Dressed for Success

It's not easy being elegant while you're gigantically pregnant. That being said, the dress that Jessi Sader of FX Dressed designed for The Maven to wear to last weekend's black-tie affair was just that (as was the setting — the Bar Harbor Club is, quite possibly, the best formal wedding venue we've ever seen, and we've seen a lot of them).

Regular readers of Maine Maven know that we're huge fans of Jessi's designs, so it's no surprise that we turned to her in this time of need (have you seen the maternity formalwear out there? Horrifying.) That being said, this dress is a must for ladies of all shapes and sizes — trust us on this one. The Maven chose a floor-length riff on FX Dressed's traditional wrap dress and paired it with one of Jessi's new feathered headbands.

One of our friends liked the idea so much, she's having Jessi make her bridesmaid dresses — an excellent choice. So, if you're in the market for something custom and elegant (not to mention ridiculously affordable), give Jessi a call. You'll be glad you did. And so will your date.

For information, visit www.fxdressed.com

Continue Reading

A Familiar Ring

Editor's note: For details on how to enter our Annie|Catherine bag giveaway, click here.

Valentine's Day isn't quite here yet, but that hasn't stopped us from getting all sappy and romantic.

Case in point: These fingerprint wedding bands from Fabuluster of Topsham. No two are alike, like your love (see what we mean about sappy?) We can't imagine a more perfect union of style and sentiment, and neither could readers of MarthaStewartWeddings.com — the rings were among 20 design finalists chosen from more than 3,500 entries in last fall's DIY Wedding Crafts contest (Maine crafters Little Pink House and Mosey Handmade also made the cut).

Designers Brent and Jessica Williams use a wax casting process to make the gold or silver rings, which can feature the fingerprints on the inside or outside of the band. We like the inside, because it's like a secret between you and your sweetie, but like all matters of the heart, it's a personal decision.

Not quite ready to walk down the aisle? No worries — check out Fabuluster's "Be Mine" ring — perfect for Valentine's Day without the lifelong commitment.

No matter which design you choose, it's a do. An "I do," that is.

For more information or to order, visit Fabuluster's Etsy store or follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fabuluster.

Continue Reading

Maine Wedding Vendors: Road Trip to Creativity

Working in the wedding industry can be a tricky thing. For starters, there's a lot riding on one day. All of the people involved — from the bride to the mother-in-law-to-be — are highly emotional. And everyone has an opinion on how things should look, what should be on the menu, and whether or not turquoise and lemon yellow centerpieces are really the way to go.

For those in the business, it's always a compromise between their vision and that of the bride. But what would happen if, for one day, the vendors could do whatever they wanted, without worrying about budget, taste, weather or other constraints? Well, photographer Brea McDonald (pictured at left), wedding designer and planner Meagan Gilpatrick (pictured at right) of Maine Seasons Events and watercolor stationery artist Sara Fitzgerald O’Brien (pictured center) of Griffin-vites decided to find out.

With the aim of capturing all four seasons in Maine — and showing off their talents without anyone else calling the shots — the women started in spring with a strawberry-themed "wedding reception" staged in Gilpatrick's back yard. For the autumn scene, they packed up a restored 1968 Shasta Astroflyte camper and hit the road. Their destination? Clark's Cove Farm in Walpole, which boasts a scenic apple orchard and all sorts of pastoral beauty.

According to McDonald, it was a great networking opportunity that allowed the vendors to show off their best work — and the best of Maine. Videographer Sara McCormick shot the fall scene and will create a promotional piece, as well. It's likely the resulting images will wind up in The Knot or some other national publication, but the slideshow below will give you a sneak peek. For more photos, visit Brea McDonald's blog.

All photos below courtesy of Brea McDonald.

Continue Reading

Wedding Belle

OK — one last post about the wedding.

Regular readers of this site know that The Maven's little sister got married last weekend. The whole affair was absolutely amazing, and the bride and groom are quite the perfect match.

Last week, when we ran a list of our favorite Maine wedding photographers, we had no idea how wonderful Jessica and Aaron's photographer would be. We didn't recognize the name, and we weren't familiar with her work. Now that we know a bit more about her, we feel absolutely confident recommending Angela Coulombe of Saco. You can see her snapping a shot of Kristen and Jessica in the photo above (credit Jean Lamontanaro). She couldn't be sweeter or less obtrusive, and she has a way about her that put the bride, groom and wedding party at ease.

We can't wait to see the wedding album, but we're sure of one thing: It'll be picture-perfect.

Do you have a favorite photographer? Let us know by posting a comment below.

Continue Reading

Picture Perfect

Editor's note: This will be the last Maven for this week. We'll return to our regular daily schedule on Monday, Aug. 10.

In honor of wedding week, we'd like to give a shout-out to a few of the wedding photographers we admire. At our own wedding, we didn't hire a photographer because so many of our friends are artists and journalists. But if we did, this would be our short list:

Michele Stapleton, a former colleague of The Maven's, is known far and wide for her bridal work, and with good reason: she is, in a word, amazing.

Samantha DePoy Warren of Samantha Warren Weddings is an up-and-coming photographer with a photojournalistic style all her own. Lovely.

Mark McCall's photos have an antique feel about them. We're especially fond of his black and white work, but even when he works in color, the quality of light is such that you feel like you're looking at a Vermeer painting. Gorgeous.

Our beautiful friend Yolanda had Felice Boucher shoot her wedding, and we can see why: her photos are sophisticated and, we think, a touch glamorous.

Have another favorite photographer we may not know about? Share your recommendations by posting a comment below or sending an e-mail to kristen@mainemaven.com

Continue Reading

Sweet Things

Hey, sweet thing. Yes, I'm talking about you, the blushing bride-to-be. Oh, wait. You're not blushing. Your cheeks are flushed because you just had it out with your mother — NO chicken dance — and your best friend refuses to wear the gorgeous bridesmaid dresses you picked out.

Time to call in reinforcements. Namely, Amber Small of Sweetest Thing Weddings. Small is a detail-oriented wedding planner with amazing organizational skills and, most important, great taste. She's planned weddings large and intimate, big-budget and small-budget, super-chic and laid-back. Maine is her specialty and she knows all the secret hot spots. Plus, she's as cute as a button. You'll love her. Almost as much as you love your fiance.

And right about now, more than your mom and your best friend.

For more information, click here.

Image courtesy of Sweetest Thing Weddings.

Continue Reading

Say Cheese

You're such a ham, you're more like a Prosciutto.

At dinner, you're the one who gets up and dances on the table — before any wine has been consumed. If there's a radio van parked in front of a car dealership, you'll pop in even if you don't need a new Honda — hey, you could get on air. And you've been known to go all red carpet on the security cameras at Target.

For you, O dramatic one, we suggest the Maine Photo Booth Co. Whether you're planning a wedding, a family party or a girls' night out, this classic metal booth is just the thing if you want to ham it up old-school.

The Bangor-based owners — Peter Small and his wife, Amber, a wedding planner who runs Sweetest Thing Weddings — will haul the booth anywhere in Maine. A five-hour package includes a CD of all of your photos, an unlimited number of those fun little photo strips in color or black and white, customized graphics and a booth attendant.

The Maine Photo Booth is perfect if you want to strike a pose — or a thousand. So give the Smalls a call. A ham like you deserves some cheese — "Say cheese," that is.

For more information about the Maine Photo Booth Co., click here or call 207.561.0529.

Continue Reading

The Princess Bride

Shopping for a wedding dress shouldn't be painful, but it often is. Between the straight pins (ouch!), the prices ($5,000? For that?) and the salesgirls trying to convince you that mutton sleeves really are a good idea, things can get ugly. Fast.

Don't get us wrong. This doesn't happen everywhere (Thank God for The Henry's), but we've experienced enough tackiness to last us a lifetime.

So when we found out that Greg Tinder recently added custom wedding gowns to his Tsarevich Couture line, our enthusiasm was un-bridaled. Tinder, the creative genius at the Northport-based fur salon and design studio, has an eye for fit — and luxury. His work has been featured in the New York Times Sunday Styles section, and his bridal line is equally press-worthy.

Because he makes each dress individually, by hand, Greg can ensure that each bride gets exactly what she wants. That might mean elaborate Swarovski crystal beading, a Medieval-style gown in icy blue silk, or an elegant sheath with a cathedral-length train. No matter what you choose, his designs will make you feel like you're a fairy tale princess.

And the prices are the icing on the six-tiered, fondant-encased cake. A simple gown starts at $700, though elaborate beading or other exquisite details can quickly bring the price up. Even so, prices like that rival the higher-end offerings at those bridal superstores. For custom. Couture. Without the agony of actually having to set foot in the wedding equivalent of Sam's Club.

We now pronounce you shocked and thrilled. You may now kiss the designer.

For more information, contact Greg Tinder at 207.338.0628 or e-mail orders@tsarevich.com. To view the Tsarevich Couture fur line, click here. Images courtesy of Tsarevich Couture.

Continue Reading