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A Maine wedding officiant performing marriage ceremonies + helping couples getting married in Maine with the best Maine wedding blog!
As I do ever year, I’m sharing the best days to get married in 2019. I find this information in the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Up here in New England, the Farmer’s Almanac is a relied-upon publication and has been for many decades. It’ll tell you things like best days to cut your hair and best days ask for a loan. But you’re here to find out the best days to get married in 2019, so here we go.
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Best places to elope in Maine. Hidden Pond elopement officiated by A Sweet Start and photographed by Emily Delamater Photography
Are you considering an elopement in Maine? What a great idea! We have so many wonderful places to get married. Elopements come in all shapes and sizes these days. Some refer to an intimate wedding with less than 20 guests as an elopement, while other still use the term to mean: “Let’s get married tomorrow with just two witnesses!” This list will include a mix of both types of places where you can elope in Maine.
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When to get married in Maine | Photo by KAngell Photography
If you're not from Maine or aren't currently living here but you want to get married here, you probably want to know when is the best time to get married in Maine. I've lived in Maine since 2007 and having been an officiant since 2011, so I have a lot of experience to help you find the right time of year to get married here.
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How to get married in Maine | A Sweet Start a Maine wedding officiant
Updated 2019
Marriage licenses are issued at the town or city level and are obtained by filing an "Intention to Marry" form. Both members of the couple getting married must visit the town office in person to apply for the marriage license. You may want to check your town's website for information.
If both of you are residents of the state of Maine, you should both apply at the town office where at least one of you is a resident. If you are residents of different Maine towns, you both may apply in one town or the other - you do not need to apply separately in each town.
If one is from out of state, then both of you should apply in the town where one holds residency.
If neither of you is a resident of Maine, then you may apply in any Maine town office. It need not be the same town where you plan to be married.
Your marriage license is valid for 90 days and can only be used within the State of Maine. There is no longer a waiting period from the time your marriage license is issued until your wedding can take place. The person performing the ceremony is responsible for filing the marriage certificate with the town office that issued the marriage license.
Bring a completed State of Maine Intention to Marry application
Photo ID such as a driver's license may be required.
If this is not the first marriage for one of you, bring a certified copy (raised seal) of the divorce from or death certificate of the last spouse.
Applicants must be over 18 years old. Written parental consent is required for an applicant under 18. Written parental consent and written consent of a judge are required for an applicant under 16.
No blood test is required.
You may want to check with the municipal clerk where you are filing beforehand to find out what that municipality's policies are.
Other than me, the following individuals are authorized to perform marriages in Maine:
Ordained ministers of the gospel
A person licensed to preach by an association of ministers, religious seminary or ecclesiastical body
Judges or justices (residents of Maine only)
Lawyers admitted to the Maine Bar (residents of Maine only)
Maine does not have Justices of the Peace. Out-of-state Notaries and Justices of the Peace cannot officiate weddings in Maine.
You must have two witnesses (the officiant cannot be a witness)
You must agree to marry each other (yes, really!)
Your officiant must pronounce you married
As of 2019, the fee for the marriage license is about $40, but always check with the town office for the actual fee as it may vary from municipality to municipality.
You can fill out the Intention to Marry form ahead of your appointment at the town office, which will speed up the process once you’re in the office. Call ahead and ask the town to send you the fillable PDF form (it changes periodically so make sure you get the most up-to-date version).
The Intention to Marry form asks for the name, title, phone number, address, and email address of your officiant. You can leave it blank, but have this info handy, if you want to fill it out.
Ask the town if you can purchase a certified copy of your marriage certificate at the same time you file your intention to marry. As of 2018, it's $15 for the first certificate and $6 for each additional copy. You'll get the certificate quicker than having to obtain the certificate after the wedding.
You will need to know the birthplace of both of your parents (state or country).
Always call the town office first to make sure they're open when you want to go and that there will be someone there who knows how to issue the marriage license.
If you were previously married, give yourself plenty of time to order the "raised seal" copy of your divorce decree. I've heard it can take a really long time to receive this document.
Excerpted from Maine.gov's website.
My sister texted me tonight saying she's going to a bridal shower and has no clue what to get the bride and wondered if I had any ideas. Because I'm in the wedding industry I totally should have ideas and lots of them, right? Well, I was a little embarrassed to admit that I didn't have a blog post that could help her, but I promised that soon I would. So, here it is!
I know it's super sexist to say that now that she's becoming a wife she needs an apron, but I'll tell you a little secret: I didn't cook until I was married. I mean, I knew how to make scrambled eggs and miso soup but I mostly ate take out from the Whole Foods deli because I didn't know how to cook. So I would have LOVED an apron as a bridal shower gift! Check out this cute and colorful apron.
These sweet nautical notecards are perfect for a bride getting married in Maine! I would freakin' love a set of these and would totally use them. The handwritten note is coming back in style (thank god) and you might even get one of these as a thank you note if you give her this sweet gift!
I need one of these soooo badly! This is the perfect give because it's the kind of thing that your friend might not buy herself but she probably totally needs. My necklaces are a knotted mess and my earrings are all over the place. I would LOVE to get this sweet copper jewelry stand.
I adore these! Every since seeing Alicia Florrick's wall of framed botanical and bird prints I've wanted to do the same thing in my living room. I think they would look so pretty framed and laid out in a grid. Maybe get two sets so she can really make a statement. Would your bride friend like these beautiful botanical prints?
Ergmagahd! Apparently I'm just putting together a list of things I want because I MUST have this otter tape dispenser. He's so dang cute, just look at that face! Another little story...this year for our anniversary I got my husband a card that said "We're meant for each otter!" Cute, right? I know, and so is this adorable otter tape dispenser. I promise you, your friend doesn't already have one. ;)
Ok, yeah, this post is totally just a list of things I want. LOL! But, c'mon, who wouldn't want these awesome gold bowls? They even have matching gold mugs, but I think I like the bowls even better. If she doesn't want to eat ice cream out of them, then maybe she can use them for her hair ties or rings or keys or nuts or candies or...whatever.
And, because she's becoming a Mrs. this little canvas wine tote would be a perfect bridal shower gift! And a wine tote is yet another useful item that people don't usually buy for themselves. And, you can totally put a bottle of champagne in it and tell her it's to bring to the bridal suite on wedding day! What a thoughtful gift. Give her this miss to mrs. wine tote and she'll know you really "get" her.
It's traditional to get the bride some lingerie for her bridal shower, so why not get her something cute she can wear on her honeymoon. This cute little nightgown could fit most figures and is super flattering and totally sweet. C'mon, it's not like you're getting her leopard print g-strings.
Is she into jewelry? Studs are making a comeback, so maybe get her this charming set of pastel-y colored earrings. Every time she wears them she'll think of you. And if you're wondering what to get *me* for Christmas, I'd love these!
You didn't think I'd make it through a whole post about gift ideas without throwing in something with cats on it, did you? Maybe you don't know me well enough yet. I'm a proud, crazy cat lady to two sweet cats, Felix and Bean. They even have their own Instagram account where you can see the life they live in Maine. So, yeah, I, like, really love cats! Hey, maybe your friend does to! Get her this funny cat advice book.
I truly, honestly love every item in this post. I'm also part of the ModCloth affiliate program and the links on this page are affiliate links.
I have a question for you, my friend. Do you have any recommendations for the best place to shop for wedding/engagement rings in the state and out of state? Asking for a friend - a friend who wants to marry me but is super stressed about the ring stuff!
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I'm a big fan of Squarespace, which is the service I use for this blog/website. They are promoting their templates to couples getting married for wedding website, or wedsites, and I think you might want to check them out.
They're not paying me to promote them, I just seriously think they're awesome. Plus, the templates are totally customizable which I haven't seen with other wedding websites. I think you'll like these. :)
Brian and I worked for the East Valley Tribune in Arizona as newspaper photojournalist during the late 90's. We barely knew each other when a mutual friend and fellow photographer, Samantha, asked us to pose for a freelance job she was working on for a national photography magazine. Her assignment: Taking natural couples portraits.
What can you do? You're just wrapped up with a complete stranger! You're forced to let walls down. You're forced to laugh and smile. Your forced to gaze and breathe and connect in way that I can only explain as human.
Then it was over. Got the shots. Great. Everyone went off to other things — separately.
Now, I can remember my face feeling red and how bright it was that day. I remember Brian's white shirt. I remember thinking that the images were cute when Sam showed them to me just a few days later. She had done a nice job. But that's about it; nothing amazed me at the time.
It wasn't until Samantha brought out those same photographs out two years later that I really saw it. It was amazing. Brian and I were seriously dating by then and I saw it. I fit right under his arm perfectly. From my expression, I felt safe. I saw the look Brian that gives me when he thinks I am being adorable. I saw how I touch him in photos. I saw us— our connection.
Whoa! How we connected with each other before, not knowing each other, was the same way we connected with each other now that we were together. It was a shock to see.
I wish I had those photographs now. I don't. Brian and I have been married over 10 years and have daughter together. What would I be able to see now? Our bodies and faces have changed, but our connection has not.
it's engagement season! between thanksgiving and valentine's day a TON of people get engaged. i thought i'd do a little post of engagment ring inspiration with a twist: blue engagement rings. for the record, blue is my favorite color, so it's a no brainer that i'd love blue gemstones for engagement rings. i hope you enjoy this list of ten engagement rings all with blue stones. if you're not into blue, i have a pinterest board loaded with all sorts of different rings.
Etsy
Ruffled Blog
Oh Darling Days
Turtle Love Co
Etsy
Etsy
Leif Shop
Etsy
Eight Hundred Ships
Sundance Catalog
I'm sure by now you've seen the gorgeous jewelry crafted by Bario Neal. If you're on Pinterest, you've definitely seen Bario Neal jewelry in your feed. I was lucky enough to get Anna, a co-creater of Bario Neal, to answer some questions about what makes the jewelry so special.
Owners: Page Neal and Anna Bario
Business Start Date: 2008
Number of Employees: 8
Page and I were both making jewelry already - each running our own business - when we decided to start Bario Neal. We were interested in focusing on the sourcing of our materials in an industry with such a complex history.
For us, it means working with materials whose source and history are as transparent as possible. We do everything we can to learn about the conditions at the mine sites, as well as steps along the way, such as where stones are cut. The environmental and human impacts of the materials are very important to us, and our goal is to work only with materials that are either recycled or sourced from mines and supply chains that we feel confident about.
From the Alliance for Responsible Mining: Fairmined gold is ethical gold extracted by Artisanal and Small-scale miners certified under our FAIRMINED standard. Buying FAIRMINED metals is supporting responsible certified miners and their families that follow strict requirements for social development, environmental protection, labor conditions and economic development in their mining communities. FAIRMINED gold is the achievement of the world’s pioneering and industry leading network of responsible Artisanal and Small-scale miners. An initiative and movement lead by and for the miners.
Our Fairmined gold is mined by Aurelsa in Peru. It allows mines to market transparency and we pay a premium that the mining community uses to reinvest in local projects. You can read more info about the project.
Our recycled diamonds come from old jewelry that our refinery collects. The recycled diamonds are cleaned and re-graded by a grading agency like GIA, and the process is overseen by a third-party certifier to ensure the recycled origin. The benefit of recycled diamonds is that no new mining is required, but we don’t know the initial origin or ‘age’ of the recycled stones with modern cuts.
Lately we’ve taken a bit of a break from some of our custom work to focus on a new collection of engagement rings. But in general, the process begins with a consultation where we develop the design idea. Then we’ll create sketches and either a wax model or computer renderings of the piece before it’s made in metal. The process with each project and customer is a little different, but there is a lot of communication and collaboration along the way.
Both! We have two locations. Our main store & workshop is in Philadelphia (where all the work is made). This fall, we opened a showroom in NYC, and several stores also carry our work.
Our inspiration can come from anything, but natural objects and vintage jewelry are often at play.
I think our blog can be so helpful for people researching jewelry and wanting to learn a little more about us. We have posts about everything from the history of diamonds to marriage equality.
It’s great getting to meet our clients at the Philly and NY shops - they are very diverse and I think it’s a real mix of people who are attracted to the design work or to the focus on sourcing.
A cocktail ring can really be anything that isn’t a wedding or engagement ring, but traditionally they tend to be a little bigger in scale.
Many Canadian diamonds come with documentation of their origin, and some are laser inscribed with a unique ID number that allows you to trace them to the mine. Canadian diamonds are generally cut and polished responsibly by fairly paid adults (cutting and polishing is one of the big human rights concerns with diamonds).
Canada’s mining laws are certainly stricter than most countries’ but there are concerns about the environmental impact and the effects of the mines on First Nations land and communities.
We work with all sorts of gemstones - a lot of sapphire, ruby and aquamarine. Not to avoid the question, but there is just too much info to go through it all! We have a great piece on the blog about our colored gemstones.
If you want wedding jewelry that is sustainably sourced, creatively made, and absolutely stunning, contact Bario Neal.
