Portland, Maine, August 2, 2008

What could be more Maine for a wedding (not to mention romantic!) than being on a beautiful white schooner within sight of Portland Head Light, exchanging vows while the captain officiates? Kurt told me his vows perfectly;I stumbled a bit as I looked into his eyes. He held my hands so tightly, only letting go long enough to take the rings our friends had cut loose from their lanyards.

We were aboard "Wendameen," a lovingly-restored 1912 schooner that is owned and operated by Portland Schooner Company. Our family and friends were with us as witnesses, and we all had a wonderful time together as we sailed about scenic Casco Bay that afternoon. The sky was gray and, at times, it was a bit cool out on the water, but Kurt and I saw nothing but happy faces! We had a wonderful wedding day, and we enthusiastically recommend Portland Schooner Company to any couple who would like to have a wonderfully different kind of wedding day in Maine.

Just a little about us and why we decided to have a Maine wedding at sea.

Kurt and I are an older couple. We were matched by eHarmony in 2005 - on my birthday! (It was a "perfect match" and we were engaged shortly thereafter, so having a meaningful, romantic wedding has always been important to us.) At the time we were engaged, we both lived quite a way from our family in New England, so we assumed we'd elope and have an informal family gathering later. Then, Kurt received a job offer that brought us to Maine in 2007. Moving to Maine opened possibilities to include others in our plans. Getting married here gave our guests the opportunity to see our new home and get a taste of Maine.

I am a first-time bride, but probably old enough to be mother-of-the- bride for most of you. If I had gotten married in my 20s or 30s, I probably would have wanted a different kind of wedding. But, my interests and priorities now are different from then, and I think what Kurt and I decided to do was "just right" for our special relationship, our time in life, and the current state of the economy.

I was not interested in a traditional wedding. I wanted to have something relaxed and on a small-scale, so Kurt and I could enjoy time visiting with our guests, especially as some were traveling long distances and were going to be with us both before and after the wedding day. Kurt concurred. I used to work in the travel industry, so past experience in event-planning came in handy. We had about 4 months to do everything. You probably can do more for your day if you have a longer timeframe to plan for your wedding.

We set a modest budget for the wedding sail and dinner on land afterward but, through imaginative planning and with the helping hands of family and friends, our wedding time was a rich and memorable experience for everyone. My best friend from college, who has attended many weddings, says that our wedding was the best one she's ever attended. Her advice to brides-to-be: "You don't have to spend a King's Ransom to have an incredible day."

So, where to get married and by whom? Kurt and I were not interested in either a formal church setting or an impersonal civil ceremony. We found out that, in Maine, you can get married by a Notary Public. So, was there a low-key but very romantic place in Maine where a Notary could "do the honors"? How about a boat? I remembered seeing something about weddings in a brochure I had from the Portland Schooner Company. We live near Portland's waterfront area, so we see their two schooners out on Casco Bay quite often, and we knew them from a previous experience.

We went on their 4th of July Fireworks sail in 2007. We watched the fireworks in a downpour. It was very cold and very wet. We rushed to get a few tasty morsels of dessert in our mouths before the homemade blueberry pie was washed off our plates, but the very attentive crew had plenty of hot coffee to help keep us warm. We had a wonderful time. If a crew could make us smile under those conditions, just imagine what they would do on a nice day? Their brochure says captains are licensed to officiate. I sent them an email, and Michelle Thresher replied "We love weddings!" She also confirmed that their captains are Notaries. And, the rest is history! Getting married on a sailboat is very different from what most folks think of as a wedding party venue, but it was "a perfect match" for us!

As soon as we booked our wedding day, we called every invitee, and then followed up with detailed wedding invitation packets. Because we had a non-traditional venue and some guests said they'd like to take some extra time off to tour Maine, we included trip- planning/day-of-wedding instructions, maps and brochures in the invitation packet. We mailed packets about 8 weeks ahead, so guests would have ample time to plan for their time in Maine. Portland's visitor center on Commercial Street was very helpful in providing the brochures I needed. I put together my own packets, but the visitor bureau's staff told me they regularly prepare packets for people who are planning special events in Portland. (As the staff can be rather busy at times with walk-in visitors, they recommend that you call them so you can speak with a convention planner. Call 207-772-4994 x239. They can also help you with lodging and other local arrangements.) Portland's current guidebook has the Wendameen on its cover. What great timing for our wedding! I put a "see you there" post-it on the cover! I also was able to use their very helpful regional map to give directions, and show my guests where to go for parking, the sail, and the dinner afterwards.

Before the wedding day, I emailed back and forth with the company. I asked all sorts of questions. All questions answered; no question ever considered stupid. If you have never done anything like this before or have not done much sailing, don't be afraid to ask questions to make sure you and your guests will have a wonderful time. You will be communicating directly with the husband-wife owners, Scott Reischmann and Michelle Thresher. They are very knowledgeable and open to ideas. Michelle was my contact during initial planning. Scott helped me with actual "on the boat" details. He and I did a detailed "walk-through" on the boat two weeks before the wedding, which was very helpful.

On the day of our sail, our guests arrived about a half hour beforehand, and the crew allowed two of my friends to go on board ahead of time to stow my gear and prepare food/beverages for the sail. I wandered around doing this and that both on shore and on the Wendameen. We had some special food needs to consider for our guests, so we self-catered the sail. We worked with our local grocery store (Shaw's in South Portland) for both the sail and the dinner afterward. For the sail, we had Nantucket baskets filled with seasonal fruits, crackers, cheese, plates, napkins and cups. Nothing messy, like salsa. All self-contained, easy to move around the deck, minimal chance of spilling. My friends were able to put together the baskets in about 15 minutes, and get back above in time to hear pre-sail instructions from Capt. Matt Ridgway. No one had to worry about food service after we left the dock. Coolers were put into place and secured by the crew before general boarding. They have non-skid pads to keep baskets and platters in place on deck.

The crew made sure everyone was able to embark/disembark and move about the boat safely. (We didn't have anyone with mobility issues but, on the 2007 trip, we saw how they are very good about caring for guests in wheelchairs. They are also very good about keeping an eye out for children.) When I came on board that day, I thought the captain would tell me his suggested route for the afternoon. Instead, he asked me where Kurt and I would like to sail. What a wonderful treat! I immediately asked if we could be married within sight of Portland Head Light. Matt and his crew made it so. (Thank you, Matt, Rob and Kim!) After the ceremony, we sailed around the Bay. We saw another bride on a Peak's Island beach on our way back to port. (I would love to exchange photos with her, if anyone can help us connect!)

One nice thing about the Wendameen is that you can have a very informal event like ours, or dress it up. The boat would look lovely with flowers. There are a lot of options for food service, and I have been told they can put together their two boats to accommodate larger parties. They also do overnight trips. (For our sail, Wendameen's sister ship, The Bagheera, came by to greet us.) The Wendameen can accommodate 40+, but we enjoyed our day of being able to move about with only 22 aboard.

I have been told some brides come dressed and change after the ceremony; some stay in their gowns the entire time. (I did not want to have a formal gown for our day at sea. Kurt and I both wore white pants, white tops and sail shoes. We also had jackets on hand in case it got cold.) There are several berth areas below where you can change and stow gear. Space is limited both there and in the galley, but please keep in mind that you are on a sailboat! We had a great time taking photos of guests in various spaces below decks!

One of the best aspects of our wedding sail was that our guests got to meet and visit with each other in an incredibly relaxing situation. We had plenty of space to walk about, stand or sit in groups, explore below. Or, just sit and look out. Being out on the water helps "works out the knots" you get in the everyday world, said one guest. To keep the intimate "just family" feel of the day, we did not have a formal photographer. Instead, our guests and we took candids and then we combined them into one album, synchronized by time. Kurt posted our wedding kiss on Google's map site. This new technology. It's incredible!

After the sail, we had a barbeque at the RiverPlace's clubhouse, which looks out on the waterfront of Portland's historic Old Port. As we had a small group and knew some guests had special food needs, we did not have a traditional dinner or wedding cake. Instead, we offered build-your-own-kebabs, and our dinner manager cooked each kebab to-order. He had warm grilled shrimp satays ready to welcome guests as they arrived. For dessert, we enjoyed French pastries that my parents brought from a favorite bakery of mine that is near their home in MA. Except for a few items on the menu, everything was made from scratch. Hosting a relatively small group, we were lucky to have had the flexibility to offer foods everyone could eat.

Being new to the area and only having a few months to plan everything, I felt a bit lost at first when it came to finding someone to help us with food service and getting things ready at the clubhouse while we were on the sail. (Another party was scheduled at the clubhouse the afternoon of our wedding, so we couldn't set up ahead of time!) I called Noreen Savage, the manager of Shaw's/South Portland, to see if she might have any ideas. She referred me to her Deli Manager, Greg Raymond. Well, Greg took on my mission as his own, working with me as both my food consultant and my dinner manager. He introduced me to Diana Gokey, Shaw's Floral Manager, who put together an absolutely gorgeous centerpiece for the buffet table. Greg coordinated the menu, shopping and preparation, so we were able to save time on food service for both the sail and the dinner. I couldn't have done this without him and the rest of the team at Shaw's.

After our wedding day, Kurt and I took off a week to rest and relax at home - and to spend some time with guests who stayed on to visit with us and tour Maine. We visited Portland Head Light the morning after, and took photos looking out toward "our wedding spot". And, we ventured out beyond Portland during the following days. We found what, to date, I consider the best lobster roll in Maine. (But, I am still on My Quest!)

We walk to Bug Light Park quite often. Now, if we see Wendameen sail by, we smile and tell folks nearby "That's our wedding boat!" Most sigh and say, "Oh, how romantic!"