Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

Ok. Seriously? Wow. We’re all swooning over the stunning items available for rent from New England Country Rentals, a Massachusetts based gem that will service throughout New England as their name reflects. We’re so, so happy and can’t wait to start seeing more of their gorgeous pieces at upcoming weddings. Read on to hear more from Kelly and don’t miss the generous incentive to check them out at the end of the post!

L&L: Tell us a little about you and the history of New England Country Rentals.

NECR: New England Country Rentals came about when my then fiancé and I were planning our own wedding. We were in an endless search for real wooden farm tables and much to our surprise, discovered that there were no true wooden farm tables available for rent in New England. In order to create the look that we were going for, we decided to build the 22 farm tables ourselves.

Once production started we had a feeling that others were out there looking for the same style of tables so we put up a website FarmTables4Rent.com and quickly found out there was quite the demand! Within one year of launching, we expanded to New England Country Rentals and became a full service event rental company.

L&L: Describe the range of unique products you offer, and your inspiration behind them.

NECR: In addition to the basic rental items, NECR specializes the very best in rental products spanning from handcrafted furniture to high-end tableware. Each of our products have been carefully chosen to product our clients with a wide variety of options.

Our new 2012 furniture collection will include everything from wooden lounge furniture to Venetian market cards. We not only are unveiling multiple new products, but also are expanding our table inventory to include styles such as glass, concrete, wrought iron, stainless steel and driftwood.

NECR will also be expanding our tabletop and accessories collection to include hand painted Italian china, unique drinkware and brilliantly designed accessories.

L&L: Do you ever create custom products for clients? If so, what is the oddest request you have ever received?

NECR: We absolutely do create custom product for clients – we mostly build tables and accent pieces. Our oddest request… probably a request for rentals for a wedding in Australia. The bride understood that we were based on Boston but was very excited for our products!

L&L: What types of events do you primarily rent to? Describe your ideal event setting.

NECR: Most often we rent to weddings but we also provide for corporate and private events. The ideal event setting would be a wedding where the couple was looking to add some of their own personal touches to an existing venue – a private home, a tented venue, a farm, a barn, etc.

L&L: How far in advance should couples contact you for their wedding rentals?

NECR: Couples should absolutely inquire as soon as they are interested as we often book out in the spring, summer and fall months due to increased demand. We recommend that a client reserve the rental items about 3-4 months in advance of their date, but they can absolutely make adjustments as the date nears.

L&L: Where are you based out of, and how far are you willing to travel?

NECR: We are based south of Boston but cover all of New England, New York and beyond. We have shipped products as far as Florida and Wisconsin.

L&L:  What is included in your rental and delivery fees? Do you provide assistance unloading and setting up the rentals?

NECR: Our rental fee is very straightforward without any hidden fees, all prices are visible on our website. Our delivery is based on the distance from Boston. Our deliveries are “white glove service” meaning that our staff not only delivers & picks-up, but will take care of all onsite assembly and breakdown. If there is a floor plan available then they will place it in the floor plan, otherwise they will place the items in a predesignated location.

L&L: What is your favorite part of your job?

NECR: It is a tie between receiving inquiries from new clients that are thrilled by our products and appreciate what NECR can offer, and the first time a client visits our showroom. The moment that they turn the corner to see our products and you can see the excitement on their face, hear the cheer in their voice, followed by a “see! I told you I would find [this] somewhere!”

Being that we are not a traditional rental company, we often have clients that are very excited about our offerings and the different products that we can provide that they cannot find elsewhere. Since many of our products are custom built in house, they truly are one of a kind and make an event even more unique and special.

L&L: When you are not working, what do you most enjoy doing?

NECR: Spending time on the water. My husband and I live right on the ocean south of Boston and would spend every waking moment by the water or out on our boat if we could.

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

NECR: MA coastal towns – Falmouth, Woods Hole, Duxbury, Scituate, Marblehead. Many coastal towns in Massachusetts have fabulous scenery, beaches and local vendors. The character of the pleasant villages is unique for each town.

L&L: Thank you for giving us an inside peek into New England Country Rentals. If readers want to get in touch with you, what is the best way for them to reach you?

NewEnglandCountryRentals.com

781-990-6000

info@NewEnglandCountryRentals.com

facebook.com/NewEnglandCountryRentals

twitter.com/NECRentals

We would be happy to extend 10% off rental items when you mention that you saw us on Love & Lobster!

We have been following Brooklyn graphic designer and handmade talent Jen Pepper as she settles into life in Maine and plans her coastal New England wedding.

It’s so easy to get caught up in all the little details, sometimes I find myself losing track of the big picture. A wedding isn’t about Pantone colors, finger foods or boutineers- even though they do look pretty in photos. A wedding is about one thing, and one thing only. LOVE. At the end of the day Matt and I will be married, joined together for the rest of our lives, bound by our love, affection and keen senses of humor, and we knew we wanted an officiant that embraced us as a couple.

Since we don’t attend church here in Maine the obvious choice in officiants was not even an option for us. We then toyed with the idea of inviting a very dear friend from New York to act as our officiant on our wedding day, and have a quick city hall wedding the day before just to make it official. I also did a little online searching for notary’s in the area but no one really stood out to me. For a few months i just put this very important piece of the puzzle on hold. I figured we would figure something out eventually.

I think it was right after Christmas, and an afternoon of watching Four Weddings with a box of tissues, that I decided we needed to find an officiant that we vibe with. I did a little bit of searching on Google, and then suddenly I stumbled upon A Sweet Start. Right in the first paragraph, I knew Maria was our officiant… “the fact that you’re looking for a notary public as an officiant probably means you want a wedding that’s a little different, a little creative, and a lot YOU.” Those words just made my heart melt, and I knew if she wasn’t available she was going to break my heart.

I sent her a quick email inquiring about our wedding date, and I swear I checked my inbox like a teenager waiting to hear back from the cute guy in Home-ec. Then it came, the sweetest little email that said indeed Maria was available for our wedding! I think I exploded in joy, this was more exciting than booking our venue, our florist and buying the dress combined. We had an officiant, we had someone who could make our dream a reality. Maria and I have been emailing ceremony ideas back and forth for  about a month now. She has so many great ideas to really make our day special, unique and so very us. Heck, she even sent over some sea shanties that she thought would be cute since we are saying “I DO” on a boat.

Now instead of file folders filled with photos of flowers and table settings, I have a running Document of ceremony inspiration. I can’t wait to sit down with my husband to be and help craft the words of love that will ultimately bind us together, and I am so excited that Maria is on-board to help us.

Previous posts in this series:

I’m engaged. Now what?

Decisions, decisions

How to find a wedding venue without leaving the couch

Finding a wedding venue that won’t break the bank

The wedding guest list

Let’s get organized

Wedding weight loss

Finding what’s right for you

Setting the table

Invitation dilemma

The dress(es)

9.24.11 Dahlia and Winthrop

Woodway Beach Club ~ Stamford Connecticut

Maybe like many couples today (or not) the second Winthrop proposed we were not calling venues and booking bands. We knew we wanted a feeling of inclusivity, but the where and how were big questions since we live in Los Angeles and families were back on the East Coast. Ultimately, we decided on the “right” coast and so we began looking at venues. With each visit and vendor meeting we became a bit more educated and so our vision started coming to life. We love and find calmness in being on the ocean, and so we picked a venue that was charming, but not presumptuous, right on Long Island Sound and had a great beach for everyone to sink into at some point in the night. We were going to bring a bit of the West Coast to the East!

The club has an amazing striped awning with white Christmas lights – probably the last thing I needed to know it was THE place – and so our nautical chic red, white, and blue wedding without being the Fourth if July started coming together.

The ceremony set-up was traditional, but we added lanterns and rose petals to soften the scene and placed ribbon in the tree to enhance the breezy feeling of the chiffon chuppah which mirrored my dress. My dad and I drove up in his light blue Mercedes just to give the ceremony a bit of an entrance since there was no to place to hide-out. Ceremony flowers would advance from blues and whites to beachy cocktail arrangements to deep red and purple reception flowers. As my (the bride) name is Dahlia, we had more than just accent dahlias, we placed one in each menu fold with the hope that they would end up all over for people in pictures. They did! Inside, the club’s blue and white striped awning would be accented by similar tables linens just for the cake, guestbook, and place card table.The last puzzle pieces included hanging sails from the club’s ceiling in order to make the space a bit more cozy and personalized.

And so the scene was set, but now we had to have some fun and make sure all these great people got to meet other great people. At cocktails we decided to have seafood themed hors d’oeuvres capped off by oysters to make sure the love was flowing. For the reception, we enlisted a great band that made the atmosphere amazing for our guests, but also created special moments for us. We had a photobooth (bigger than the ones in the movie theater), with a red background to fit into our colors, available for everyone to make some of their own memories while all taking a part in ours. And at the end of the night we had sparklers and a bonfire for people to get their toes in the sand and roast a marshmallow or two.

At the end of the day, we picked what we loved, in a setting that felt natural to us, and had our dream day. It was a lot of work, but our planner was there to help the vision stay true and everything about the day was more than we could have imagined, except for how fast it went!

Photographers- Weddings By Two
Planner- loli events
Venue- Woodway Beach Club
Florist- Peter’s Wholesale Florist
Band- Bud Maltin
Cake- SoNo Bakery
Dress- Pronovias
Shoes- Michael Kors

I’m just now realizing it’s been almost a year since Nick popped the question last Valentine’s Day. Between getting engaged, buying a house, adopting a dog and changing jobs, the jam-packed year that was 2011 flew right by us.

So, scheduling an engagement shoot wasn’t exactly high on our priority list. Actually, it wasn’t on our list at all. It seemed like such a fun but ultimately dispensable thing to do amid the other wedding planning tasks on our plate. Plus, my completely outdated perception of engagement portraits had me thinking of those awkward embraces and stiff smiles of the newspaper wedding announcements. Bride places hand casually on groom’s chest, photographer cues heartfelt gaze, click. Or, the DIY version: bride sifts through camera memory, finds only one, self-taken photo of she and groom together, faces happily but unflatteringly pressed together, and submits to newspaper.

Luckily, my sister suggested that she photograph our engagement portraits. Have I mentioned she’s not only my matron of honor, but also a talented wedding photographer? Yes, a lucky coincidence that one. (She’s not, however, shooting our wedding. We want her to enjoy herself and take part in our day, not document it. And, the matron should be free to, you know, enjoy a cocktail or two for her efforts).

A couple of weeks ago, we bundled up and headed to Portland’s Old Port for our close-ups. I’ll tell you, even with your own sister behind the camera, displaying your love for your sweetheart on demand is a little tricky.  It didn’t help that when she instructed us to relax and just chitchat, Nick and I were saying things like “Is your leg falling asleep with me sitting on it like this? Is my hair doing a weird thing right now? You’re closing your eyes when we kiss, right?”

But my sister helped us to feel at ease, and soon we were reminiscing about one of our first dates on a nearby pier. Smooching on cue became fun instead of forced, (we later learned we have a tendency to smush our noses together mid-kiss), and we were tickled when two passing joggers stopped to say congrats.

I’m so happy we’ll have these photos to commemorate this special time in our lives, and so thankful my sister convinced us to make time for them. Our wedding photos will capture us looking our best, thrilled with the emotion of the day, but these photos capture the everyday us, and 20 years from now, I’ll want to remember that, too.

Read the previous posts in Jackie’s wedding planning series:

The proposal

Will you be my maid?

Dress shopping

After sampling some of Frontier’s yummy eats at a recent business event, we decided to dig a little deeper and see what this unique venue- and now caterer- has to offer area brides and grooms, too. Owner Micheal Gilroy was lovely enough to share a little insight with us and we’re excited to see where his passion takes Frontier next. Thanks, Gil!

L&L: Tell us a little about you the history of Frontier.

Gil: Frontier is a vision inspired by my work as an expedition leader around the world.  My passion for connecting people with experiences that provoke a sense of discovery led to the creation of a special kind of meeting place reminiscent of a traveler’s crossroads – where stories, ideas and culture interact in a rich and dynamic environment.  Frontier is a destination where people gather to enjoy and explore food, film, music and art inspired by the world.

L&L: What types of events do you typically host at your space in Fort Andross?

Gil: Frontier is an ideal and festive setting for private events such as rehearsal dinners, weddings, birthday parties, film screenings, holiday parties, concerts and other special occasions. Our space can also easily transform to meet the needs of business meetings, conferences, fundraisers and community events.

Frontier is located in Fort Andross, an historic mill situated on the Androscoggin River in downtown Brunswick. Our space has been thoroughly restored using reclaimed materials, fixtures and equipment, while preserving the original features and textures of the old mill. Frontier offers a dynamic atmosphere and embraces a catering philosophy that celebrates fresh ingredients, world flavors and seasonal specialties.

L&L: What is your availability for private events? How far out do couples need to book, and how many people does the space hold?

Gil: Frontier is available for private events all year (subject to availability). We recommend couples secure a date as far in advance as possible to insure their preferred date. Our space can accommodate up to 200 people depending upon the type of event and required configuration, however we are best suited for events up to 175 people.

L&L: What are some of the more memorable events people have planned there?

Gil: Our most memorable events would have to be our weddings.  Because of the uniqueness of our space we often get couples looking for something “different.”  And different often translates into something a little less traditional and more inventive.

One memorable wedding was a fun couple from California who set up a few computers in our theater along side a basket of random costumes. Guests were invited throughout the night to throw on something fun and then stream whatever they fancied live to all their friends back in CA who couldn’t make the wedding.  They became in effect, virtual guests. We thought this was an innovative way to increase your guest count without actually increasing your attendance.

Our New Year’s Eve weddings have also been extremely memorable. Choosing a New Year’s Eve wedding is like a party on top of a party.  So the way we see it, you’re starting off a marriage with Double Happiness.

L&L: Tell us a bit about your menu. Where do you get inspiration for your dishes? Does your menu change regularly?

Gil: As of January 2012 our menu is now a creation of our new full kitchen.  In the past we only had a small prep kitchen, so we’re now able to be far more creative and innovative with our dishes.  Our mission at Frontier is to connect you to the world, so whenever possible we like to give our menu options a little global influence.  Comfort fare with a worldly twist.

Our main menu changes seasonally.  And during a given season we offer daily soup specials as well as lunch, dessert and weekend dinner specials.  Whenever possible we work directly with local farms and vendors.

L&L: I noticed you have a lot of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options on your menu. We’re happy to see this variety supporting different diets. Are you seeing this part of your menu gaining traction?

Gil: More and more of our community has been requesting vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.  In building our kitchen and designing a new menu we made intentional choices that would increase our capability of offering these options.

It’s still a little early to determine the traction on these particular dishes.  But for those customers who have restrictive diets, this part of our menu is critical to providing multiple options and a full experience.  We’re looking forward to feedback from this part of our community, so we may start expanding this section of our menu.  For those reading – the Vegetarian Reuben is returning!

L&L: You also offer a catering service. Tell us a bit about your catering menu. What size events are you accustomed to catering for, and how far are you willing to travel for an event?

Gil: This is one of the most exciting growth areas for Frontier.  While we’ve always offered on-site catering services (although limited due to our prep kitchen), it’s only now with the facilities of a full kitchen that we’re able to expand our offerings on-site, as well as offering catering services off-site.

The focus of our catering is to continue our on-site events, as well as service off-site events within a 25-mile radius of Brunswick.

L&L: You seem to be expanding constantly. It’s very exciting. What are your future goals for Frontier?

Gil: As much as Frontier is a reclaimed space – it is very much an evolving, creative canvas. Since we opened five year ago, we’ve been constantly evolving our services to meet the requests of our community.  Our café has transitioned from a simple prep kitchen with counter service to a full kitchen with full table service.  Our events have evolved from luncheon meetings to weddings; our catering services have evolved from a platter of sandwiches to a full course reception and our programming has evolved from a film screening to a weekend festival.

We admittedly have an appetite for creativity and innovation, which keeps us pushing the boundary around what’s possible.  To this end, we are now focusing on expanding our arts, cultural and educational programming through the development of a place-based hub for creativity and social innovation.   Stay tuned…

L&L: When you are not working, what do you most enjoy doing?

Gil: Any discretionary time I’m afforded will be spent with my family – my wife and two daughters.  This often means dropping into imaginary worlds of unicorns and princesses, as well as dance parties, tea parties and lots of theater.  I secretly love it, especially when my computer is turned off and my cell phone is temporarily misplaced.  If I’m also able to get on my tractor, work the land and tinker in our barn, then I’ve had just about the perfect day.

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

Gil: My recommendation to folks from away is to saunter, become lost and get on the water.   The best experiences are those with no expectations around them.  No map.  No true destination.  So I suggest sauntering down a long sandy path.  Loose yourself on some mountaintop.  And most definitely find a sea-worthy vessel and look back at Maine from the water.   That’s where you’ll find Maine.  There are so many great food options and special destinations, that you’ll eventually find one another.

L&L: Thank you for giving us an inside peek into Frontier. If readers want to get in touch with you, what is the best way for them to reach you?

Telephone: 207.725.5222; website: www.explorefrontier.com; Events:  Emily Wolf Emily@explorefrontier.com; Twitter: http://twitter.com/explorefrontier; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/explorefrontier

We have been following Brooklyn graphic designer and handmade talent Jen Pepper as she settles into life in Maine and plans her coastal New England wedding.

The search for the perfect wedding dress is exhausting. I accumulated a sky scraping stack of dog-eared magazines next to the couch, and still didn’t see anything that felt particularly “me.” Of course the obvious next step would be to make an appointment at a lovely bridal shop and let the experts help me find something amazing, but after watching too many marathons of “Say Yes! to The Dress” that felt like a very daunting idea. Instead I turned to my go to shopping site, etsy.com.

I fell in love with the idea of buying a handmade wedding dress. Thinking about the love I put into my work, I couldn’t help but imagine the amount of love sweat and tears that someone would be putting into my gown. Of course the obvious downside to buying a dress on etsy, or really anywhere online, is that you do not get to try on the dress before you buy it. This can be a scary decision to a lot of brides, but for me I just decided to go for it!

After favoring a few designs, and showing some ideas to friends I decided on a beautiful peach tulle ball-gown. I sent off a quick email to the designer and asked if she would be willing to make a few changes to the dress and a few days later I put down a deposit on a custom made wedding frock! Monique was so sweet and answered all my questions, set up a time frame  for sending her my measurements, dress production and even sent me some fabric swatches in the mail to add to my poorly kept wedding binder. The dress hunt was over, and pain free. Or so I thought!

Right before Christmas the fear of the unknown started setting in. What if I got the dress and hated it? What if it made me look like an overripe Georgia Peach? What if I hated the way I looked on my wedding day? It wasn’t that I didn’t Love the dress, I just didn’t know if I was going to love the way I looked in it. So I decided to bite the bullet and try on some dresses in person.

I ended up bringing Matt to my first appointment because I knew that he would be able to keep me calm and talk me out of making any rash decisions. They put us in a large private room, listened to what I thought I wanted in a dress and then disappeared behind  a big curtain to pull out some dresses for me to try on. When our lovely bridal consultant returned to the room I turned to Matt and made a face that I can only describe as my, “none of theses dresses are what I am looking for at all” face. Sequins, beading, big puffy skirts were surrounding me, but because I was there I decided to try them on! The first number was kinda cute, but just didn’t feel right, and was way too much dress for me, after all we are getting married on a schooner so I was hoping for something easy breezy. Because our wedding was only 6 months away, there was a lot of pressure from the consultants to make a decision on a dress as soon as possible. Unless there was something on the rack that fit me, it would take almost 5 months to order a dress, and then there was still the matter of fittings and alterations.

After trying on a few dresses and narrowing them down similar to an eye test, 1 or 2, better or worse, I stepped into a dress that actually made me look pretty. It was simple, asymmetrical, light weight and best of all it fit me. Really the only downside of this gown was that it wasn’t what I came in to buy. It was essentially strapless, which was exactly what I didn’t want. I just couldn’t make up my mind so I put on my street clothes and was ready to go home and sleep on it. I thought, maybe my dream dress doesn’t exist, maybe I am not the kind of bride that has a magical moment filled with tears and champagne, maybe it’s enough to just really like a dress that fits and flatters and can come home with me today. I took a chance and asked if there was a way to get a discount on the dress since I was buying what was essentially a sample and I would take it with me right now. After a quick chat with a manager and signing a waiver that I was buying the dress as-is I walked out of there with my wedding dress at a pretty decent discount.

Even though I didn’t have an bridal moment in the store, I do have one every time I look in the closet. Whenever I am feeling a little overwhelmed by all of this planning, I can just open up the closet and look at that big fancy white bag that holds the dress I am going to wear on my wedding day. Well maybe, I might end up in the peach one after all!

Previous posts in this series:

I’m engaged. Now what?

Decisions, decisions

How to find a wedding venue without leaving the couch

Finding a wedding venue that won’t break the bank

The wedding guest list

Let’s get organized

Wedding weight loss

Finding what’s right for you

Setting the table

Invitation dilemma