 Camden Maine Bridal Happenings **
 
Already a wedding in 2008 in Camden:
I was so excited, for two reasons, when Sophea contacted me from Mass. and asked me to cover her elopement ceremony and family portraits in Camden. First, I have never done an elopement before and second, to have any wedding work in the winter in Maine is very rare.
So off I went this past weekend to Camden to photograph Sophea and Sergio while they said their vows on a crisp leap year day! In attendance for the ceremony were Sophea's parent's, here son and two Inn keepers. It was so sweet!
Despite it being cold, they wanted their ceremony outside and were game for some outside pictures...like some snaps of them doing their first dance in the amphitheater.
Thanks Sophea and Sergio for including me in your special day
Saying 'I do' weddings
is good for business
February is the month for love and, like many of you, I know couples who are embarking on the exciting, yet often daunting journey of planning a wedding. They have so much to think about, so much to do and so much to spend just to say, “I do!"
After listening to them, I’m convinced that should a wedding ever be in my future, it will be a very simple affair – barefoot on a beach (I’ll save a fortune on wedding shoes!).
What is nice about today’s weddings is that you can have it your way. Whether you opt for a traditional church wedding, a destination wedding to a beach or Vegas, there is no right or wrong way to get married these days. This bodes well for the bride and groom to be, and for entrepreneurs looking for new markets for their businesses.
When we think of weddings and businesses that serve this industry, we often think about the obvious – bridal shops, florists, caterers, photographers and limo drivers. If you fall into one of these categories, you are in a great position to take advantage of a growing industry. According to The Wedding Report, a Web site that tracks the industry, the number of weddings per year is expected to grow to nearly 2.27 million by the year 2010, with the average couple spending $31,400 for their big day.
Destination weddings are also on the increase, and couples are coming to Maine in big numbers to get married. I spoke recently with Amber Small, a Maine-based wedding planner who owns The Sweetest Thing Weddings. Small said that of the 10 weddings she has booked this year, nine of them are couples from out of state.
Think about what this means for Maine’s economy and the opportunities for small businesses. These weddings not only bring couples to Maine, but also their friends and family who will stay in area hotels, eat at restaurants and purchase Maine-made gifts and souvenirs to take home. For many guests, attending the wedding may be their first trip to Maine, but once they realize what a wonderful a place this is, they will likely visit again.
Small also noted that a hot trend in weddings is to provide destination bags for out of town guests that include information about the area, maps, restaurant guides and Maine-made gifts. If you make a product in Maine, this presents an opportunity for you to get that product into the hands of new customers.
Most destination weddings to Maine involve an entire weekend of events to keep the out of town guests occupied. If you have a service or product that would appeal to the wedding party or friends and relatives of the happy couple, you should be marketing to them. Examples might include spa treatments and massages, or special discounts at a retail store. One bride I know arranged for a psychic to offer readings for her bridal party (a risky proposition as I see it). Let's not forget the guys; how about offering golf packages for the groom and groomsmen or deals on other activities guys might want to partake in over the wedding weekend – wholesome ones, of course!
Whatever your specialty, the wedding industry presents a great opportunity to grow your business. There are many ways to market your business to this industry – too many to mention in this column. Start by talking with friends who are planning weddings to find out where they are going for information, and introduce yourself to businesses that already serve the industry, such as wedding planners, florists, bridal shops, among others.
Word of mouth referrals are huge in this industry. So get out there and let people know you would love to do to business with couples in love.
***Camden Maine in the New York TImes for 7/7/07 destination wedding
Among those who have had to scramble to find a place for their wedding on the 7th are Lisl Kludzuweit, 33, and her fiancé, Artie Jones, 35, both from Philadelphia. After calling roughly half a dozen places only to find out that other couples had already taken them, Ms. Kludzuweit booked the Camden Windward House in Camden, Me., sight unseen.
Ms. Kludzuweit said it was important to her to secure this specific day for her wedding, despite the hassles. The couple picked July 7 after finding out that a tumor removed from Ms. Kludzuweit’s abdomen last year was benign. “For us it was symbolic,” said Ms. Kludzuweit. “It just felt so lucky.”
Last weekend a wedding in Camden caused unrest among neighbors of Norumbega Inn. Too loud and too late. I'm sure the guests had a great time. The Windward House is starting to see the honeymoon couples. One couple came by and will be honeymooning in New England for a whole month. What a great way to start forever.
**May 23rd 2007: Couple gets married on the lawn of Camden Real Estate Office. Officiate, Bride, Groom, witness and photographer seen around 5:00pm on a Wednesday afternoon. The office has a pretty water fountain on the lawn. I guess even Real Estate Agents fall in love in Camden. A wedding ceremony could be anywhere. Camden has so many pretty anywheres.
**A beautiful bronze sundial has been added to the Amphitheather in Camden.The Sundial rests out back of the Camden Public Library. It was commissioned over 60 years ago by Mary Louis Curtis Bok. After it was completed, the sundial was misplaced until a few years before 1989 when it was found in an old tool shed on Atlantic Avenue.
**2nd Bride to be seen in Camden this season. A small Cinco De Mayo Wedding Ceremony was held at one of the local Bed and Breakfasts over the weekend. A little rain on Saturday didn't stop this fiesta.
**My Camden Wedding announces the addition of the Maine Coast Diamond Wedding. The Retreat at French's Point and The Camden Windward House join together to create a wedding that offers all the best the coast has to offer. Read more on our French Point Wedding page.
**Champagne Truffles:Maine Gatherings in Downtown Camden Maine offers a selection of Finest Kind chocolates (The best chocolate in New England - try searching for them on the web, I can't find them, leading me to believe little elves make them here in Camden). One chocolate in the selection is champagne truffles. These truffles in addition to a tiny bottle of Pink Pommery POP are a wonderful treat for your guests. Gift boxes for guests can be pakaged and wrapped directly from the store in Camden.
August 2007-
"A Love Project" is exactly how it reads. It was created by two people in love, who enjoy traveling together to bed & breakfasts, finding a lively romance in every nook and cranny, and who wanted to hear from others who had also found their soul mates...
Two young lovers go from Bed and Breakfast to Bed and Breakfast and leave a wooden box that lovers can leave love notes in. They hope to publish a book with love notes from guests that follow them on their little adventures.
Bride sighting:
***Cheers to the couple that wed in Camden Harbor Park on March 20th 2007. Decked in boots and winter coats the couple said their vows with an ocean view under a tree.
Small 5 person wedding. What fun and memories for them
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