Love and Lobster Coastal New England Weddings

9.5.10 Jaime and AJ

Bar Harbor, Maine

It began in the summer of 1999, AJ and the boys were cruising around Bar Harbor checking the scene for friends and “summer girls.” At this same time Jaime and her girlfriend cruised Bar Harbor checking the scene for “summer boys.” Well she found a local one… One passing glance turned into a game of catching up with the other and when they finally met up on the town pier, AJ peered out of the side of his SUV down at Jaime in her red sports car and said hello. They went in their different directions and disappeared into the night without even getting each other’s names. However Jaime would never forget the silver SUV with the Maine license play “R-Baron.”

The summer passed by with each setting sunset and the leaves began to turn into autumn gold colors. It was clear to AJ that the summer had passed and his final year at Roger Williams University was fast approaching. The past three years seemed like a blur and he was anxious to graduate and head out into the financial world. The thought of the girl in the red sports car danced in his head and wondered why he had never seen her again.

After a few short days back on Roger Williams University campus AJ drove down to the student union to purchase the necessary books for classes. Shopping turned into an hour or more of hanging with friends and catching up on the summer. Unbeknownst to AJ, the girl in the red sports car was writing a note to leave on his windshield. AJ strolled out of the union with books in tow and saw the piece of paper on the windshield, not giving it much thought until he opened it and began to read it: “Hey R-Baron, do you remember the girl in the red sports car? Give me a call!” The words filled his mind with amazement and excitement. No way! Does she go to RWU too?! That night he called her…

credits (clockwise from top right): Audra Bayette, Rachel Bell Photography, Stephanie Williams Photography, Justin Marantz, Meredith Montague, emilie inc. photography, Cunningham Photography

Budgeting for your wedding is a personal process unlike any other, a blending of the highly emotional with the ruthlessly pragmatic.  Your right brain screams for orchids and caviar while your left brain shrieks for carnations and pigs in a blanket. So where to scrimp and where to splurge? Where can you afford to save a few bucks and what’s worth the extra money? We checked in with an expert, event planner Kate Martin of Beautiful Days, for some answers. Here are her top recommendations:

SCRIMP

Local flowers. The same farms that offer food also offer flower perfection! From June into October, local fields are filled with gorgeous seasonal blooms. Explore a local farmers market to ask about what might be available around your wedding date. If you are flexible on colors, just ask them to put together bunches of flowers that you can pick up and have a few of your gals help you put them into mason jars or vases found at flea markets. Gorgeous, easy and thrifty!

Sweets and treats. Let me start by saying that the cake is one of my favorite parts of a wedding. I have always been a sweets addict and I cannot wait for that slice of cake. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot to have a heavenly treat served to your guests. If you have a favorite bakery, ask them to put together a sampling of their best treats, a few cakes and maybe a plate of chocolate truffles and you have yourself a delightful dessert table. If cutting a cake it a must, have a small special cake made just for you and your groom.

Boogie nights. If it’s in your budget for a band, then go for it. But if live music isn’t important to you, book the best DJ you can find. He or she will still keep the party rocking all night long and save you plenty as well.

SPLURGE

Local food. Depending on the time of year, local Maine and New Hampshire farms offer so much variety and deliciousness – heirloom tomatoes, scrumptious squashes, perfect pears, cheeses, grass-fed beef, golden honey. Work with your caterer to incorporate local foods and flavors into your meals. It may cost a bit more, but think of the flavors and the fact that you are supporting local farms.

Photography. Your wedding day will go by in a flash, as much as you try to embrace and hold on to every moment. Having a fantastic photographer to capture the day is crucial, but even the best can’t be everywhere.  If your photographer offers a second shooter for the day, go for it! Every detail of your day will be recorded.

Dress it up. Don’t underestimate the impact the perfect linens can make. You have picked your colors, carefully chosen just the right bridesmaids dresses, the perfect mix of flowers -why not take it up a notch and bring in more color and texture with just the right linens? Whether it’s a runner, overlay or full cascade of color to the floor, a little extra spent on linens will make a big difference in the overall design and vibe of your party.

Staying on track. Finding that right person to help guide you through the planning process and be at your wedding for the ceremony, rehearsal and wedding day is invaluable. I am partial to this, being a planner and all, but honestly the amount of stress taken off your shoulders knowing that on your wedding day all the pieces will come together is worth it!

Thank you Kate! If you’d like to contact Kate about your next event, reach her at 207-384-4703 or kate@beautifuldaysevents.com.

With half of its inventory already dedicated to the color of wedding wear, White House |Black Market’s new foray into bridal apparel seems a natural fit.

The distinctively two-toned clothing retailer has just launched its wedding boutique, an online collection of remarkably affordable gowns, accessories and bridesmaids’ dresses that shoppers can browse with the (free) helping hand of a style specialist. Whether by phone, email or live chat, the boutique’s nuptial ninjas will dress and accessorize you from head to toe, as well as your wedding party and even select guests. (If this all sounds familiar, we featured a similar service at Nordstrom’s a few weeks ago. A girl’s gotta have options, right?)

Take WHBM’s Katharine bridal gown, a tower of ecru satin bedecked with a simplified bow and flowing sash. For such an elegant look, the dress boasts a shockingly low price tag of only $348. Pair it with their crystal-studded bow earrings, lush double rose clutch, and delicate satin sling backs for a complete wedding ensemble that’ll put you back less than $500. Plus, buy one jewelry item right now and get the second 25% off – so throw in the glittering glass pearl bracelet too. Wear it with jeans on your honeymoon for some instant glam.

On the other side of the color spectrum, WHBM’s black strapless bridesmaid’s dress is a feat of figure-flattering ruching. And the store even makes an exception to its namesake hues for this ruby-toned rosette dress. Either would set your gals back just $178.

WHBM’s bridal collection is showcased in select stores (New York, L.A., Houston and Chicago), but if you’re not within driving distance, hit up one of their stylists for guidance on ordering and fit. Two colors, so many possibilities.

Over the Labor Day holiday, Hurricane Earl threatened to slam New England with gale force winds and treacherous waves, rather rudely timing its expected landfall for one of the area’s most popular wedding weekends. Thankfully, Earl stayed out to sea, but many couples were left wondering right up to the last minute about guests’ travel plans and whether to dismantle their reception tents.

Even the most expertly planned event can fall victim to disaster. But wedding insurance can help to safeguard you against the unforeseen, as well as lend some peace of mind. Wondering what’s covered and whether to buy some? Here’s the skinny.

What is wedding insurance?
Much like car or homeowner’s insurance, a wedding policy protects the investment you’ve made in your big day. That includes covering costs in the event that your wedding must be cancelled or postponed due to circumstances beyond your control. Anything from a major storm to a fire at your reception hall to an unexpected illness. Wedding insurance can reimburse you for the site rental, reception food, flowers and other expenses.

What does wedding insurance cover?
Unforeseen problems involving the site, vendors, weather, key, people, illness and injury.  The list of possible scenarios is long and varied but could include:

• Your ceremony site catches fire and burns to the ground, or the power goes out at your reception location on the day of your event
• Your catering service no shows, your florist uses your deposit to pay for a flight to Bora Bora or your bridal salon goes belly up before you can pick up your gown
• An ice storm prevents you, the officiant, your family or the majority of your guests from reaching the ceremony site (a few snowflakes don’t count)
• The groom is stricken with a case of pneumonia or the father of the bride breaks his leg in an auto accident the day before the wedding.

You can also buy supplemental coverage for loss, theft or damage related to photography and videography services (it could pay for a reshoot), gifts (bad taste isn’t covered) and attire (your bridesmaid’s lost luggage). Another area is personal liability insurance, which covers property damage and personal injuries that take place during the wedding. Say, your niece scribbles her name in marker all over the bridal suite’s walls, or Uncle Ron face plants on his way to the bar for another gin and tonic.

What doesn’t it cover?
A change of heart, for one thing. Cold feet don’t count, nor does anything you knew about before buying the policy, such as an illness.

How much does it cost?
A basic policy will run you anywhere from $125 to more than $500, depending on the cost of your wedding and the coverage you want. The liability insurance typically costs around $200. Be sure to read the fine print about maximum covered amounts and the deductible.

Do we really need it?
Check with your vendors to see what insurance coverage they carry before you buy your own, and ask to see their policies to avoid purchasing overlapping coverage. If you’re hosting an intimate event, you could get away with a less expensive policy or risk having no coverage at all. Policies tailored to military personnel who face shipping out at a moment’s notice might also prove well worth the money. If you do decide to buy wedding insurance, meet with an agent sooner rather than later (some companies limit how far in advance you can purchase a policy).

Fate may have brought you and your honey together, but remember, it has a way of disregarding well-laid plans (and nonrefundable deposits).

Who doesn’t love cake? At weddings, they’re certainly a highlight and signify a time-honored tradition that dates back to Roman times! Local baker Jessica Parrott, owner of Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott, has mastered the art and thensome, as she offers a range of treats from dessert bars to fabulous cupcakes in a jar. We were intrigued with the idea of the jarred goodness and asked if we could document the process for this week’s Inside Peek. Enjoy!

L&L: Tell us a little about you, your background and the history of Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott.

PARROTT: I have always loved food.  I remember being small and watching Two Fat Ladies on the Food Network and being absolutely mesmerized by their desserts (and their accents).  Growing up, there was always something cooking or baking in the kitchen so my love for food continued.  I actually remember the first cake I ever made: I was probably 11 or 12 and it was a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.  I remember seeing the Two Fat Ladies bake the cake and thought it was the coolest color and looked delicious and my love affair with cakes and sweets became a staple in my life.

Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott came to be, I believe, by accident.  Throughout college I had always thrown dinner parties for birthdays and would make a cake (either a simple layer cake, a pig, and a Guinness bottle) I love coming up with creative ideas and that continued after I graduated.

After teaching for a couple of years, I would find myself day dreaming about sweets and this was when I decided I should focus on something I love and try to make it work.

The name “Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott” (strange, yes I know!) obviously comes from my last name but the rest of it actually comes from a slogan finder my sister and I jokingly used probably about four years ago.  The name was initially a joke but then it just stuck!

L&L: Describe the range of services that you offer. What is the bulk of your work?

PARROTT: I love sugar and anything that has to do with sugar!  This leaves me with a very WIDE range of services for any type of event beyond weddings.  The bulk of my work does seem to be mostly weddings which include cupcakes, cakes, whoopie pies, sea glass candy and really anything in between.  As dessert tables have become more popular in the party and wedding scene I have gravitated towards them more because: A. they are a blast to do! And B. they allow me to be creative beyond just the desserts – including prop work, art and painting, and design.

L&L: Of all the treats that you bake, what is your most favorite? And how do you have the will power to not sample all your sweets? Or do you?

PARROTT: I do have a couple of favorite treats that I make.  If I sampled and ate everything I made I probably would be 5000 pounds so I try to keep my sampling to a minimum but I am not made of steal and crack sometimes!  I LOVE carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, coconut cake, anything with chocolate Ganache, and COOKIES (seriously any cookie! Yum!)

L&L: Baking for a wedding is a daunting task. Where do you do your baking? How long does it take? And do you have help?

PARROTT: I try not to make a wedding cake more stressful than it has to be.  I organize and plan by writing out lists of what I need grocery wise and what I need to bake.  I do my baking in a professional kitchen that I rent in Portland that works out fantastically!  It allows me to bake larger quantities.

I usually start my wedding cake process on the Thursday before the wedding (if the wedding is on Saturday, Wednesday if it is on Friday). I never freeze any of my products so I try to bake the closest I can to the day of the event.   So, baking starts on Thursday, filling and frosting happen of Friday and Saturday is reserved for any last minute details or details that cannot be placed on the cake until “day of.”

Oh help, how I love thee!  Thankfully I have a fantastic husband, mother, father, sister and mother and father in-law who help out when I desperately need it (either it be deliveries or putting 150 whoopie pies in to bags and tying them with a ribbon!). But the large majority of what I do, I do by myself.

L&L: How do most of your wedding clients find you? How far in advance should couples order their wedding day yummies?

PARROTT: Most of my wedding clients find me through word of mouth and referrals.

I love to meet with brides at least three months before the wedding (but earlier is always nice!). I like having enough time to plan, come up with ideas, and do research on design and flavors.  But I have done a number of “emergency” cakes with a couple of weeks notice (I don’t know if I would ever be able to turn down a bride or groom in need!).

L&L: Describe the process of working with Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott.

PARROTT: Most of my initial consults start via email and sometimes phone calls.  What I usually do is ask what the bride or groom is thinking they would like for their cake (cupcakes, cake, dessert table, etc.), how many people are attending their wedding, where their reception is and the date.  Once I have received that information, I give them an estimate of cost and if the bride or groom like what they see I set up a time to meet.  For meetings, I ask couples to give me a list of different flavors of cakes, frostings, and fillings they would like to try and I prepare them.  At this meeting, we sit around the table, try cake, discus their wedding designs (colors, flowers, feel, look…), look at pictures, and so on.  I try to have a super relaxed environment for any tasting because its cake… it is suppose to be fun!!

L&L: What is the most challenging part of your job (we’d guess the delivering!), and the most rewarding?

PARROTT: Delivering is a huge challenge, especially in the hot summer months!  Another challenge is taking on large projects and multi-cake weekends.  Weekends are usually are an absolutely crazy time with little to no sleep and it can sometimes be a challenge with more than two or three cakes, but I always pull through and I love the hard work.

The most rewarding part is delivering the cake (even though that can be the challenge!)- the actual dropping off or setting up and seeing the finished product is just fantastic!  And obviously the “Thank You” emails and notes, that is always the best to know people love what you are providing for them!

L&L: What was the most memorable wedding dessert you have baked and/or seen and why?

PARROTT: My most memorable wedding dessert was the first wedding where I did a dessert table, candy table, and a wedding cake.  We had a lovely two tiered cake, 400 mini desserts (including Bride and Groom chocolate dipped strawberries, mini cheese cakes, brownie pops, and Red Sox sugar cookies) along with 75 pounds of candy. It was a huge challenge but everything came out so gorgeous that I could not be anything but excited and happy!

L&L: You currently live in Portland, and also grew up in the area, too. What “must-see” places and eateries do you suggest folks from out of town check out while visiting Maine?

PARROTT: I love Portland because it is right on beautiful Casco Bay.  I would suggest anyone who is out of town for a visit to hop on a ferry and head out to the surrounding Islands.  If you hit up Peaks Island check out the Inn on Peaks; they have amazingly delicious food and great local beer.  In Portland on a beautiful summer day or evening, the Portland Lobster Company on Commercial Street is also a great place to hit up because you can sit on their dock drink some great beer and eat fresh sea food… fantastic combination!!

L&L: Thank you for giving us an inside peek into Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott. If readers want to get in touch with you to schedule an appointment, what is the best way for them to reach you?

If you would like to reach me there are many ways!  Please check out my website www.nothingbakeslikeaparrott.com, follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/jessparrott and my phone number 207.650.1579.  The business aspect of Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott is home based at 37 Arlington Street.  This is where we would meet for tastings and creative process meetings.  I am always available on my phone and my email at Jessica@nothingbakeslikeaparrott.com.

Thank you so much for showing us how you create your fabulous portable cupcakes, and sharing a bit of insight into your business, Jessica! And lucky readers, Jessica is offering you 10% off a dessert table or 10% off “Cupcakes in a Jar”!!! Sweet!