Maine’s long and cold winters leave many soon-to-be-brides a little on the pasty side leading into wedding season. Glowing skin is the perfect accessory no matter what kind of dress you are wearing. Many brides make the mistake of putting off their preparations until the week of their wedding. This can result in embarrassing fake tan incidents, allergic reactions to facials or unexpected tan lines from sitting in a tanning booth or on the beach for too long.

Here are our tips for planning ahead starting now for your summer Maine wedding. We want you to be your most gorgeous self on your big day and a little preparation goes a long way in giving you peace of mind about your looks.

Start Planning 3 Months Ahead

Schedule your appointments with an aesthetician 3 months in advance. Schedule more than one appointment so you are preparing your skin and cleaning it up and still giving your body time to heal and adjust to any changes. By the week before your wedding you should only need a quick visit to do a few touch-ups and deal with any last minute issues that come up. Stress has a huge impact on your skin and working with an aesthetician will help keep any stress related acne or irritations at bay.

Nourish Your Skin With a Healthy Diet

Your skin is affected more by what you put IN your body than what you put on it. Consider your best facial as the food you eat. If you are eating heavy and greasy food (which many people do when they feel stressed) your skin will react to those foods. Feed your body from the inside with fruits, vegetables and lean protein. Try to avoid highly processed foods. Refined sugars and processed dairy are two of the most aggravating foods for your skin. The other benefits of eating well will last far beyond your wedding day.

Add supplements to Your Daily Routine

There are many supplements that will boost your system and cleanse your skin. Fish oil in particular is a cheap and easy addition to your daily multi-vitamin that will help not only your skin but your heart, and overall body function. Check your daily vitamin to make sure it has the optimal levels of the following vitamins which will help your skin heal and glow.

• Vitamin A reduces wrinkles
• Vitamin B3 reduces redness
• Vitamin C clears dark spots and scars
• Vitamin E adds moisture
• Vitamin K reduces dark circles

For other healthy skin advice or to discuss other health issues, consider mentioning your goals to your doctor. They will be able to give you specialized and personalized advice.

First impressions are everything, especially when meeting potential wedding vendors. These are people you are inviting to attend your wedding and they will be meeting and working with your friends and family. Some vendors will get an intimate view into your life for that day and your first impression is a great indicator of how easily you can be yourself around them. Trust your gut and listen to your first instincts, if someone will be hard to work with, warning signs will start popping up when you first meet them.

In order to avoid other red flags that we’ve talked about look out for this one.

5. They Make a Bad First Impression

I can’t stress the value of a 10 minute face-to-face conversation with your potential vendors. If you can’t do it- hire a planner to help. Think of each them as people you are potentially inviting to your wedding. Because you are!

You will learn things in a ten minute conversation over coffee, or via skype or google hangout, that you will never know otherwise. Are they even willing to do it? If not, they probably aren’t willing to go the extra mile at your wedding either. Do they sound stressed out or overly negative? Do they seem well spoken and respectful? Will they be commuting from miles away? What are their plans before and after the wedding? How committed will they be to your overall vision?

You may feel like you are prying, but this is your big day and you are paying for their services. Establish high standards and you will reap the benefits of a seamless wedding. All of the vendors we work with invite these questions and enjoy getting to know the brides they work with. They will be your best friend when you need things done right on your big day.

We are so excited for the 2013 summer wedding season to start.

Russell Caron Wedding Photography took these fantastic photos from Charissa and Joedy’s June wedding. Enjoy!

Maine Wedding Location | MAine Destination Wedding

We’ve talked about 3 major flags when hiring people for your wedding. It may seem like you are prying or asking too many questions, but these are the questions that could save you a lot of headaches, time and money. We want your big day to go without any complications. That process starts with the contract you negotiate. Most brides look quickly over the contract that is put in front of them, before signing and moving on. But just keep in mind, if the contract is written by the vendor, they are keeping their best interests in mind, not necessarily yours. Take the time and do some research before signing the contract to make sure your needs are met and you are fully protected. It will give you peace of mind during your big day.

4. They Won’t Negotiate a Good Contract

Every vendor needs to have a signed contract. No exceptions.

The biggest mistake most brides make is not having the time to really read and negotiate contracts with their vendors. By signing the first contract that your vendor has handed you with little consideration leaves you at risk. A vendor contract is primarily designed to look out for their best interest. Don’t assume they are looking out for your best interest.

Know what you are looking for in a great vendor and don’t take anything less. Can they provide a replacement if they are sick or in an emergency? Do they require meals, hot meals? Are they allowed to drink at the event?  Are you compensating for their travel? Are taxes and fees included in the cost? Is pricing conveyed clearly?

This is when having a planner becomes very helpful. You really need to consider the ramifications of the contract in the overall success and cost of your event.

Don’t just skim it over and sign it. Push back on the things that could affect the success of your wedding day, the timeline, and the cost. Negotiation is absolutely acceptable and expected in the wedding industry.

To say that Flora Fauna is a floral design company doesn’t begin to describe what they are truly capable of doing. Judy has transformed our space to reflect the style and personality of each individual couple that we work with. Beyond the simple bouquets and center pieces, she works closely with our staff to design the reception tables, escort card tables, food displays and anything else our couples need.

Her team is incredibly easy and fun to work with and Judy works tirelessly to raise the standards of what couples should expect from great vendor service.

Check out her work here and contact Judy if you are planning your wedding!

www.florafaunaweddings.com

This is an area that is often overlooked when couples are hiring vendors. You may think that hiring your cousins band or your uncle who is a great photographer is a good idea, but when it comes to the logistics of your event, you don’t want to leave any room for possible mishaps. We make sure that all of our vendors are properly insured and certified, and you should do the same.

Part III. They Don’t Have Insurance or Licenses

Having proper insurance is something that many DIY brides don’t think about until the last minute. It is one of the many details that can make or break a great wedding experience.

Insurance is required for all vendors, but is especially important for vendors who have expensive equipment like photographers, musicians and lighting/tent rentals. You don’t want your great-aunt to be responsible for replacing a 200 year old violin that was recklessly left on a stool by a forgetful musician.

Insurance is also in place with all vendors to ensure the safety of your guests. If your guest trips over poorly set-up mic cords from a DJ booth, or a guest gets sick from a caterers food, they should never be responsible.

If you are hiring your own vendors, ask for a copy of their license and insurance with the signed copy of the contract. We keep extra copies of all our vendors licenses and up to date insurance information as a part of our services.

As a full service event planner and venue we don’t take any chances with insurance and luckily, have never had a single issue. But, we’ve heard too many horror stories of weddings gone VERY wrong by poorly prepared vendors.

Working with Daphne and Justin was incredibly rewarding. What a gracious and beautiful couple. These are the couples that make it worth all the hard work. I’m reminding myself of that as things start to get busy!

Photographer: Kim Chapman Dionne
Flowers: Island Flowers
Band: The Bob Charest Band
Cake: Sweet Sensations
Planner: French’s Point
Makeup: From This Day Forward

As leaders in the destination wedding industry, we have had the chance to work with a wide variety of vendors. From reputable caterers and artistic florists to small part-time wedding bands, we’ve worked with people from every walk of life. The one thing we look for when choosing our preferred vendors, is whether or not they can work seamlessly as a part of our team. This is a characteristic that can’t necessarily be highlighted during an interview or over the phone.

Here are some red flags that your potential vendor isn’t a good team player, and might be more trouble than you asked for.

Red Flags When Choosing Your Vendors : 2- They Aren’t a Team Player

The timeline is the backbone of a great wedding. And every team member needs to share equal ownership of this timeline.

Vendors who specialize in weddings are a special breed. They are not just masters of their creative skill, they are masters of time management. A gorgeous wedding with the most talented vendors will be quickly derailed when a vendor decides to stray from the schedule to take creative freedom.

Although a photographer may be inspired midway through group photos to take the wedding party on a hike to find the perfect natural lighting, the rest of the wedding will be delayed, which means hungry guests, melting cakes and shortened receptions. A band who decided they want to play through their first break so they can jam on their favorite song for 15 minutes means the caterer misses his chance for the cake cutting and they will never get to the father and daughter dance.

In order to find the perfect team of vendors, ask them what experience they have with weddings like yours. Tell them about your overall vision and they will understand how they fit in with the whole picture. I suggest choosing vendors that have worked together in the past and highly recommend each other. A dream team of vendors who are familiar with each other will be able to communicate easily and work out small logistical issues without getting you involved. You should never be pulled away from your big day to answer questions or figure out where vendors are supposed to be.

Finding a trusted vendor means looking beyond creative skills and choosing a group of vendors that work together like a well oiled machine.

Spring weddings in Maine can be absolutely beautiful. The smell of fresh flowers is in the air, and signs of new life are everywhere you look. Nature itself is celebrating a new season and it seems only fitting to celebrate a new chapter in your life as well.

It’s the perfect time to get married for those who want to avoid the over-booked summer wedding season. It can be easier to gather family and friends in the slower months, and for those planning last minute weddings, your dream vendors won’t be booked.

Maine’s weather often has a personality of it’s own. Couples who embrace the season and the unpredictable weather will benefit from creating a truly unique wedding. Here are a few tips to making sure you’re spring Maine wedding is flawless.

1. Be prepared for a 4 season wedding

While in many places you might need a backup plan in case of rain or cool weather, in Maine you should simply count on it. The weather will inevitably change 2-3 times during the course of your wedding day. It may be cool during the ceremony and a light rain might roll in before the sky opens up for a warm evening. This is typical in Maine. Embrace the change and it will make for an incredibly memorable and magical day. Be prepared to offer your guests lap blankets or umbrellas for unexpected weather. Having your ceremony outdoors in Maine is absolutely stunning, as long as you have a few back-up plans.

2. To heel or not to heel

Even on the warmest sunny spring day, the ground will still be saturated from a long winter of snow and rain. We suggest couples getting married in the spring season use the gazebo for their wedding party to avoid sinking high heels. There are always options for brides worried about walking down a soggy aisle. Many bridal shops sell small clear discs to attach to your heels. These allow you to walk in the shoes you love without worrying about tripping or ruining your shoes. It is also common to have your bridesmaids stand on small flat slabs of rock or tile. This creates a very cool look for your ceremony and protects them from sinking during the ceremony.

3. Plan for wind

The breeze off the ocean is incredibly rejuvenating. On a warm day the salty wind can feel amazing. But it also can be problematic for an outdoor wedding ceremony. Be sure to tell your hair stylist that you are going to be outdoors. A good stylist will know the best techniques for creating a gorgeous look that won’t give in to the gusty winds. Also, consider using a small sound system for the ceremony. One of the most unexpected last minute issues will be not being able to hear the ceremony. You don’t want your family and friends to miss the powerful words exchanged during this important moment due to noisy wind.

99% of all major issues at on your wedding day are avoidable.

We’ve seen the good, bad and ugly behind the scenes at weddings– and there is an ugly! Our experience as a destination wedding venue has afforded us the wherewithal to avoid problems before they begin. The brides we work with are typically located outside Maine. They rely on us to find the best vendors for their wedding, and we welcome this responsibility as a privilege. We put all of our vendors through a rigorous vetting process, not just once, but on a yearly basis.

For many brides, choosing a photographer, florist, band or cake purveyor means pouring over websites and intensely studying product images and online testimonials. However, a vendor is more than just a pretty website and newsletter. Vendors are people with incredible talents. While vendors have the ability to make your wedding a stunning event to remember, poor communication and human error of a vendor’s part can cause major issues.

Here is the first part of our 5 part series to help you choose the best vendors.

1. They don’t call you back within 24 hours

The most common problem our brides face is finding a vendor who will call them back. This seems counterintuitive since these are brides with budgets, ready to invest in highly competitive services. We take great care at French’s Point to respond to inquiries and requests within two business hours. If we’re totally swamped with an event, we will at least call you back to let you know that we’ll follow up with you at the end of the day or the following day. Any well respected wedding industry vendor should respond to a client within 24 hours. If you haven’t heard back from a vendor after 24 hours, you should take your business elsewhere. An untimely response may seem like a small issue now, but it is the first indicator unprofessionalism and unreliability.

When the pressure is on the week before or the day of your wedding, you will be overwhelmingly grateful to have chosen a responsive vendors. A good photographer will return your call regarding a change of schedule and good cake maker will make your last minute frosting change without question. A responsive and punctual team of vendors will save you frustration and stress on your big day.