4 | www.realmaineweddings.com
prelude
REAL MAINE WEDDINGS
brought to you by Dirigo Custom Publishing
One Cumberland Place, Suite 316
Bangor, Maine 04401
Phone: 207.941.1300
www.realmaineweddings.com
PUBLISHER
Mark T. Wellman
EDITOR
Melanie Brooks
ART DIRECTOR
Sandy Flewelling
PRODUCTION ARTIST
Ashley Ray
INDUSTRY CONSULTANT
Joan Montgomery
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS
Russell Caron Wedding Photography
Michelle Turner Photography
Emily Delamater Photography
Anne Schmidt Photography
Audra Photography
Nadra Photography
Andree Kehn Wedding Photography
Kivalo Photography
PHOTOGRAPHY
Becca Wood Photography, Brea McDonald Photography,
Brittany Rae Photography, Carol Savage Photography,
Clare Norton Photography, Donna Just Photography,
Eager Eye Photography, Emilie Inc. Photography,
Fidelio Photography, Geneve Hoffman Photography,
Jane Berger Photography, Jennifer Stone Photography,
Kate Baker Photography, Kate Crabtree Photography,
Kim Chapman Photography, Kim Sawyer, Lauren
Halvorson Photography, Mark McCall Photography,
Meredith Perdue, Moody Sands Photography, Noel Small
Photography, Pure White Art Photography, Rachel Bell
Photography, Robert Mitchell Photography, Samantha
Marie Photography, Sarah Marble Photography,
Shane's Wedding Photography, Sierra Kristen
Photography, Soggy Dog Designs, Soubanh Phanthay,
Tony Llerena Photography
ADVERTISING SALES
Christine Parker, Christie Spearen, Gibran Graham
Real Maine Weddings is published annually by Dirigo Custom
Publishing. Stories and photography published in Real Maine
Weddings are chosen for their quality and editorial interest,
and are not associated in any way with the photographer's
or related vendor's decision to advertise or not to advertise in
Real Maine Weddings.
We welcome reader and advertiser input. Submitted
story leads, ideas, and other input will be subject to Real
Maine Weddings' unrestricted right to edit and publish
in the magazine or on the web. Please address written
correspondence to One Cumberland Place, Suite 316,
Bangor, ME 04401. For advertising questions, please call
Christine Parker, Real Maine Weddings sales consultant, at
207.447.2181
Real Maine Weddings is sold at newsstands statewide and
distributed at Maine Wedding Association bridal shows.
Newsstand Cover Dates: Spring 2012 and Fall 2012; published
December 10, 2011, Vol. 5, No. 1 and No. 2, ©2011.
Advertisers, photographers, and their agents are responsible
for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit.
Nothing in this issue may be copied or reprinted without
written permission from the publisher.
For more information,
visit www.realmaineweddings.com.
JOAN MONTGOMERy, MAINE WEDDING ASSOCIATION
WORKING IN THE WEDDING INDuSTRy for the past decade
has taught me that when it comes to planning a successful
wedding, it's all about the professionals the bride and groom
choose to work with.
My organization, the Maine Wedding Association,
produces five bridal shows throughout the state every year
to help you meet those right people. Our bridal shows give
you the opportunity to talk with a variety of Maine's top
wedding professionals face to face, instead of through the
computer.
Take the time to find professionals you're truly comfort-
able with. And before making a final decision, be sure to ask
for the names of that vendor's recent clients. Other brides
are the best source I know for getting honest feedback about services.
The best wedding vendors are true professionals, and you'll find them
throughout this magazine. The advertisers in this book have chosen to be in
Real Maine Weddings and attend Maine Wedding Association bridal shows
because they want to reach you. I hope you'll give them special consideration
when choosing your wedding team.
A WONDERFuL THING happened to me in 2011. I got
married! Planning my very own real Maine wedding was so
much fun, I can see why wedding coordinators love their jobs
so much. I especially liked sharing my journey on the Real
Maine Weddings blog--everything from hiring my photogra-
pher, to choosing the menu, to the angst of figuring out how
to put in my new contact lenses. It really was an adventure.
Since I have been editing this magazine for the past
three years, I have to admit that planning my wedding was
rather easy. I already knew most of the vendors I wanted to
work with purely from putting this magazine together year
after year!
For you, planning your Maine wedding might seem like a
daunting task--especially if you haven't been to many weddings before.
We hope this magazine gives you some creative ideas for your own wedding,
as well as provide you with important information.
In the middle of this magazine is something new this year--a 16-page pull-
out Maine wedding planner. We sincerely hope you use it when visiting each of
your potential vendors and that it helps you stay organized, on task, and on
budget.
your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life. It's when your
family and friends get together from near and far to celebrate you! Make it a
moment in time that you will never forget.
MELANIE BROOKS, EDITOR