All of us at Sperry have a lot to reflect on and to be thankful for. We opened a new office in Greenwich, hired some amazing new employees and completed our busiest season ever! But we have all of our amazing vendors, clients and organizations to thank for our successes over the 2011 season. We also had some awesome opportunities to partner with amazing non-profits and philanthropic organizations throughout the season – some were old friendships and some new as well! We got to work with two different eco-fests, the American Independence Museum, the Kennebunk Prom, Strawbery Banke and the New Hampshire Film Fest as we have in the past, and also had the pleasure of partnering with Windrush Farms, Pink Pint Night, the Coolidge Mansion and too many more to list. At the end of our season, between donated tents, discounts and monetary donations, Sperry is proud to announce that our philanthropic efforts exceeded $28,000. Thank you all for allowing us the opportunity to further the reach and impact of your organizations! And we look forward to another incredible year of partnerships in 2012

The New Hampshire seacoast can be a lovely place for weddings and events, but for the spouses of military members, a move to the seacoast area can be daunting and isolating. Being apart from family and friends is hard enough, but to then also separated from their spouse? That’s a hard sacrifice for anyone to make and even harder to endure all alone. In an effort to ease the emotional stress, the families of the Pease Air Force members have built a strong supporting community of their own – the Military Spouses Club. This club meets as often as possible to complete volunteer tasks in the surrounding area (they adopted two families this holiday season), raise money to fund their own events and most importantly, provide a support system for all the men, women and children who are part of the Air Force. A young club, they are still developing a strong network and defining their role in the local area, but most importantly, they are working towards developing an extended family of wives and husbands who offer free babysitting, restaurant tips and always a shoulder to lean upon when times get tough.

In an effort to raise funds while providing a night out for husbands and wives who give so much of their lives for our country, the Military Spouses Club held the 1st Annual 64th ARS Blue Tie Dinner this past weekend at The Old Salt and Lamie Inn in Hampton, NH. Everyone showed up in their blue ties and blue gowns for the evening and enjoyed a child-free night of delicious food, fun and games, and a raffle that left one lucky attendee leaving the restaurant with a Sperry tote full of Sperry swag

If you have any questions on how you can join the club or would like to be a part of their efforts, please contact Ashlee at Ashlee718(at)gmail(dot)com and she can point you in the right direction. They have many events coming up this February, including an adorable father-daughter dance the Saturday before Valentine’s Day and even a Very,Very Valentine’s Day Dance at The Children’s Museum. Sperry was proud to help fund the 1st Annual Blue Tie Dinner and we look forward to a long-lasting partnership with the Military Spouses Club at Pease. (And for all those unmarried Military couples… we do provide military discounts on tents!)

Check out some photos of the very blue (but only in color) evening!

Sperry Tents Seacoast is a proud supporter of the museum and all of its events throughout the year providing tents for many events including their annual Ghosts on the Banke. From its food and beer festivals to its Civil War reenactments, for over 20 years Strawbery Banke has been looking to find ways to bring New England history to life for all ages and expertly exceeds in connecting children (from one to ninety-two) to their past and educating them on how their history and present can affect their future.

Early morning flight to Austin

You can see they are just bubbling with excitement

Surveying the ranch - yep, this would be a good place for a tent

Jesse in a forklift trying to outrun the MAC truck carrying our full-floor direct from NH

The southern yellow pine feels right at home in Austin

Laying down the floor like pros

She's up!

That 66x126 feels right at home nestled in the landscape of Wild Onion Ranch

Loving the signature Sperry daytime glow

Patiently waiting to be transformed by the amazing Victoria Hentrich!

And then the cows came home...

Inside the capitol

The Sperry boys in front of Austin's capitol

Home sweet home - The Wild Onion Ranch

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? Love is in the air...

The Sperry boys learned to two-step one night at the Broken Spoke

One big happy two-steppin' family

Some of us really got into the Texas spirit and let their true inner cowboy emerge…..do you think he could fit in a carry-on?

Capt. Strata atop his mighty steed

One of the biggest events of the celebration was their Victorian Gala. Sperry Tents provided the tent for the evening, but the White Mountains provided the perfect backdrop for the women in their 20 pound hoop skirts and the men in their top hats and tails. All the guests arrived in true Victorian attire and after posing with the 1918 Pierce Arrow, stepped back in time upon entering the Sperry tent – which naturally reminds guests of a bygone era when all cars had shiny mahogany dashboards.  Guests at the gala received a commemorative ticket, the evening’s program printed on a wood-handled fan and the ladies received the all-important dance card (to be filled by admiring suitors of course). The evening – as promised – was like stepping into an Edith Wharton novel. It was an era where the only things that mattered were posh evenings, expensive dinners and ornate garb — a time when society people “dreaded scandal more than disease. The gastronomy for the gala paid homage to the 1890 Glen House, beginning with hors d oeuvres of lamb with mint sauce, stewed lobster a la newburg, and asparagus a la flamonde. The main course offered a choice of Beef Burgundy, Chicken Fricassee or Roasted Haddock and the fine menu was elegantly paired with Mt. Washington’s very own Reisling, served in a commemorative wine glass.

The evening progressed with a visit from Darby Field who waxed poetic about the mountain’s history and his treacherous trek up the mountain back in the 1600’s, followed by the arrival of a horse-drawn surry (although I use the term horse very loosely) rolling right into the tent! After cutting the obligatory birthday cakes and guzzling the bright and sparkly champagne, both dance cards and the dance floor started to fill up. The traditional waltz gave way to chorus line high-kicks (which proved difficult with those hoop skirts…) only to be paused for an elaborate 45 minute firework display.

Albeit the flash rain shower which doused the Mt. Washington women in their bright makeup and victorian curls while trekking to the event, the evening went as smoothly as a viennese waltz. Upon the conclusion of the celebration, guests stuffed their hoop skirts and commemorative gala gear into their 20th century vehicles and returned to their chaotic lives full of e-mails, fast food and flat-ironed hair. The guests of the gala drove back to their modern lives, with only memories and photos to remind them of an antiquated affair, where dancing, dining and delightful diversions were the order of the evening.

One of these things is not like the other...

Yeehaw! The Sperry boys have touched down in Austin, TX for a fabulous wedding at The Wild Onion Ranch this Saturday orchestrated by the lovely Victoria Hentrich of Creative Consultants (also, be sure to check out an article in New American Luxury magazine’s Event issue featuring her amazing work, on stands soon!)

First things first, we gotta herd these cattle outta the way so we can put up the tent.

The one on the right seems like a charger

Come back son y’all to see more photos of Sperry’s adventures in Texas!

Below are some photos highlighting some of our favorite ways of lighting a Sperry tent. Enjoy!

Love, of course, is the reason for celebrating a wedding. It’s the day when two people promise their everlasting love, illuminating a lifetime of happiness and devotion. Thoreau eloquently described the power of love simply as, “love must be as much a light, as it is a flame.” Without a flame, there is no light. Without love, there is no… love! And without lighting, Sperry Tents don’t seem to reach their peak natural elegance. Be sure to talk to us about exactly how you’d like your Sperry Tent to look both day and night, and we promise to help make your dream lighting come true!

And from these three simple truths Pink Pint Night was born! Pink Pint Night (hereinafter PPN) is the brain child of the incredible and talented Jen English, who wanted to find a way to raise funds for non-profits while providing a night out for women full of – you guessed it – shopping and beer. A host of amazing vendors line the outside of the venue providing guests with the opportunity to purchase Alpaca scarves at one booth, jewelry from Stella and Dot at another, and then learn how to Samba a few booths down. At the epicenter of the venue is the lifeblood of the event – the beer and the food. Local restaurants and microbrews offer up their goods to daring guests and fill up the signature Pink Pint glass (free with every ticket purchased) with local seasonal brews. Each booklet that comes with the Pink Pint glass tells a little about each vendor and sponsor, and provides space for guests to rate which beers they liked most. At the end of the evening, a story of a benefactor of the chosen non-profit is told to the guests emphasizing the whole point of the night. Yes, the event is meant as a place for women to chat, purchase and drink, but at the core it is a creative and successful attempt to fulfill the human philanthropic desire.

You think the evening is just for the ladies? No way! PPN provides a ‘blue tent’ offering leather couches, complimentary cigars and samples of fine alcohols. (True, the ladies may have the bigger tent, but the guys seem to have the comfier couches.) With valet parking, available restrooms and someone who will wash your free pint glass upon leaving the tent, Jen truly ensures that each guest feels pampered throughout the evening.

There are numerous Pink Pint Nights throughout the year hosted in different towns benefiting various non-profits. Sperry Tents sponsored the PPN which was held in Portsmouth in September. Sperry donated the 46×125 tent for the evening giving vendors plenty of space to peddle their wares, ample room for restaurants and breweries to offer their goods and just enough space for guests to mingle. The proceeds of the night went to Jaden’s Ladder – an incredible non-profit that assists survivors of domestic violence with life-enhancing, post shelter programs and support that build confidence and foster self-reliance. At the end of the evening, the story of a young girl who would receive a scholarship through Jaden’s Ladder funded by the proceeds of PPN was told to all the guests. At the beginning of the speech, the happy crowd clapped and cheered for Jaden’s Ladder, but by the end of this young girl’s tale, only the sounds of sniffles could be heard under the big top. A successful end to a momentous evening. Sperry couldn’t be happier to have been a part of PPN and looks forward to many many partnerships in the coming years.

Check out the website to take part in your local PPN, or contact Jen and suggest other locations. A young idea, PPN has potential for incredible growth which will only be spurred by your contribution to the cause!

Location: Martha Stewart’s home, Bedford, New York
Videography: Anna Davis of Open Eye Media
Ceremony Music: Elan Artists Chamber Orchestra
Reception Music: Carte Blanche of Elan Artists
Tent: Sperry Tents
Cake: One Girl Cookies
Grooms’ Attire: J.Crew
Stationery: Cheree Berry Paper
Favors: One Girl Cookies and Harney & Sons Tea
Event and Floral Design: David Stark Design
Event Planning: David Reinhard Events
Catering: Callahan Catering

You can also check out the wedding featured on Martha Stewart Weddings and you can see a video of the adorably head-over-heels in love couple on freedomtomarry.org’s blog. Enjoy!