Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

Reader Sarah G. writes to us with a question we’re sure many couples are curious about: “We would like to serve our own homebrew at our wedding in Maine. How can we find out which, if any, venues would support this?”

Supplying homebrewed beer might seem like a great way to not only add a personal touch, but also simplify your bar menu and possibly save a few bucks. But as it turns out, there’s a whole host of legal issues involved in serving up those bottles of homemade ale.

We checked in with Maine’s liquor bureau, and discovered that vendors holding Maine liquor licenses are prohibited from handling home-brewed alcohol. So if you’re hiring a caterer or venue to serve your frosty beverages, you’re out of luck. An official with the bureau says he’s heard of caterers abruptly packing up and splitting from wedding receptions after couples break out the homebrews, fearful of being stripped of their licenses.

If you’re marrying at a private establishment, such as someone’s home or a rental hall, and you’re not hiring a licensed vendor, you can supply and serve your own alcohol, store-bought or home-brewed. But, you can’t charge for it, including asking for donations, and you’ll be assuming a fair amount of liability. (For a handy primer on Maine’s liquor laws, click here.)

Also consider gifting your home brews as favors or as tokens of thanks for your bridal party. Technically, the bottles shouldn’t share the premises with a licensed vendor, so it’s ideal to set up a table in a nearby room or hand them out as guests leave. Wedding receptions aren’t exactly high on the authorities’ list for raids, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

If all this legal talk has you discouraged, the easiest way to share your homebrews is probably to serve them at a private party the night before the ceremony or after the reception. That might not be what you had in mind, but then the only license you’ll have to worry about will be your marriage license.

We’re always excited to hear from followers of L&L, and this week brings us a question from reader Maria. She asks: “Are you considering a vendor section on your site? It could be a great resource.”

It just so happens we’ve been pondering that very idea, Maria. Rounding up all of the wonderful vendors we feature on L&L into one, easily searchable directory certainly has its appeal. If brides and grooms to-be could search for florists, caterers, photographers and other wedding professionals by category or geography, perhaps they could spend less time surfing the Web and more time making their dream day a reality. With contact information, our vendor highlights and more at their fingertips, couples could potentially connect with vendors with less hassle and more success.

Readers, what do you think? Would you like to see a vendor directory on L&L? And vendors out there, what’s your take on the idea? Please leave us comment below, or shoot us a note at hello@loveandlobster.com.

Our recent post about liquor laws prompted a question from reader Heather F., who’s trying to sort out what insurance coverage she needs on the big day.

Heather wants to know:

• What would reasonable wedding insurance cost and cover?
• Where can Maine brides look for comprehensive coverage?
• Should brides consider purchasing general wedding insurance? What kind of insurance do couples need to protect them if they plan to purchase and serve their own alcohol?

Here’s the 411:

• For general information about wedding insurance, including what it covers and how much it costs, give this previous post a read.
• Check with the company that handles your renter’s/homeowners insurance first. Even if they don’t offer “wedding insurance,” they may offer special event insurance, or your existing policy may already protect you (more on that in a minute). Heads up: Heather found that Travelers’ Wedding Protector Plan doesn’t cover liquor liability in Maine (state regulators haven’t approved that part of the plan). One alternative is WedSafe, one of the most popular wedding insurance providers, which is offered through Aon, a company with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. WedSafe does offer liquor liability coverage in Maine.
• Wedding insurance is most appropriate if you’re investing a fair amount of money in your event and if uncontrollable events, like bad weather, would really ruin your day. But don’t assume you need it, especially if you already carry personal insurance, warns Scott Simmonds, a Maine insurance consultant. If you’re mostly concerned about liability — damage or someone getting hurt — your existing homeowner’s or renter’s policy may provide all the coverage you need. “Your homeowner’s insurance doesn’t differentiate between a barbecue at your house and wedding at a rental hall,” Scott says. That includes liquor liability, but be very careful if you choose to purchase and sell liquor at your event, he says. In fact, the liability attached to selling alcohol yourself is so significant that Scott advises couples against it. Let licensed, insured vendors handle charging for the drinks, he says.
• A final tip from Scott: If your insurance agent says your existing policy won’t cover basic liability, and encourages you to buy additional insurance, ask the agent to cite where in your policy that coverage is explicitly denied. Sometimes misinformed or overly cautious agents steer consumers in the wrong, more expensive direction.

Happy 2011!!

With the start of the new year, Love and Lobster is happy to announce that we are expanding our reach beyond just Maine and New Hampshire’s seacoast to Boston and Cape Cod as well! But we need your help!

Brides, coordinators, caterers, photographers- anyone in the Massachusetts wedding world: we are looking for you to contribute bi-monthly content on your neighborhood’s unique venues, vendors, trends and even yummy eats! If you believe you have the inside insight as to why your area is an ideal locale for a coastal wedding, we would love to hear why.

Please contact us with samples of your writing and a few ideas that you would like to contribute to Love and Lobster. We will be making our selection within the next few weeks, so please don’t delay. Excited to hear from you!

Wondering where to send your wedding guests to experience the best lobster roll? Curious about the best time of day to schedule your outdoor wedding ceremony? Planning from afar and having a hard time deciding which officiant to choose?

Ask us!

Send your question in an email to hello@loveandlobster.com and let us do some digging around for you. Your question and first name will be included in your blog post response, fyi.