Beach wedding in Maine??

[sklingem]

Hey guys - does anyone know of venues with (private) beach access in Maine? Ideally they would NOT be part of a hotel but available for rent, with the possibility of setting up a (privately)catered buffet. I don''t want to be at the mercy of pre-set menus, outrageous charges for drinks etc. Wedding would be fairly small (i.e. <100 people). Any ideas?
Thanks a bunch!

 

[luckystar112]

One place I REALLY wanted to have my wedding was Laudholm Farm in Wells, ME.

It''s a historic barn located on the wells reserve, so lot''s of pretty land surrounding it.
Also, it''s got it''s own path to a private beach.

It''s not a hotel, and they do accept catering.

The other thing I like about this location is that guests can fly in to either boston or portland with not too far of a drive. Also, Wells is a huge tourist spot! As other the other little towns in the area, like Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, etc. Lots of little shops and TONS to do.

Here are some pics...scroll down a little bit

http://www.wgphoto.typepad.com/

and this site has more information about a wedding
http://www.wellsreserve.org/facilities.htm

 

[NewEnglandLady]

When we started planning and wanted the same criteria (non-hotel, private beach, smaller wedding, etc.) the first thing we started looking at was coastal B&Bs or historic landmarks that could be rented out. Maine has many coastal B&Bs or historic lighthouses that you could consider. We ended up renting a private home...having the option of choosing any caterer we wanted, providing our own wine, champaign, etc. was really nice.

Are there any towns that you guys want to focus on?

 

[luckystar112]

Yeah...what towns are you looking at?

I like NEL''s idea.
Another thing we were thinking of doing is renting a house on goose rocks beach and throwing a big clame bake out by the water. In fact, I wish we were still doing that.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Hehe, that''s exactly what we did, Lucky. Rented a private estate on the water, have family stay all week (so much fun) and had a relatively formal clam bake for the wedding...we even wore lobster bibs, haha.

Even when looking at some of these websites for places in Maine I''m seeing several weddings with clam bakes...I always thought it was more of a rehearsal dinner kind of thing, but who knows.

 

[sklingem]

Thanks for your input! I have also started looking for houses to rent but without much success (?) Maybe you can help me out. Nels, do you have a list of B&B (do those rent out houses for private events???) and/or lighthouses we may consider? I am flexible with regards to the location, though it should not be toooo far from Brunswick. My GF really wants a beachfront/oceanfront, so that is a must. We were also planning on doing a clambake/lobsterfest. Problem with what I have seen so far is that there is no yard/space to set up a tent ... argh. I am rambling here, but you get the idea. Thanks for any additional info ...

 

[Selkie]

What about this place? Ocean Woods Resort, Kennebunkport. It mentions lobsterbakes, but doesn''t say whether they allow you to arrange your own catering.

 

[sklingem]

This is the best I have found so far ...
http://www.ducktrapretreat.com/

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Here are a couple of private homes in Scarborough, which appears to be between Kennebunkport and Brunswicki:

Huge 10-BR Oceanfront Home
http://www.vrbo.com/59245

Smaller 5-BR Oceanfront Cottage (I believe on the same property as the larger estate--you could rent both for guests?)
http://www.vrbo.com/53355

Have you guys considered getting married on an island? I think it sounds like fun! Here is an oceanfront home on Bailey Island
http://www.vrbo.com/33280

Here are some options in Kennebunkport with private beaches (more $$):
http://www.vrbo.com/55502
http://www.vrbo.com/130585

I think getting married at the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol is a GREAT option:
http://www.lighthouse.cc/pemaquid/

You have to rent it through the town of Bristol and they charge based on the # of guests.

Also, I''ve seen many wedding photos at Portland Head Light (ME''s oldest lighthouse) but am not sure if you can rent it for weddings?
http://www.portlandheadlight.com/

There are lots of lighthouses in the area, I''m sure that if this one doesn''t allow weddings, several others do.

And finally, the B&Bs. I like bbonline.com and they have a list of all B&Bs in Maine that host weddings:
http://www.bbonline.com/me/weddings.html

There are tons of options!! It can be overwhelming when trying to decide!!

 

[sklingem]

Thank you so much! You rock Nel! How weird is it for a guy to look into these things before having proposed???? LOL.

 

[sklingem]

"I think getting married at the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol is a GREAT option:
http://www.lighthouse.cc/pemaquid/
You have to rent it through the town of Bristol and they charge based on the # of guests"

Nel, I also saw that - do you happen to know whether you can rent the entire property/grounds?
Thanks!

 

[Lurchie]

If you want to be near Brunswick, have you looked at Harpswell/Orrs/Bailey Islands? I''m getting married at the Driftwood Inn on Bailey Island - it''s on the ocean, but there isn''t much beach. www.thedriftwoodinnmaine.com. They are not really set up to do weddings specifically, (and don''t do them in July or August, their busy season) but have been very accommodating for us. I think the Orr''s Island yacht club can handle private parties.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Date: 6/3/2008 3:51:46 PM
Author: rob09
'I think getting married at the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol is a GREAT option:
http://www.lighthouse.cc/pemaquid/
You have to rent it through the town of Bristol and they charge based on the # of guests'

Nel, I also saw that - do you happen to know whether you can rent the entire property/grounds?
Thanks!

From what I've read it sounds like you rent sections of the lighthouse. It is a popular spot for weddings (I think one of the reasons is because it's the lighthouse on the state quarter), so they rent certain sections of the lighthouse out to different weddings.

ETA: I don't think it's strange at all for a man who hasn't proposed to be looking at this stuff, I think it's very sweet!

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 6/3/2008 10:52:39 AM
Author: luckystar112
One place I REALLY wanted to have my wedding was Laudholm Farm in Wells, ME.

It''s a historic barn located on the wells reserve, so lot''s of pretty land surrounding it.
Also, it''s got it''s own path to a private beach.

It''s not a hotel, and they do accept catering.

The other thing I like about this location is that guests can fly in to either boston or portland with not too far of a drive. Also, Wells is a huge tourist spot! As other the other little towns in the area, like Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, etc. Lots of little shops and TONS to do.

Here are some pics...scroll down a little bit

http://www.wgphoto.typepad.com/

and this site has more information about a wedding
http://www.wellsreserve.org/facilities.htm

Too funny! We considered WG when we were looking at photographers. She''s very nice and quite talented, I thought.

We''re getting married in York, but not on the beach. Our venue is a popular restaurant that also does weddings often. The coordinators are great to work with and the food is great! If you''re interested, I can pass along the info.

 

[sklingem]

Thank you all for your help! OK - have to shift focus again on proposing. Was thinking about doing it in Paris next Spring but maybe I will strike earlier. Planning a one-week backpacking trip with my gf for late Summer/early Fall (not sure where yet - Montana, Wyoming or Washington) that may just be a good place, since we both met on a backpacking trip!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Have a great time on your backpacking trip, that should be fun! My husband is going out to Montana, Wyoming and Washington (as well as a few other states) to climb in Yellowstone and Mt. Hood next week. The pictures look very beautiful--I always used to wonder if he'd propose during one of our climbing trips since it seemed to suit us well and you always feel really close to your partner after you've done something particularly challending together.

He proposed in Paris instead, so needless to say, I think both of your ideas are great. However you do it, she'll love it!

 

[sklingem]

NEL- that is funny. We seem to have quite a lot in common! Do you think that a backpacking proposal would be more or less "obvious" than a Paris one? Both would be great but I am a big fan of surprises, so ... I have told my gf that Paris is one of my favorite cities (I have been there quite a few times) so going there would not be "exceptional" so to speak. She is not expecting a proposal anyway ... any thoughts?
R.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 6/3/2008 2:55:38 PM
Author: rob09
Thanks for your input! I have also started looking for houses to rent but without much success (?) Maybe you can help me out. Nels, do you have a list of B&B (do those rent out houses for private events???) and/or lighthouses we may consider? I am flexible with regards to the location, though it should not be toooo far from Brunswick. My GF really wants a beachfront/oceanfront, so that is a must. We were also planning on doing a clambake/lobsterfest. Problem with what I have seen so far is that there is no yard/space to set up a tent ... argh. I am rambling here, but you get the idea. Thanks for any additional info ...

I''m not sure how far the Kittery area is from Brunswick, but I''ll throw this idea out there anyway. We considered Fort Foster in Kittery to have our rehearsal dinner. There are a few beach spots, and they have two pavillion areas for gatherings (with picnic tables and an overhang for cover). I know rehearsal dinners and parties are held there a lot - maybe weddings too. You could call and ask. We were going to have the Muddy River Smokehouse cater it. They do BBQ and clam/lobster bakes, and their food is GREAT! There''s a Muddy River in Eliot and one in Portsmouth (but I think it''s the one in Eliot that is in charge of catering -- speak to Gary if you call).

As far as lighthouses go, Nubble Light is really popular. It''s part of Sohier Park, and I know weddings are held there as well. Because Nubble''s such a tourist attraction though, I''m not sure how that aspect is dealt with. I haven''t attended weddings there but for a small gathering, I know it''s a popular choice for couples.

We contacted the York, Wells, and Ogunquit Town Halls and Chambers of Commerce to inquire about public space to rent on the beach, and unfortunately, there didn''t seem to be many options other than what I''ve mentioned.

Anyway, I''m not sure if this is of any help but I thought I''d pass along some info. I learned about when looking into our possible wedding venues. Ultimately, as I mentioned before, we went with a restaurant. One stop shopping and they''ve been great to work with.