Have I told you how much I love Twitter? A few months ago, I started seeing some really fun, interesting and Maine-centric posts by Pratt Abbott Cleaners. I liked what I saw and started sharing their info and chatting with their marketing folks, and especially their Garment Care Coordinator, Angela Emery. She and I share retweets, give each other big hugs at networking events, and now we're sharing guest blog posts! Below are tons of great ideas for your Maine wedding thanks to the team at Pratt Abbott!
You’ve been dreaming of your perfect wedding day ever since you were a child. Now that you’re engaged, it’s time to turn those dreams into a reality. No matter what your style and budget, there are tons of ways to plan a truly magical day.
To help inspire you, we’ve listed some of our own dream wedding ideas. We also hand selected a few of the best local businesses and vendors that can help make your wedding day amazing and unique.
Take a Schooner Ride
Take your wedding party (or even your guests!) on a sail from Portland Schooner. If your wedding guest list is small, you could even have your ceremony right there on the ship itself. If not, you can always charter a pre-wedding schooner ride for just the wedding party. How fun would it be to have a post-rehearsal dinner cocktail hour while sailing around the bay? This could also help your wedding party get to know one another a little better if they haven’t had the chance to do so yet.
Hire a Wedding Planner
Many brides and grooms find that wedding planning is very exciting to think about at first. However, when things start to get more difficult, many bring in backup. When hiring a professional wedding planner, make sure that you and your significant other (SO) both vibe well with the planner. You’ll be working very closely with this person, so make sure it’s a good fit. It is also a good idea to hire a wedding planner who lives in the area and can give you the inside scoop. This Free Guide to Maine Event Planners can help steer you in the right direction.
Consider Food Trucks
After the ceremony, you and your wedding guests are bound to be hungry. Spice things up by skipping the buffet or the fancy sit-down meal. Instead, opt to bring in a couple of local food trucks. Or, if you still want the more traditional catered meal, you can always choose to bring in the food trucks later on in the evening as an unexpected treat before everyone begins to head home. There are a number of excellent food trucks in the Portland, Maine area to choose from.
Go On a Hot Air Balloon Ride
Hot air balloons not only provide unique photo opportunities, they’re also great fun for you and your guests. If exchanging your wedding vows in the air isn’t your ideal ceremony [Editor: please, please, please hire me for your hot air balloon wedding!!], you could always use a hot air balloon as your getaway transportation, and then incorporate the balloon as a tethered ride at the reception. Hot Fun Balloons is a Maine based company that offers wedding packages.
Get Fancy Nails
On your big day, there are going to be a lot of people looking at your hands to see your new ring. Why not treat yourself to some stunning nail art when you get your manicure? There are so many lovely wedding nail art ideas, like adding rhinestones and glitter or lining your french tips with the color of your bridesmaids dresses. Akari Beauty in Portland, Maine has great options for you to choose from for your nail art needs, as well as other bridal services.
Order Flowers
Of course you’re going to need some flowers for your big day. Whether you want to keep it nice simple and just get bouquets and boutonnieres for the wedding party, or go all out with a more extravagant flower display (like the famous flower wall at the Kardashian/West wedding) there are many local florists that can help make your dreams become a reality.
Elegant Day-Of Transportation
Some brides and grooms ask family or friends to volunteer to be their transportation, while others opt to rent a couple of vans or limos. Of course there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but have you considered renting a more elegant mode of transportation to help you arrive in style? This could be something such as a vintage car, a boat, or a hot air balloon. You could even play on a classic theme by including a horse drawn carriage for the bridal party or the guests.
Let Them Eat Cake
After the dress, the cake is the next wedding staple that guests cannot wait to see. No matter what your theme is, a great cake can show off the both of your unique styles in a very creative and delicious way. Cakes For All Seasons is a wonderfully creative bakery that specializes in cakes for weddings and special events. They also offer bite-sized sweets that look almost to good to eat...almost!
Photobooth Fun
Incorporating a photobooth into your wedding reception has become a very popular option with brides and grooms everywhere. Not only does the booth give guests the opportunity to loosen up and have some fun, it also gives them a great wedding favor to take home with them. To add to the fun, you can provide things such as dress up items, signage props, or a dry erase board that guests can customize and hold up in the photos. Maine to Boston Photobooth Rental offers a wonderful photo booth rental package that lets you choose your own backdrop color and includes things such as a props, a red carpet, and a friendly professional host to help guide guests.
Lacy Lingerie
Don’t forget about the bridal accessory that is for your special someone's eyes only: Your lingerie. With so many options out there, it can be hard to choose just one. But who says you only need lingerie for the wedding night? What you’re wearing underneath your dress is important as well. And, if you’re going away on a honeymoon, why not treat yourself to a few extra items? Etain Boutique and Aristelle Lingerie in Portland, Maine will help you find the perfect lingerie for your style.
Diva-Style Wedding Dress Pressing
On your wedding day, you want to make sure that your dress to look picture perfect. Unfortunately, even if you have tried your best to take care of your dress, you may still wind up with wrinkles. Proper wedding dress pressing can help with that. Maine-local drycleaners, Pratt Abbott, offers wonderful on-site wedding day care for you and the entire wedding party.
Double Exposure
A trend that has been gaining popularity is hiring a two-person photography team. There are a number of reasons why a couple may choose to do this. For example, before the ceremony while you’re getting ready, one photographer can stick with each person to capture as many special moments as possible, rather than having one photographer run back and forth between the two. With two photographers, one photographer can worry about the big picture, while the other focuses on other details such as candid shots. And of course, with two photographers, there will be two angles for every special moment like walking down the aisle, the first kiss, and the cake cutting. A local two-person photography team that does beautiful work is Double Take Photography out of Saco, Maine.
Preserve Your Memories
No matter how careful you are, or how clean your dress looks after your ceremony, invisible spills and even the oils from people’s fingers can cause devastating damage to your dress over time. Don’t let a great dress go to waste! Schedule an appointment with a garment care professional as soon as possible after your wedding before stains can set it. Once your dress has been cleaned and preserved, you can hand it down to your daughter, donate your dress to charity, or resell it to another lucky bride. To learn more about wedding dress care, visit Pratt Abbott’s website.
What are your dream wedding ideas?
What are the trends and traditions you love most? Do you have a favorite local wedding vendor? Please share them in the comments!
