Wednesday Inspiration- Royal Weddings

One of our favorite wedding planners referenced Cinderella as an inspiration for one of the upcoming weddings. We've been loving all of the Royal wedding coverage and thought we'd share some of our inspiration.

 This brought us to THE original Royal Wedding.  We went crazy over the over the top fairy tale brought to life feel of this wedding.  And wouldn't you know that our Vera Wang Invitation line had an invitation that had detailing just like Diana's train.  The heavy card stock and engraved printing screamed royal wedding to us.

With all of this fairy tale talk we needed to go back to Kate and William.  We loved the modern fairy tale feel of this wedding and can't wait to bring it to the Wentworth!

Vendor Highlight - The Wentworth by the Sea

For those of you who have been following our blog and facebook you know that we are kind of obsessed with The Wentworth by the Sea.  We love EVERY thing about them from the amazing wedding packages to the super professional staff.  We always know a Wentworth Wedding will be stunning.

Wentworth By the Sea commands the island of New Castle, NH's oldest settlement, next to the Distinctive Destination® of Portsmouth, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The perfect destination for a romantic getaway, family vacation or group, Wentworth by the Sea, Marriott Hotel of the Year, is just an hour north of Boston with easy access from I-95 and Manchester NH or Boston airports. The 161 guest rooms & suites blend historic elegance with 21st century convenience. Portsmouth NH conferences, meetings, and events appreciate the 10,000 sq. feet of flexible space including the original Grand Ballroom and the Treaty Boardroom. The meticulously restored grand hotel gleams with the glamour and grace that have drawn guests here for over a century. Intimate restaurants with imaginative cuisine, tranquil spa services, indoor and outdoor pools, nearby ocean beach, fitness and business centers, WiFi and an unwavering commitment to guest service make the Wentworth Marriott one of the great resort hotels of NH, New England and the world.

Why should you pick the Wentworth you might ask? Because besides being amazing they make it easy on Brides.  Thanks to their packages you don't have to spend time researching florists and bakeries they have a list of amazing professionals who are built into the cost.  

Stressing About Save The Dates?

Every week we have brides come in needing help with Save the Dates and they all have the same questions.  Do I have to know what colors I'm using, should they match the invitation, how many do I need to send out, and do I need to know the venue?

  We hate to see stressed out Brides so we decided to add some helpful blog posts.  Starting with some Save the Date tips.

First and foremost find a venue!  The venue availability will determine the date and accommodations for your wedding.  It's no secret that we LOVE the Wentworth by the Sea for their amazing packages we also love the York Harbor Inn for their bluff side ceremony and those are just two of the many amazing venues in the Seacoast. Take your time and find the perfect venue for your budget and vision.

The best part of Save the Dates is that they get to be fun.  You don't have to know what colors you are using or even if you are going to have a theme. This is a great way to show your personality.  Another Bride was having a black and white wedding complete with a black tie dress code but really loved burgundy.  So we suggested burgundy save the dates.

When you are thinking about who to send your Save the Dates to make sure to order one for every couple that you will be sending a formal wedding invitation to.  Remember, if you invite someone you can't uninvite them.  If you are unsure if you are going to send them a formal invitation it's best to hold off on sending them a Save the Date. Also, if you send someone a Save the Date and they tell you they will be unable to attend etiquette still requires you to send a formal wedding invitation.  Sometimes life changes and that weekend might free up for that guest, you never know.  It's always best to err on the side of caution

    

It's never too early to send out a Save the Date but remember that traditionally they are sent out eight to twelve months before the wedding.  However, if you are having a destination wedding  where a majority of your guests are going to have to travel it's best to give your guests at least a year to plan for it.

 

When you're ready to start creating your Save the Dates call us  at (603) 422- 9500 and set up an appointment to look at our AMAZING Vera Wang and William Arthur books.

Vendor Highlight - The Wedding Belle

The Wedding Belle is an all-encompassing event planning company that works to make every event exceptional, unique, and as stress-free as possible. Owner Leslie and her team of Belles have been designing, planning and executing New England Weddings and Celebrations for the past 8 years; specializing in custom touches for each special event in our client’s lives.

With a package to fit every budget, and an a la carte menu that covers everything a potential party planner would need (including the DIY bride), there really is something for everyone.

“The best part about my job is knowing that I am adding to the joy and lessening the stress placed on the hosts. Rather than get bogged down in the details, our clients can enjoy the event and the months leading up to it!” – Rachael, Belle since 2010

To hear what The Wedding Belle’s clients are saying, check out their Wedding Wire review page! http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/the-wedding-belle-nottingham/d57d3fc9f189ae4c.html

 

You can also hear The Wedding Belle on the radio, as they annouce the launch their new division, The Party Belle! Tune into WERZ and find out all that The Party Belle can do for you!

Website: www.theweddingbelle.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wedding-Belle/187533500837

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/myweddingbelle

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/myweddingbelle/Y

Things We Love - Fun Cake Toppers

Here at Maine-ly New Hampshire Weddings we believe that every aspect of your wedding should reflect the bride and groom's personalities.  And we can't think of a better way to do so than with a cake topper.  This past month we had a bride and groom who loved to high five and we knew they had to have this cake topper

This fun twist on the traditional bride and groom cake topper is just one of many options we have 

Congratulations MAC Photography!

For those of you who follow our blog regularly you know that we love the work that MAC Photography does, we've even highlighted their wedding work. But they also do amazing baby pictures  like this adorable one

And MAC was just chosen Family Favorite by Parenting New Hampshire.  Check out MAC Photography's blog to see http://mac-photography.blogspot.com/

PARENTING NEW HAMPSHIRE MAGAZINE READERS SELECT PORTSMOUTH, NH PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO 2011

(Portsmouth, NH – Thursday, September 22, 2011) MAC Photography, owned by Portsmouth resident, Michelle Brewster, has been selected by the readers of Parenting New Hampshire as a “Family Favorite” award recipient for Family Photographer.


The Family Favorite awards are a new award program that recognizes family-friendly businesses, services and places in 98 categories – as chosen by the readers of Parenting New Hampshire Magazine.


“MAC Photography is thrilled to learn that New Hampshire families have voted us their favorite. We’re proud to receive this coveted award from Parenting New Hampshire Magazine,” MAC Photography owner, Michelle Brewster. “We take great pride in our creative sessions we offer to our family customers, especially the care and time we take working with newborns and infants.”


“As parents are often balancing work, school, homework, daycare and their kids’ activities – their time has become an even more precious commodity. A great family vacation, exceptional customer service or a gentle understanding that small children are loud and messy can go a long way in the eyes of parents who just want to create special memories with their kids. Everyone’s on the lookout for good ideas and often the best advice is unsolicited,” says Melanie Hitchcock, editor of Parenting New Hampshire.


The Family Favorite Awards voting took place online from June 1 through July 29, 2011. We received almost 1,100 votes over the two month survey. The results of the reader’s poll will appear in the October 2011 issue of Parenting New Hampshire.



Parenting New Hampshire is the state’s premier parenting magazine and a resource for families who live in or visit New Hampshire throughout the year.

Vendor Highlight- The Rivermill

As Portsmouth Girls we hardly ever make it up to Dover but last month we got to take a field trip to discover The Rivermill.  We loved the vast open space that could literally morph to fit any theme. If you are looking for a different venue then you NEED to check out The Rivermill.

 

Here is an overview from one of the creative brains behind this unique venue:

"At Rivermill, we believe that every event should be a unique expression of its host's personality, message or ideals. With this thought in mind, we invite you to choose your own seating plan, décor, entertainment and even your own caterer. Select one of our preferred partners, bring in your own vendors, or work with our experienced staff to find that elusive, defining component. Whatever the occasion, we’ll help you create the perfect atmosphere in which to welcome your special guests.

With lofty ceilings, 1800s brick-and-beam architecture and tall, arched windows offering views of the Cochecho River, Henry Law Park and Dover's historic City Hall clock tower, Rivermill is distinctive enough to stand on its own, or it can serve as a blank canvas on which to paint your entertainment masterpiece.

So whether you're looking for a traditional reception, a classic New England lobster bake, a black tie formal or a distinctive themed event of your own creation, Rivermill provides the ideal setting to make your dream a reality."


Visit Rivermill (and us!) in person
Rivermill at Dover Landing2 Washington Street, Dover NH
603-343-2192

Things We Love- Pumpkins

This past weekend we had a bride who was having a coastal themed wedding (more to come on Erin's wedding next week!) but really wanted to incorporate fall into her Martha's Vineyard theme.  Her wedding was a crisp, preppy,  and clean and we didint' want to take away from that.  So after a lot of thinking we came up with incorporating pumpkins into her  rehearsal dinner.

Erin had anchors used through out her wedding so instead of doing a jack-o-lantern we decided to have a anchor carved in.  We were so thrilled with how the first one came that we just couldn't help ourselves and had one more made up for the bar

Things We Love - Martini Luge

As many of you may know the Maine-ly New Hampshire Girls love our Martini's so it's easy to see why we are obsessed with this new trend of having Martini Luges at weddings.  If you're like Kaitlyn and it makes you think of college parties fear not.  The wedding industry has come in and made these amazing ice sculptures real pieces of art that add a new level of sophistication to weddings while still inspiring an amazing party.

Martini Luges are the perfect complement to the long standing trend of signature cocktails.  So think Mad Men and bring back the classics.  We always love a fabulous Vodka Gimlet (a whole fresh lime squeezed into vodka,we skip the simple syrup) but you can do everything from a Dirty Martini, to a Cosmo, or even a Chocolate Martini for those who'd rather drink their desert. We recommend having signs telling your guests what drinks you are serving and what all of the ingredients are.

From all of us here at Maine-ly New Hampshire eat, drink, and be Married!

With our favorite,  an old fashioned Gimlet.  Cheers!

Things We Love - Kissing Balls

We have been obsessed with kissing balls lately and HAD to share them with you.  Kissing balls have been a huge trend "popping" up everywhere from cocktail tables to flower girls. We love the simplicity of a full ball made of beautiful flowers.  Here are kissing balls  Jardiniere Flowers created.

The great thing about kissing balls is they can go from a formal wedding inside or to a garden wedding like these ones.

Personally, I love when flower girls carry a kissing ball. And this flower girl really loved having her own flowers to carry.   

 These are just three examples of the kissing balls that Kathie has done this season.  But keep an eye on our facebook page as well as Jardiniere-Flowers Facebook page to see 

Things We Love

We here at Maine-ly New Hampshire Weddings love adding fun touches to the weddings we work on.  This summer we created a flip flop basket.

Our Bride Jessica had ordered flip flops in her color and let us create it from there.We started with the navy flip flops and added a navy and pink ribbon to tie in the accent color.  We also added size tags to make it easy to find a size.

This basket was a huge hit and every pair was used!

Wednesday Inspiration

Vendor Highlight- Sperry Tents

With so many great outdoor venues here in New Hampshire we wanted to take a moment and highlight Sperry Tents.  

Sperry’s journey began in 1980 when accomplished sail-maker Steve Sperry was faced with the challenge of hosting a family gathering. Applying his creative eye and knowledge of fabrics, Steve hatched the plan to design the first ever Sperry Tent for the occasion. Using hand-sewn panels of waterproof sailcloth and hand-milled spruce pine for center poles and perimeter poles, Sperry Tents was born. The same lightweight, waterproof sailcloth canvas has proven strong enough to stand up to the seas for decades. With sizes ranging from as large as a 66ft x 126ft oval tent to as small as a 16ft round tent, Sperry aims to accommodate any event size.

In addition to sailcloth tents, they offer an array of wedding and event amenities. Their versatile flooring options offer limitless potential for event ideas and venue locations. Sperry also offers a wide variety of lighting options providing the signature Sperry glow of aesthetic ambiance and elegant décor. Their representatives work closely with clients throughout the entire booking and planning process to ensure satisfaction. Installation and breakdown appointments are fitted to work around the clients schedule, and an onsite attendant is always available at each event to answer any questions or offer suggestions.

Wednesday Inspiration

One of our very favorite Brides stopped by today with pictures of her wedding two years ago.  We created her custom wedding favors, menus, and escort cards pictured below.

Now we are excited to be working with Francesca and Ryan's newest addition, baby Hudson's Christening Invitations and favors!

Vendor Highlight- MAC Photography

“There are three key elements that separate us from our competition! First is our digital enhancements. Digital imaging plays a hug role in photography, it is not only important to hire a great photographer but also someone who is well educated in the latest digital enhancing techniques. We offer digital enhancements free of charge, every single printed photograph whether it’s a wall portrait, wallet, or album page is retouched complimentary. Our standard enhancements include whitening and brightening of teeth, evening skin tones, and saturating colors but we can even go as far as changing blinking eyes, moving signs and cars, and make body parts slimmer."

"Second is the way we photograph client’s wedding details and use them as textures and graphic elements within the wedding pictures and album pages. This look transforms wedding images into custom artwork."

"And third is the amount of planning we do with clients to ensure the day goes smoothly. Approximately two months before the wedding we meet the couple at the reception site to scout out spots for pictures outside and inside in case it rains. It’s very important for us to establish an A & B plan before the wedding day. We complete a family formal questionnaire and create a wedding itinerary for the bridal party and wedding vendors. We started offering this service because we wanted to relieve our couples of any stress on the wedding day."

- Michelle Brewster and Jodi Ramos, MAC Photography.

How To Incorporate Table Names

Many of my Brides like the idea of table names rather than table numbers. This is a great way to incorporate your theme into your table design.  Most couples choose places that are meaningful to them.  You can opt for a simple table name like this one.

Or you can do pictures instead of words.  If you choose to do this, make sure you select easy to recognize images. For example, we did a New York City themed wedding and the Bride wanted landmarks for her table names .

With tables names remember to connect them to the theme.

The last thing that you want is to have a table name that is a distraction to the overall table design.

Should You Do Couples Escort Cards or Individual Escort Cards?

The answer to that question is entirely up to you.  Some Brides choose to do couple escort cards to match the way the invitations were sent and keep a more formal tone.

Individual escort cards are just as common as couples cards, it's really a personal preference.

Why Names Matter

I recently provided the escort cards for a large beautiful wedding on the Seacoast where there were over 30 no-shows .  The majority of the no-shows were the " Guest" of an invited friend or relative.  I always ask Brides to obtain the actual name of the "& Guest"  name because each escort card should have the guest's actual name. Obtaining an actual guest name also provides the bride with a firm commitment. With the cost of each guest averaging between $75 and $150 per plate, multiple no-shows will impact the Bride's budget and can be a non-reversible disaster to the bottom line cost of the wedding.

So, my expert advice to all of my Brides is to ALWAYS get the actual name of the "& Guest" at least 30 days prior to the wedding - BEFORE you commit to your final guest numbers with your Reception vendors.