Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

The votes have been cast and the results are in… meet the winners of a $100,000 dream wedding in Maine!

Alyssa Kavanagh and Nick Planeta of Cambridge, Massachusetts wooed the public and the judges of the second annual Real Maine Wedding of the Year contest with their sweet love story. Announced yesterday as the grand prize winners at the Maine Wedding Association’s Freeport bridal show, Alyssa and Nick couldn’t be a more deserving pair.

The couple first met over ice cream at the Gifford’s stand in Waterville, and dated as students at nearby Colby College.  Their affection for Portland – the site of this year’s wedding giveaway – grew during a trying stint apart in 2009.

Nick had graduated and moved away from Alyssa when his father was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Portland became the halfway point where the couple met up on weekends to spend time together and reconnect during the crisis.

Hear them tell the story in their touching entry video.

Now, Nick and Alyssa are looking forward to returning to Portland for their November 2 walk down the aisle.

Their fantasy wedding package includes a ceremony at the divine Grace restaurant and a reception at the Holiday Inn By the Bay. They’ll enjoy complimentary planning help from Amber Small and Kathryn Ravenscraft of Sweetest Thing Weddings, the professional photography services of emilie inc., and much, much more.

The voting public is still part of the picture, too.  Vote on various aspects of Alyssa and Nick’s wedding in about a month at www.realmaineweddings.com.

Congratulations Nick and Alyssa!

Leave it to TheKnot to dish out the juicy details about today’s engaged couples.

In a recent proposal and engagement survey, TheKnot and partner Men’s Health asked brides whether they really liked their rock, questioned grooms about wearing a “man-gagement” ring, and, just for good measure, checked in on couples’ sex lives.

Here’s what the survey of more than 1,400 men and women found:

Not all brides are in love with their ring. 9% of brides were less than infatuated with their ring, and many didn’t have the heart to tell their grooms to-be. Ignorance is bliss, it seems, as 98% of men said they thought their fiancée loved the ring.

Others can’t wait to show off the bling. 57% of brides said they posted a pic of their ring on Facebook to celebrate the happy news. Men were more restrained, with 22% saying it’s a tacky move.

Size matters. When it comes to carats. More than half of brides said both size and quality matter when picking out a ring. Meanwhile, nearly 80% of the fellas said their lady couldn’t care less about carats.

Some men want to rock a rock. 17% of men surveyed said they’d wear a man-gagement ring to symbolize they were off the market. Not exactly a resounding majority, but is this trend really catching on?

Cue the Barry White. 20% of men and 18% of women said their sex life enjoyed a boost after getting engaged. But it was a slow burn for nearly half of brides and grooms who said they didn’t get hot and heavy on the night of their proposal.

Chivalry isn’t dead. Nearly 80% of guys said proposing on bended knee was a must. Plenty of women, on the other hand, were happy with a proposal at eye level. Only 48% agreed that their guy should get down on one knee.

Every time we pop into Dean’s Sweets on Middle Street in Portland, we can’t help but peek in the back to watch those delicious truffles take shape.

The husband and wife duo behind the darling chocolate shop can often be found whipping up flavors from rum and raspberry to exotic cayenne and tequila lime. Now, they’re letting fans like us in on their truffle-making secrets.

Dean is offering classes in the truffle trade on April 21 and June 9 from 2:30 to 4:30.  Class sizes will be limited to four people, providing plenty of opportunity to ply Dean for tips and enjoy some sweet samples. Or grab three friends to schedule your own class as a fun bachelorette outing. The cost is $65 per person.

Dean promises to share his expert knowledge, “his questionable humor” and at least a dozen truffles to take home. Email him at dean@deanssweets.com to sign up.

And don’t miss the shop’s wedding favor offerings, including one, two or four-piece boxes with custom labels. Let Dean satisfy your guests’ sweet tooth – keep those truffles from class for yourself.

Normally when a gal gains or loses a few pounds, all she has to do is throw on a belt or grab her “fat pants” and be on her way. But with a wedding gown, it’s not so easy.

Months often elapse between the time a bride orders her dress and when she dons it for the big day, so seamstresses are used to adjusting for weight fluctuations.

Some alterations are easier than others, however, explains Bette Brunswick of Bette’s Bridal Stylings in Saco, Maine.

In general, it’s simpler to take a gown in than to let it out, she says. Seamstresses typically have an inch to an inch and a half to work with along the seams, but some designers allow even less wiggle room. The most critical areas are the bust and hips – order your gown based on those measurements to ensure the best fit, Bette says. (Women rocking some curves, count on needing alterations.)

If you’ve gone up more than a size or two, your seamstress can add a wedge-shaped panel called a gusset, typically along the side seams under the arms, to give you some breathing room. Keep in mind that you’ll need to match the fabric.

A zipper can also be converted to a lace-up corset in the back, Bette points out. Bonus: You can “loosen up” after getting down on the wedding cake.

Gowns with intricate lace or beading will cost more to alter. But here’s a handy tip from Bette: If your gown has lace detailing at the hem and you know what shoes you’ll be wearing, order the dress to length. You may have to shell out for an extra charge, but it’s probably much less expensive than having the hem altered later, she says.

Let your seamstress know if you plan to lose or gain weight, or if your weight tends to fluctuate. Bette works with brides even before they’ve purchased a gown to get a head start on the proper sizing.

You’ve found the perfect fit in your lucky sweetheart. Don’t settle for anything less for your gown.

We’ve come a long way since the days when the bride’s family paid a dowry for the privilege of marrying her off. But that doesn’t mean discussions about the costs of uniting two people in marriage have gotten any simpler.

Traditionally, the bride and her family incur most of the wedding expenses. Modern attitudes are changing though, and many couples are footing the bill themselves. We’re also seeing families splitting the bill evenly more and more, a welcome reflection of today’s equal partnerships.

To give you a baseline for making your own budget decisions, below is a list of who traditionally pays for what.

Feel free to take it to heart, mold it to your needs, or throw it out the window and devise your own plan. All that really matters is that everyone’s comfortable with their contribution to the big day.

Bride and family

Ceremony: venue, music

Reception: food, drink, band or DJ, décor

Clothing: bride’s dress, veil, accessories, honeymoon wardrobe

Flowers: arrangements for ceremony and reception, bouquets for bridesmaids and flower girls

Photography: all wedding photos and video

Rings: groom’s ring

Stationery: invitations, announcements and programs

Transportation: to and from ceremony and reception

Pre-wedding events: engagement party, luncheon for bridesmaids

Groom and family

Ceremony: marriage license, officiant’s fee

Clothing: groom’s outfit

Flowers: bride’s bouquet, boutonnieres, corsages

Honeymoon: all costs

Rings: bride’s ring

Pre-wedding events: rehearsal dinner

Here’s one wedding detail you don’t have to agonize over: cake frostings. Memories of sweaty, lopsided cakes at other weddings might have you thinking otherwise, but just listen to your sweet tooth.

“You can use any frosting at any time,” says Jessica Parrott of Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott, one of our favorite local vendors for fabulous desserts.

Different frostings do have their strengths and weaknesses:

Buttercream: This is the frosting your mother made — sweet, homey and very popular this year thanks to its rustic appearance, Jessica says. It can break down under hot sunlight, but some bakers make buttercream with shortening to raise the melting point. Jessica adds meringue powder instead, which has no taste but hardens the frosting a bit.

Fondant: Only one of the 40 weddings Jessica has booked this year opted for a fondant cake. The culprit could be those horrid store-bought versions that give real fondant, which she makes with melted marshmallow and powdered sugar, a bad name, Jessica says. With its dough-like consistency, fondant holds up well and creates a smooth, clean look. Just taste it before you rule it out, she suggests.

Cream cheese: Carrot cake + cream cheese frosting = a match made in heaven. Compared to buttercream, it doesn’t frost as easily and can tug on the cake, Jessica notes. If a flawlessly smooth cake isn’t your thing, stay away from cream cheese.

Swiss meringue: This frosting pleases with a light, almost whipped texture, buttery flavor and shiny look. It’s not as sweet as other types, and can be challenging in hot weather.

To avoid wedding cake meltdown, work with your baker to have the cake delivered to the reception as late as possible, Jessica says. If you’re using a tent, keep the cake away from walls facing the sun.

So, what other tasty trends is Jessica seeing this season? “A lot of bold colors and bold flavors,” she says. She’s gotten requests for cookie dough, mint chocolate chip and, get this, French toast-flavored cakes. Way to get adventurous, brides and grooms!