White Barn Inn Kennebunkport Maine Wedding Real Wedding

The wedding of Amy and Jim took place in October at the White Barn Inn, Kennebukport, Maine.  This location was incredible for a small and intimate ceremony. 

Reverend Heather Richards, my associate, officiated the wedding, and the couple enjoyed a beautiful event with their closest family and friends. 

The White Barn Inn is an outstanding place for you do enjoy dinner, and time at the Inn, whether it be for summer or fall foliage, or sitting by the fire in the winter. 

Have a look for yourself and make sure to contact them to schedule some time for yourself for some rest, and relaxation, or to plan your intimate wedding or other event. 

Contact:  White Barn Inn
                37 Beach Avene
                Kennebunkport, ME
                
innkeeper@whitebarninn.com

A creative and beautiful Boston Wedding!

I was thrilled to hear from Candice Benson, Master Bridal Consultant, and recently appointed NJ State Coordinator for the Association of Bridal Consultants.  Candice's Company called The Finishing Touch, Wedding and Event Planning, put together this wonderful event for Ines and Dave at the Boston Museum of Science using a Dinosaur theme.  So unique!!  I loved it!  I hope you will too! Thank you Candice for sharing this with me!!

 Ines & Dave ~ A Boston Affair

Saturday, August 15^th: Not only a day with record-breaking heat for the summer, but also a Finishing Touch wedding outside! Candice and I made our way to Boston for our couple Ines and Dave’s wedding at the Museum of Science located on the Charles River. It can for sure be said that Ines and Dave have their own style, and the couple showed that by basing some of their theme on dinosaurs ~ intertwining it with their invitations such as ‘reply yes, I can’t wait to evolve with you, reply no, I will be suffering from extinction!’  It was super creative and very them.

The beautiful full-mass ceremony was held at St. Ignatius, slightly outside of Boston, in Cambridge on the Campus of Boston College.  Guests and Ines and Dave’s “Wedding Peeps” (aka Bridal Party) were greeted by ushers with programs, detailed on ivory cardstock and navy blue scroll writing, created by the Finishing Touch Event Design. The bride entered in her beautiful Madeline Gardner wedding gown which was seen by only her mother prior to the wedding day and provided a stunning entrance!

So we know what you might be thinking…..the Museum of Science? For a wedding reception? And the answer is YES.  It is a hidden gem in the city! Not only was their staff extremely helpful and easy to work with, but the museum has one of the best views in Boston of the serene Charles River.

For decor, we placed dark blue vases in different shapes and sizes displaying a single yellow Gerber daisy on all cocktail tables that sat right on the river. Behind the terrace was a gorgeous white tent with white Chinese paper lanterns hung from the ceiling. The table names, created by our Finishing Touch Event Design team, consisted of significant dates to Ines and Dave, with the explanation on the back. Guests loved the touch and we caught many traveling to each table to check out the personal details.

Table centerpieces consisted of fresh summer arrangements that were made with flowers that could withstand the summer heat. Instead of a guest book, the couple drew a picture of themselves and had it matted so that guests could write their well wishes on the matte with different color pens.  This touch was uniquely Ines and Dave as well.

  

Known chef Wolfgang Puck provided catering and as expected the food was exceptional. Yummy hors d’oeuvres such as mini cheeseburgers, gourmet pizza, and caramelized onion and goat cheese pastries were passed.

Following their first dance to ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, Ines and Dave thanked their friends and family for sharing in their special day. Once guests had wined and dined the music picked up and even despite the scorching heat, guests got their groove on and danced beneath the white canopy and lanterns.

Their delicious cake with three different layers, including the Bride’s favorite flavor of Red Velvet, was served. Afterwards instead of throwing her bouquet, Ines handed hers and a throw away bouquet off to the next two couples close to our Bride and Groom who are about to be married ~ it added a truly sentimental and heartfelt touch.

We of course LOVE our job and love every wedding we do and in this case there was just something special about sipping Pellegrino riverside on a beautiful summer afternoon, hearing laughter and ‘At Last’ playing in the background. Huge congratulations to Ines and Dave and a thank you to them and their families for allowing us to be part of their special day!

As always, a very special thank you to all the vendors who played such an important role in Ines & Dave’s wedding:

Leigh-Ann and team at The Boston Museum of Science

Michael at DJ Diagoro

Kelly at Artistic Blossoms Floral Design Studio

Theresa and Maria at Johnson Photography, Inc.

The Icing on the Cake

Happy Planning,

Candice & Nicole

The Finishing Touch Wedding & Event Planning

973-525-5884

www:thefinishingtouchevents.com

Wedding Sress? Reiki will relax you!

I want to chat with you about stress management and how to cope with your marriage stress. In particular, your wedding day stress. Stress is really the state of mind most likely to ruin your special day, and your event. As a Reiki practitioner, I want to tell you how Reiki is the ultimate "Stress Management Tool" amd how I can channel Reiki Healing Energy to quiet your mind, and body, and relax you. I can relax your body to have a clear mind, being held with stillness and silence, and help you with the healing energy that will give your whole "Self" the opportunity for being restored and refreshed.

On the months leading up to the Wedding Day, if you would like, you can arrange for your guests, and your wedding party, and in particular the Bride and Groom, to have a Reiki Treatment before the big day. You will truy be amazed at hw stress free everyone can be. You will be able to cope with the stress that the big day creates, and you will be happy with the results! This reduction in stress will help you to cope with whatever curves life throws you!

Stress is actually a rising cause of sickness from work, which replaces bad backs as the main cause for people's illness and loss of time from work.

I believe that anything that reduces stress is worth the trial. It would be recommended that Brides and Grooms have a Reiki session approximately two weeks prior to the wedding and then have the Reiki Practicioner come to your home the morning of the wedding and provide Reiki to the Bride and Mother of the Bride. In addition, the bridesmaids could benefit as well. It will definitely make a big difference in the way that the day will go. The stress is relieved to a great extent to everyone's relief.

Physicians are fully aware of the presence of stress - they are vulnerable to it themselves! Stress is how you perceive the demands and pressures that life presents, and how you are able to draw on your inner resources to cope. What you find unable to cope with today, you will take everying in stride with Reiki.

Reiki is NOT a religion, although it does have some guiding priciples.

1. Just for today, do not worry.

2. Just for today, do not anger.

3. Honor your parents, teachers and elders.

4. Earn your living honestly.

5. Show gratitude for every living thing.

The point of these principles is that the life force relies on the views and judgements that we practice and make known. In other words, if we think positively, and try to feel only good feelings, such as caring and closeness, and dedicate our lives to disipline and preserverance (to the best of our ability) the life energy is profuse and the stress diminishes to that which we can copy with.

As a Reiki practitioner, I would be honored to work with my couples and their families to produce for them the most stress free and enjoyable environment for their wedding as possible. Appointments are available. Please phone me to discuss your options.

Namaste'

Samuel Wilde Memorial Chapel in Portland Maine

Here are some more beautiful photos of Nicole and Rob's wedding at the Samuel Wilde Memorial Chapel in Maine. They are shared with me by a fabulous photographer, Melissa Mullen. It was a true pleasure to work with her and her work is magnificent!  Of course,the bride and groom were gorgeous!! Enjoy the photos and have a look at her website to see more of her exquisite work!  She is so creative!  I just love the one on the rooftop in Portland!!!

Photographer:  Melissa Mullen Photography
Location:  Portland, Maine
Phne: 207 749-2585
Email:  info@melissamullen.com
http://www.melissamullenphotography.com/

Prouts Neck Wedding in Maine

I have to admit, this was one of the most magnificent Maine locations for the intimate elopement of Nicole and Claid. They had gone to Maine to search out some great areas and found the perfect spot. The weather was fabulous, and we all walked down the small private pathway leading us out to the rocks and the beauty of the ocean waves crashing on the rocks. The site took my breath away! Congratulations Nicole and Claid, I wish you a lifetime of happiness and love! Please give me a call 207 590-6339 if you want to experience a great elopment for yourself!

A Bride, A Groom, and Children Too!!! Congratulations Kathleen and John!

This weekend I officiated at the wedding of Kathleen and John at the White Cliffs in Northboro, Massachusetts!  The ceremony was even more special as it truly united Kathleen and John along with there three boys.  The ceremony focused on the love the Kathleen and John found with each other, and then the love that they share with their three sons.  They presented the boys with special family medalions that will always serve as a reminder of the blending of their lives together for always.  They shared with their children what a blessing and gift they are from God and committed today, tomorrow and forever to love and bless them.

One of the wonderful features of being able to write your own ceremony and having it customized is specifically to allow it to represent your own style and words, and for this marriage, the joining into one family was so wonderful.  The boys knew it was a special day for their mom and dad, but they felt it was even more special when they were given their medallions. 

Kathleen and John wrote their own vows to each other which they did not share with each other until the ceremony so they were both surprised!  I have had a number of occasions where I have been with them, and it is truly evident the love that they have for each other. They both have a wonderful sense of human and a special love for their children!  I wish them all a very long, healthy, and blessed life.    Congratulations Kathleen and John, and your beautiful boys!

A gem amid the stones - Samuel Wilde Memorial Chapel

I have had the pleasure of conducting several weddings at the Samuel Wilde Memorial Chapel which is actually located in front of the Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, Maine. This is a fabulous stone church which makes you feel as thought you have stepped back in times. In fact, recently, the Portland Press Herald highlighted the chapel and the wedding I officiated at in July. Rob and Nicole tied the knot amidst their family and friends and I was happy to be there again.

This chapel was built more than a century ago and over the years has fallen into a bit of disrepair however, last fall the City spruced up the interior to continue to make it appealing and provide it with an opportunity to play a role in Portland's public life.

The history of the chapel in quite interesting. Mary Ellen Wilde, built the chapel in honor of her husband, Samuel Wilde, Jr. Samuel Wilde, who lived in New Jersey, was a wholesaler of coffee and spices. He was active with the underground railroad which helped runaway slaves reach freedom in the North and Canada. Mary Ellen Wilde was born in Falmouth, Maine and she and her husband spent summers frequently on the coat of Maine. As a result, she finally chose the Evergreen Cemetary as their final resting place. Samuel died in 1890, at the age of 58, and the chapel construction began in 1902.
Mary Ellen Wilde built the chapel so that it would be available for non-denominational funeral services for the poor families that could not afford in funeral parlors as the wealthier people could. The cost for building the chapel at that time was $25,000 which in today's dollars would be the equivalent of almost $600,000.

The granite is North Jay white granite, Brownville slate covers the roof and the stained glass windows were made by a Boston company. There is a bell in the chapel tower weighing 765 pounds. The pews and the altar are carved oak, which I have heard were carved by hand. The chapel can seat just over 100 people.

The rental fee for using the chapel for a wedding is $400 for City Residents and $500 for non-residents. There is no charge for using the chapel for funerals. John Dumais is the cemetary manager if you would like more details.