect for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a picturesque white gazebo surrounded by flowers and a 46×105 foot Sperry tent that can accommodate 218 guests. It’s one of the few locations in the Maine capable of hosting events of up to 500 people. Our average wedding size for this coming summer is 100 guests. Many of the dinners are lobster bakes.

Fun Fact: Diamond’s Edge served as a military base to defend Casco Bay at the time of the Spanish-American War and was known as Fort McKinley. The buildings were constructed between 1891 and 1907 and remained in active use until the end of WWII in 1945. Today, the original buildings remain in place – the former Quartermaster’s storehouse is now the restaurant and the wagon shed is now the art gallery – and are all listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Erin Gardner of Wild Orchid Baking Company in North Hampton, New Hampshire has been impressing brides, grooms and wedding vendors with her sweet (no pun intended) personality and yummy goodies from her retail shop and at the main event. We’re fortunate to have snagged a few minutes of this gal’s busy time to treat you to an inside peek of what makes Wild Orchid stand out when there are so many options to choose from to delight your sweet tooth. Thanks, Erin!

L&L: Tell us a little about you and the history of Wild Orchid Baking Company.

ORCHID: I didn’t really take a traditional route into cooking. I have a degree in Business/Marketing and at first saw myself going into advertising as a career. In college I interned at Tiffany & Co. in NYC and then afterwards worked as an account manager at a business journal in Hartford, but really didn’t find that kind of work creatively satisfying at all. Not really knowing what I was doing, I went to a restaurant in downtown Hartford and told the Chef that I might want to be a pastry chef. He hired me to plate desserts at night, and the rest is history! I worked my way up the ladder in restaurants all over New England. My most recent restaurant positions were as Pastry Chef at Locke Ober in Boston, and at The Bedford Village Inn in NH. I started doing cakes on the side and eventually was being referred by chefs and friends to do cakes for various events. It was always my dream to go out on my own, so in the Spring of 2009 I opened the shop in North Hampton.

L&L: Describe range of cake products you offer.

ORCHID: We’re a custom bake shop, so truly the range of cake products is limitless. We can accommodate an enormous 350 person wedding, or a simple birthday gathering for 4 people. I have a flavor list that I work from for most cakes, but that can be customized as well. Once I worked with a bride who wanted her cake to taste like her grandmother’s blueberry peach streusel bars. Another couple wanted the cake to taste like a tropical cocktail they had enjoyed while on vacation. Besides custom cakes, we also do cupcakes, cookies and other tasty treats.

One fun thing about our wedding cakes is that we offer a complimentary top tier for the couple. What’s great is that they can choose to have that cake as part of their wedding cake’s design, take it home and freeze it or eat it. Or they can have that cake baked fresh for them on their first anniversary. Lots of couples love this option because eating a fresh cake is so much for fun than eating anything that’s been a freezer for a year!

L&L: What is your favorite cake and frosting flavor combination?

ORCHID: This is such a hard question to answer! So many flavors are so great at different times of the year and for different reasons. In the summer I absolutely love a lemon cake with fresh wild Maine blueberries, lemon curd & lemon butter cream. For something decadent I love devil’s food cake with salted caramel butter cream, and in the fall nothing beats pumpkin spice cake with cinnamon butter cream.

L&L: Where should a couple start if they want to place an order for a wedding cake or cupcakes? Can you explain the design process?

ORCHID: Couples should plan on contacting their cake designer a year to 6 months out from their date. This also depends on the wedding’s time of year. If you’re getting married end of summer/fall, then get in touch as soon as possible. Winter and spring tend to be a bit more flexible. Once I get the basic info from a couple, the tasting is where the fun begins! I’ll usually present 5 to 7 small cakes with butter creams & fillings they can mix and match to their liking. While the couple is tasting I’ll start gathering information about the wedding like colors, flowers, themes, design styles – in order to start putting together an idea for a cake. Sometimes couples will come in with pictures of cakes they’ve seen online or in magazines. That can be a great starting point, but I always prefer to tweak the design so that it is as specific to the couple’s special day as possible. At most tastings I will send the couple home with a full quote, a sketch of my idea for their cake & a box of whatever is left from their cake tasting If more research needs to be done I will send the quote & sketch along as soon as possible. That first sketch is really a starting off point. Once a couple has secured their date with a deposit, we can develop the design together as more details of the wedding unfold.

L&L: Tell us about the most challenging cake you have ever baked.

ORCHID: The most challenging cake I’ve ever baked was a 7 tier cake, loaded with sugar flowers, that stood over 4 1/2 feet tall once it was finished. It was huge! So much detailed planning went into the creation of the cake. It was as much an engineering endeavor, as an artistic one. Because the cake was so big it had to be transported in pieces and assembled on-site. The cake called for over 600 flowers – peonies, roses, ranunculus, orchids & sweet peas – all hand sculpted, petal by petal. Moving all of that cake, and all of those delicate flowers, took a great deal of patience and nerve. It was one of the longest days of my cake career, but also one of the best!

L&L: What is fondant and how popular a frosting choice is it?

ORCHID: Fondant is a rolled frosting made up of sugar, water and bit of gelatin for elasticity. It’s very similar to home-made marshmallow. Fondant has become very popular lately because of how it can be manipulated in so many different ways. It has also gotten a bad rap. As I tell the couples that I meet with, not all fondant is created equal! There is a lot of bad fondant out there, and I would never serve anyone anything to eat that I didn’t think was delicious myself. Many couples like the look of fondant finished wedding cakes, but are hesitant because of what they’ve heard or experiences they’ve had at other weddings. I will always offer the couple a sample of my fondant, rolled to the same thickness as the fondant that will be applied to their cake. I always finish my cakes in a layer of butter cream first, before applying a very thin layer of fondant. It really does give you the best of both worlds.

L&L: Do you make gluten-free cakes? Are these becoming more popular?

ORCHID: Yes, we do gluten free cakes & cupcakes. They are a bit more expensive, purely because of the cost of ingredients involved. As more people are learning they are allergic to wheat & gluten, we have seen an increase in requests for gluten free cakes. Many of our flavors can be done gluten free, but there are some limitations. Sometimes couples will do the top tier gluten-free, for the cake cutting, but then have the rest of the cake done traditionally for their guests.

L&L: How far in advance do you recommend a couple places an order?

ORCHID: My initial response is always, as soon as possible! I have a small bake shop where we do detailed, custom work, so there is a limit to the number of cakes that I can take on any given date. A year to 8 months in advance will give you a comfortable amount of time to book your cake.

L&L: Do you deliver wedding cakes to the venue?

ORCHID: Yes, we deliver your wedding cake to your venue. Delivery is complimentary in the Portsmouth area. Beyond that area, the delivery charge is based on mileage. Set up fees may apply for cupcake displays. You can choose to pick up your wedding cake, but we really don’t recommend that and transportation would be at your own risk.

L&L: What “must-see” places and eateries do you suggest folks from out of town check out while visiting Maine/ coastal New Hampshire?

ORCHID: So many great places in Maine! I love Foster’s Clambake in York. Beach Pea Baking Co. in Kittery is a fantastic place for breads & sandwiches. In Portland you can’t go wrong with a croissant from Standard Baking. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Black Trumpet & Cava in Portsmouth are two of my all time favorite restaurants. Friendly Toast is a must see for the wacky decor, and they make a mean grilled cheese.

L&L: Thank you for giving us an inside peek into Wild Orchid Baking Company. If readers want to get in touch with you to inquire about your availability, what is the best way for them to reach you?

ORCHID: The best way to reach me is email, erin@wildorchidbaking.com or phone (603)964-2253. You can also contact me directly through the website, www.wildorchidbaking.com. I’m always updating our Facebook page, Twitter & most recently Tumblr. Those sites are where I’ll post pics of recent work or fun things I come across along the way.

Clockwise from top left: Amy Neunsinger, Amanda Wilcher, Ivy & Aster, White On Rice Couple, Belathee Photography, Rebecca Wood, BHLDN Shoes, Whisk Kid, Jose Villa

It’s no secret that we’re head over heels for French’s Point, a spectacular wedding venue nestled on Maine’s coast with unbeatable water views and first-rate amenities. We can’t keep their new engagement weekend sweepstakes a secret either – it’s too sweet a deal.

Four lucky couples will win an October night’s stay at French’s Point’s Beach Rose Farm, an elegant rental estate with stunning views of Penobscot Bay. Cuddling up in front of one of the farm’s six fireplaces, playing a game of pool, exploring the nearby blueberry fields. Doesn’t sound bad, does it?

Then the next day, the brides and grooms to-be will pose for the camera with a free engagement shoot on the property. They’ll work with top Maine wedding photography studio emilie inc. to capture those post-proposal memories at scenic spots throughout the point.

What better way to celebrate your impending nuptials than a luxurious night on the Midcoast followed by a day of professional portraits?

The contest ends October 17, so fire up Facebook and submit your entry.

How long do guests have to give a gift? Is it kosher to ask for money? What if it’s not the couple’s first trip down the aisle? Here are some answers to gift-giving FAQs:

Do guests have up to a year to send a gift?

Technically, the rule of thumb is yes, but six months is generally more accepted. In other words, send the toaster or monogrammed towels before the newlyweds have finished mailing out their thank you cards.

How much should be spent on a wedding gift?

First remember that wedding gifts are customary, but not mandatory. The gift-giver’s budget determines the price, but a rough guideline is $50 to $250, depending on the giver’s relationship to the couple (the lavishness of the event should play no role). For destination weddings where guests are footing the bill for travel expenses, it’s acceptable to cut back on the gift amount.

Should invitees who can’t make the wedding still send a gift?

Yes, the gift is meant to commemorate the couple’s happy occasion, regardless of whether the invitee attends the festivities.

Are cash gifts acceptable?

Yes, and they’re often welcomed. Rather than handing an envelope to the bride or groom, look for the best man or someone else whom the couple has designated to collect gifts of money.

Can I bring the gift to the wedding?

Avoid it, especially if you’re toting something unwieldy, like a 7 lb. Kitchenaid mixer or expansive wall hanging. Rather than force couples to collect and haul gifts home, ship your item to them directly a few weeks before the wedding.

Do the same rules of etiquette apply for second (or third or fourth) marriages?

Gifts for first-time brides are standard, even if her husband-to-be has been hitched before. They’re customary, but not required, for second and subsequent marriages.