The Winning Wedding Invitation Design is...
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote! The "Whimsical Calligraphy" design was the winning choice, taking home 47% of the vote!
A big THANK YOU to our invitation and paper goods partners:
VOTE for Alyssa's Wedding Gown from Spoil Me
Alyssa, her mother Nancy, and two of her bridesmaids had a BLAST picking out wedding gowns at Spoil Me in Falmouth. Alyssa had her choice of a Lee-Ann Belter dress, and she tried on a dozen beautiful gowns. Three of them stood out from the rest, and those three are what you, the public, gets to vote on. Scroll down to see photos of each and make your selection at the bottom. Each dress is very different—and we can't wait to see what you like the best!
Mathia
Tess
Sasha
A big THANK YOU to our bridal gown sponsor:
Bridal Gown Shopping at Spoil Me and Wedding Cake Tasting at Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott
By Alyssa Kavanagh
A famous wedding dress designer once said that you will know a dress is “the one” when it sings to you. Despite all the years of watching Say Yes to the Dress and other wedding related shows that feature brides who have that magical moment when they know the dress is perfect (complete with tears and hugs all around), I was unconvinced. Those of you who know me know that I am not the most decisive person in the world. As the highly anticipated wedding dress shopping day drew closer, my excitement grew… and so did my nerves. What if I couldn’t find the right dress?
I was never the girl who had her whole wedding planned out. In fact, I was basically a clean slate going into this whole process! But, the dress…that was a different story. Ever since I was little girl, I dreamed of the day I would go shopping for my wedding dress with my mom. I knew that this would be such an extraordinary time for the two of us. You see, my mom and I have such a special relationship. My father left us when I was just a baby, and since I am an only child, it has always been just my mom and me. She is my partner in crime, my confidante, and my best friend. When I was a child, I sometimes wished that my father was a part of my life. As an adult I realize that my mom and I have been blessed with this incredibly close bond. I would not change it for the world.
When we arrived at Spoil Me this past Saturday, it was completely surreal. This was the moment I had been waiting for. Would it be everything I imagined? The short answer to that is YES! It was everything I imagined and more. The whole day was absolutely perfect.
Since I was running a little late (oops!) on Saturday morning, most of my entourage was already waiting at Spoil Me when I arrived. I was so excited when I walked through the door of the boutique! Cathy, the owner, and a few staff members were there to greet me. Not only is the boutique absolutely beautiful, but the consultants were incredible! They were so attentive and made me feel like a princess. I was like one of the problem brides on Say Yes to the Dress because I did not have a very specific description of what I wanted for a dress! All I knew was that I did not want a ball gown and aside from that, I was open. After asking me how I wanted to look of my big day, my consultant, Ana, immediately started pulling dresses off the racks that best suited me. Since I knew that I was going to get a Lea-Ann Belter dress, I was admittedly researching her designs and falling in love with them over the past month.
When Ana left me alone in the dressing room with five dresses to start trying on, I was in heaven. I noticed that one of the gowns was one I had picked out on Lea-Ann Belter’s website and I just had to try it on first! I slipped on the dress, looked in the mirror, and was shocked. It is so crazy to see yourself in a wedding dress for the first time! As Ana clipped the back of the dress so that it fit my body, I just knew. It sang to me. It was the very first dress and it was perfect. I could not believe it! I will always remember the looks on everyone’s faces when I walked out of the dressing room for the first time. I was so blessed to have not only my beautiful mom, but also the most amazing and supportive group of ladies there with me: Annelise and Kelly (my very best friends), Melanie from Real Maine Weddings, Amber and Kathryn from Sweetest Thing Weddings, and Emilie from emilie inc. photography. They made me feel so beautiful and loved.
I tried on nine or 10 more dresses that morning, and though I kept comparing everything to that first dress, I found two other gorgeous dresses that I love. As soon as I finalized my top three choices, my consultant suggested that I try those three on again. This time, I was wearing a veil and I saw tears well up in my mom’s eyes. I am so fortunate that I have three stunning dresses for the public to vote on! I cannot wait to see what you all choose! Thank you so very much to Cathy and all of the ladies at Spoil Me for creating a magical wedding dress shopping experience. You don’t have to go to Kleinfeld’s in New York City to find a gorgeous designer dress and superb bridal consultants; you can find it all right in Maine at Spoil Me! I would highly recommend the boutique to any bride, either in Maine or out of state.
Following our morning at Spoil Me, we all met up with my handsome groom, grabbed lunch, and headed over to meet Jessica at Nothing Bakes like a Parrott for our wedding cake tasting! This was undoubtedly the part of the process that Nick has been most looking forward to…and I think he fully enjoyed every second of it.
The sweet aroma in this adorable bakery practically had me salivating as soon as I walked in the door. Jessica is not only creating our dream cake, but also a dessert buffet for the reception! How lucky are we?! Jessica had dozens of different flavored cupcakes for us to try, as well as samples of other pastries. We were in HEAVEN. Everything was so delicious! It was honestly harder to choose our wedding cake flavors than it was to choose a wedding dress!
For our wedding cake, Nick chose his favorite flavor and I chose mine…I think I’ll keep those a secret for now! However, you will all get to vote on the wedding cake design. Jessica discussed her ideas with us and I know that her three designs are all going to be amazing! I’m glad that this decision is yours, not ours! We will definitely be stopping into her bakery whenever we are in Portland.
After we said goodbye to most of the group, Nick and I went back to Cross Jewelers with Melanie so we could be fitted for our weddings bands. Last time I was there, my finger got swollen from trying on so many rings (poor me haha!) and they needed to make sure that the size is accurate. Karen has been so wonderfully helpful throughout this process; I’m convinced that you cannot get this kind of service from a big chain.
It was the most PERFECT day and I cannot thank you all enough! A HUGE thanks to Spoil Me, Nothing Bakes Like a Parrot, Cross Jewelers, Emilie from emilie inc. photography, Amber and Kathryn from Sweetest Thing Weddings, and Melanie from Real Maine Weddings for making this happen! Nick and I are still pinching ourselves and very much looking forward to our next adventure in June.
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Photos by emilie inc. photography
The Winning Reception Design is...
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote! The "Romantic" design by Sweetest Thing Weddings took home 59% of the votes.
A big THANK YOU to our wedding planning team:
VOTE for Alyssa & Nick's Wedding Invitations from Papier Gourmet & William Arthur
Alyssa and Nick poured through three huge William Arthur invitation books at Papier Gourmet and picked out three of their favorite designs—and it wasn't easy! Luckily, the hard work in picking THE design is up to you! Below are three choices. Please vote for the design you think Nick and Alyssa should send to their guests...
Whimsical Calligraphy
Metallic & Ribbon
Soft Blue & Gold
A big THANK YOU to our paper good sponsors:
Nick & Alyssa visit Papier Gourmet, Hurley Travel Experts, & Cross Jewelers
By Alyssa Kavanagh
Wedding planning kicked into full gear this week and we could not be happier! Nick and I both took Tuesday off from work and headed up to Portland for some meetings with a few of our amazing vendors and a cocktail party at Grace. Everything finally started to sink in on Tuesday. It was the most amazing day! My cheeks hurt by the end of it because I could not stop smiling.
With us throughout the day was our amazing team: Melanie and Christine from Real Maine Weddings, Amber and Kathryn from Sweetest Thing Weddings, and Emilie from Emilie Inc. Photography. Nick and I seriously could not have dreamed of a better group of people to be by our side throughout this process and on our big day. They are all so sweet and supportive; we feel incredibly fortunate to be able to work with them! Thank you ladies! Also, a huge thank you to Nick! I have been so impressed with his involvement and enthusiasm about the whole wedding planning process. He’s a keeper!
The day began with a meeting about invitations and paper goods at Papier Gourmet, the most adorable stationery store I have ever seen. The store is just filled with papers and invitations of every color, size, shape, and style; they have everything you could ever dream of and more! The sample invitations from past brides and grooms hanging on the walls add a personal touch, creating a warm and intimate setting for a wedding stationery meeting.
Nick and I felt comfortable from the moment we arrived, thanks to Pamela and Valerie! They began explaining the basics of wedding stationery and let us look at samples to get a feel for what we like. Since we knew very little going into this meeting, the endless options were a little overwhelming at first. However, we were able to narrow down hundreds of designs to three beautiful options with their expertise. Pamela and Valerie were so wonderful to work with, both incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their work. They made a seemingly intimidating process fun and easy! The wonderful staff at Papier Gourmet will not only be helping us choose the rest of the paper goods for the wedding, but also guiding us in proper etiquette and wording. I am looking forward to our next meeting! Nick and I are very excited for the public to begin voting on our invitations; we absolutely love all three options, so it will be fun to see what people choose!
We met with Beth at Hurley Travel Experts next to discuss our honeymoon options! Our honeymoon will be at a Sandals Resort in Jamaica, so Nick and I were tasked with choosing our three favorite Jamaican locations (out of seven!) for the public to vote on. This was the easiest decision to date, as Beth is a Sandals expert and helped us choose the perfect destinations for the type of honeymoon we would love. Each Sandals Resort has a different atmosphere, and Beth helped us choose resorts that will be conducive to relaxation. Yay! Neither of us has ever been to Jamaica and we are so excited to experience it for the first time in such an amazing way! All three options are breathtakingly gorgeous and I cannot wait to see what the public chooses for us.
Our final appointment of the day was at Cross Jewelers to choose our wedding bands! When I saw a ring on Nick’s finger for the first time, it truly hit me…We are getting married! Cross Jewelers is such a lovely place, and the staff creates such a welcoming environment for brides and grooms. I just love the history of the store; they have been helping couples choose their wedding bands for over 100 years! We are honored to be a part of that history. Nick and I had met Karen and Caroline at the 2012 Real Maine Wedding of the Year press conference back in Freeport a few weeks ago, and we were so happy to see them again! Karen, Caroline, and Steven were all incredibly knowledgeable and walked us through the whole process. Poor Nick could not fit most of the rings on his ring finger, so he had to try them on his pinky! It was very cute.
With Karen’s help, Nick and I both choose three gorgeous wedding band options for the public to vote on. I must admit, the decision was not very difficult, as Cross Jewelers has such an outstanding selection. I cannot wait for everyone to see the rings we chose!
Following the meetings, Melanie and Christine hosted a meet and greet cocktail party at Grace. This was the part of the day I had been looking forward to most; Nick and I absolutely could not wait to see the wedding venue and meet all of the vendors who are making our dream a reality! When I walked in the door and saw Grace for the very first time, I was completely in awe. Nick and I had seen beautiful pictures online, but they did not do it justice. It is absolutely gorgeous. Breathtaking. It is incredible to stand there and realize that that is where we will become husband and wife. Christine showed us the actual room where we will get married and it is beautiful and intimate, just perfect. I am beyond excited about Amber and Kathryn’s vision for the ceremony space! But I think that part will be a surprise.
During the cocktail party, Nick and I (along with our moms and part of our wedding party) met almost all of the vendors involved in our wedding. It was so humbling to know that everyone was there for us and we had such an amazing time getting to know them. Nick and I absolutely loved all of the vendors we met! Everyone was so warm and kind, not to mention incredibly generous.
Beyond donating their goods and services, Nick and I received some gorgeous gifts Tuesday night. Katie from Day's Jewelers presented us with stunning Swarovski toasting flutes, Beth from Sea Bags gave us a charming wine tote, Beth from Hurley Travel Experts gave us a book about the founder of Sandals, and Julia from Andrea’s Bridal gave me an adorable “bride” tank and fashion emergency kit that will surely come in handy on the big day! Thank you all so very much!
We feel honored and so grateful to be able to work with some of the very best vendors in Maine. We cannot thank you all enough! If there is one thing that Nick and I have learned through this journey thus far, there are no words to fully express our gratitude. But, we will keep trying…THANK YOU all so very much! We could not be happier to have your support and we are so excited to work with you all in the coming months!
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Photos by emilie inc. photography
Meet & Greet Cocktail Party
This past Tuesday, we invited our 2012 winning couple, Alyssa and Nick, along with their families to a cocktail party at the Grace to meet the 32 vendors who will be helping them create the wedding of their dreams in Portland.
Alyssa and Nick's wedding ceremony and cocktail hour will be held at the Grace on November 2nd. After the ceremony is held in the basement event area of the historic church, guests will walk upstairs to the main dining room for a cocktail reception.
This was the first time Nick and Alyssa had ever been to Grace, and Emilie from Emilie Inc. Photography was there to capture their expressions as they walked in the door for the first time. Priceless!
Our guests had the opportunity to sample some appetizers and desserts from the Grace menu, and introduce themselves to the winning couple. It was a festive and fun occasion and everyone had a blast!
In the photo above, Alyssa talks with Nicole from Sandals Luxury Included Vacations, who came all the way from Boston to attend, and Beth from Hurley Travel Experts.
The photo team (minus J) from Emilie Inc. Photography—Emilie, Whitney, Denise, Megan, and Stephen—were on hand snapping photos. Whitney even caught our editor, Melanie, and Emilie, who was without a camera in her hand for the first time all day!
We couldn't be happier or more thankful for the support of all of our partnering vendors. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Nick and Alyssa!
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Photos by emilie inc. photography
VOTE for Alyssa & Nick's Reception Design from Sweetest Thing Weddings
Sweetest Thing Weddings has created three design themes for Alyssa & Nick's wedding based on their likes and preferences. Please take a moment and vote for your favorite theme: Romantic, Modern, or Traditional! The winning design theme will be announced on Monday, April 30th.
Creative Meeting!
Alyssa and Nick made the trek from Cambridge, Mass. to Bangor, Maine for a meeting at the Sweetest Thing Weddings studios today. Amber Small and Kathryn Ravenscraft, the duo behind Sweetest Thing Weddings, had created three design themes for Nick and Alyssa's wedding, based on their likes and preferences. The couple couldn't have been more pleased with what they team had come up with, and we can't wait for you all to vote on them!
Starting Monday, you, the public, will have two weeks to cast your vote on the design theme of Nick & Alyssa's wedding at the Holiday Inn by the Bay. The most popular design board will be implemented into their reception on November 2nd, so vote wisely! The three concepts will be displayed right here on the 2012 Contest Blog.
We had a LOT of information to go through, including scheduling meetings in Portland for the rest of the wedding aspects that will be voted on by the public. Every two weeks we will be giving the public the opportunity to vote on certain aspects of Nick & Alyssa's wedding, so check back often! We are so excited to get started...
Introducing our RMW of the Year bride, Alyssa Kavanagh
By Alysssa Kavanagh
It has been three days since Nick and I were announced as the winners of the 2012 Real Maine Wedding of the Year contest at the Freeport Bridal Show and we are still completely in shock! The contest period was such an amazing journey, which culminated in one of the happiest moments of our lives! We feel so incredibly blessed and grateful to be given this tremendous opportunity. Thank you SO much to Real Maine Weddings, all of the wonderful vendors, and our amazing families and friends for making our dream come true! This is more than we could have ever imagined and we cannot thank you all enough!
The last few days have definitely been an emotional roller coaster, and we were so lucky to share them with such amazing people. My nerves really started to kick in on Saturday morning, after the public voting closed and I realized that there was nothing more we could do! All we could do was wait. Fortunately, Nick stayed calm and we had some great friends who kept us busy!
When Sunday morning rolled around, I was a nervous wreck. I could tell Nick was nervous, too, but he was trying to hold it together for me! We were doing ok until we drove across the Maine line and then we really started to get anxious! Once we saw the Freeport sign, it all felt so real.
Upon our arrival at the Hilton Garden Inn, Christine greeted us; she was so sweet and comforting when she saw how nervous we looked. We saw Melanie next, and she made us feel right at home. After Nick and I met up with our family members, we walked around the bridal show for a bit and ran into the other two finalist couples, Tammy & Tim and Eliza & Andrew. We actually were lucky enough to meet Tammy and Tim by chance a couple of weeks ago and we loved them. They are so sweet and genuine, just all around lovely people….and they have such a beautiful love story! It was so cool to meet Eliza and Andrew as well after all these weeks of voting; I felt like I knew them! They had such a great video and seem like a really fun couple! Both couples were incredibly deserving and we feel honored to have taken this amazing journey with them! We wish them all the very best, a lifetime of love and happiness!
All three couples, families, and friends met with Melanie and Christine shortly before the announcement to go over logistics. When they introduced the wedding planners from Sweetest Thing Weddings, Amber and Kathryn, I was feeling so anxious! That hour before the announcement was one of the longest hours of my life! Yet, I was still late for the press conference! My friends, Annelise and Kelly, and I ran to the restroom shortly before the press conference and I spilled water on the front of my dress. Annelise and Kelly were frantically dabbing my dress with paper towels when someone ran out to say everyone was waiting for us to begin! I’m glad I got this out of my system now, so hopefully nothing happens to my wedding dress! However, if anything ever did go wrong, I know that my best friends would be right helping me like they were yesterday!
As soon as Nick and I got to the podium, Melanie began the press conference. As Melanie spoke about the history of the contest and thanked all of the vendors involved, I was freaking out. I will be the first to admit that I was a total mess…shaking uncontrollably and probably more nervous than I have ever been in my life—and my mom was probably more nervous than I was. When Melanie announced our names as the winners of the 2012 Real Maine Wedding of the Year, it was pure elation (as you can see in Emilie’s amazing photograph of that moment)! After that, it was a whirlwind of screams and crying, hugging and laughing. Just amazing. It is a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life.
Nick and I were interviewed by news stations right away and then met many of the vendors we will be working with over the next several months. When we finally sat down with Amber and Kathryn, our (gasp!) wedding planners, we were SO excited! They are amazingly talented and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for us! We finished the day at Linda Bean’s with our family and friends, where we watched our interview live on the local news.
Thank you so very much to everyone who has supported us throughout the past couple of months! Words cannot describe how much this means to us. The outpouring of love and support is truly humbling and an incredible reminder of how many beautiful people we are blessed to have in our lives. So many of you took the time to support us, even if you did not know us, and we are forever grateful. I am positive that Nick’s dad is smiling down on us.
Here’s to the ride of a lifetime! We cannot wait to get started!
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Photos by emilie inc. photography
