Arts :: Culture
Bay Windows’ Wedding Guide by Hannah Clay Wareham
Associate EditorTuesday Feb 9, 2010 A collection of our favorite LGBT-friendly (or LGBT-owned) vendors, services, and venues that will work hard to help make your big day one you’ll never forget. From invitations and wedding stationary to linen rentals and finding your dream destination wedding, Bay Windows is committed to your special day almost as much as you are.
Vendors & Services
Engagement rings/Wedding bands
• Wedding Ring Workshop - Spend a day at the Flying Marquis Studio in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and come away with a pair of wedding rings made with your own two hands. Goldsmith Ann Cahoon will guide couples through making their partner’s wedding band themselves! http://www.weddingringworkshop.com/local/Rhode_Island/about.html 866-583-6982; appointment only
• Tender Beauty Pearls - This women-owned company sells fine pearl jewelry at up to 90% less than mainstream jewelry stores. The pearls will accent any wedding ensemble; the ring collection makes for a unique engagement or wedding ring. http://www.tenderbeautypearls.com/index.html 877-PEARL-01
• Sachs Jewelers - Sachs Jewelers allows customers to "build" their own engagement rings and eternity rings, featuring different carat weights and metal types. http://sachsjewelers.com/ 877-37SACHS
Location, location, location
• Lake Pearl Luciano’s - On 25 landscaped acres of land overlooking Lake Pearl in Wrentham, Mass., you’re sure to find a setting that fits your dream wedding. Lake Pearl Luciano’s can accommodate anywhere from 50 to 550 guests, and all with style. http://www.lakepearl.com/ 508-384-3003
• Searles Castle at Windham - Look no further for the elegant wedding you’ve been dreaming of. The authentic English Tudor castle, built in 1915, is nestled in Windam, N.H. on 175 acres of forestland. http://www.searlescastlewindham.com/ 603-898-6597
• Hamilton Hall - The historic Hamilton Hall rests on Chestnut St. in Salem, Mass. and features an elegant period ballroom and outdoor park. http://www.hamiltonhall.org/ 978-744-0805
• Chesterwood - The perfect Berkshires backdrop for your wedding or commitment ceremony, the Chesterwood estate offers formal gardens and rural landscapes and can accomodate parties of up to 500 guests. http://www.chesterwood.org/index.php?page_id=71 413-298-3579 ext. 210
• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - Hold your wedding or commitment ceremony with a community of open and affirming believers in North Quincy, Mass. http://www.goodshepherdquincy.org 617-328-8348
• Courtyard Cambridge - The Courtyard Marriot in Cambridge, Mass. is giving away a free wedding reception valued at up to $7,500. Write a short story about your most memorable romantic moment, and you could win big. http://www.yourmemorablemoments.com/cambridge/love
• Santarella - A fairy tale-esque setting for your dream wedding, Tyringham’s Gingerbread House is nestled in the Berkshires, surrounded by a lily pond and winding stream. http://www.santarella.us/ 413-243-2819
• Salem Cross Inn - Overlooking a breathtaking 600 acres of rolling meadow, the Salem Cross Inn has been a destination for weddings since 1961. The Inn’s chefs will customize your wedding menu to your exact specifications, and delicate wedding cakes are baked on-site. http://www.salemcrossinn.com 508-867-2345
• Emmanuel Church - The Emmanuel Church in Boston celebrated its first same-sex union almost 30 years ago! Clergy of all denominations are welcomed to officiate there, and offers architectural jewels as the potential settings for your wedding or commitment ceremony. http://www.emmanuelboston.org/ 617-536-3355
Wedding Planners
• Extraordinary Wedding - From budget to bouquet toss, Extraordinary Wedding planners will be at your side, helping to shape your special day. http://www.extraordinary-wedding.com/ 617-818-3222
• Preliminary Actions - For a unique and memorable event, work with Preliminary Actions in planning your wedding or commitment ceremony. Let them sweat the small stuff! http://www.preliminaryactions.com/ 508-981-0106
• Green Weddings - Visit Boston’s first-ever Green Wedding showcase will be held at Hyatt Harborside at Logan Airport on Sunday, Feb. 14 from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Have an eco-friendly wedding! http://www.elegantlygreenweddingshowcase.com/
• Gay Wedding Expo - Same Love, Same Rights (partner to the Rainbow Wedding Network) offers a nationwide Gay Wedding Expo tour, showcasing LGBT-friendly vendors. http://www.samelovesamerights.org
Invitations/Stationary
• OutVite.com - Partnered with the Rainbow Wedding Network, West Boylston’s OutVite.com offers custom printed LGBT wedding and commitment ceremony invitations, save-the-date cards, thank-you notes, napkins, and coasters. Offering a convenient "Print at Home" option and a Web page devoted to wedding etiquette, OutVite.com will make sure nothing gets lost in translation. http://www.outvite.com 1-866-OUTVITE
• JenShar Creations - Known for trend-setting, one-of-a-kind invitations, JenShar Creations offers a "couture line" of invitations-featuring rhinestones, crystals, pearls, and silk fabrics-that will be sure to wow your guests. http://www.jensharcreations.com 1-866-568-4334
• Lynn Graham Designs - Graphic designer Lynn Graham understands that the invitation is the first thing your guests will see, and therefore helps it make a lasting impression. Template-free, your custom invitation suite will be truly "yours" from the beginning. http://www.lynngrahamdesigns.com/ 857-991-1659
Wedding Web sites
• Wedding Window - Wedding Window offers a personalized window into your wedding. With everything from "then and now" pages to polls and quizzes, Wedding Window -- rated the #1 wedding Web site creator by the Wall Street Journal -- will allow your family and friends to celebrate and share your union whenever they want! http://www.weddingwindow.com/
• Beanstalk Interactive - Boston-based sister company to Lynn Graham Designs (see "Invitations/Stationary"), Beanstalk can quickly and effectively create a standalone (budget-friendly) wedding Web site that is 100% you. http://www.beanstalkinteractive.com/ 857-991-1659
Flowers
• Ilex Designs - Boston’s award-winning full-service florist promises to create floral arrangements perfectly suited to your ceremony -- and designed with the environment in mind. http://www.ilexflowers.com/ 617-422-0300
Photography/Video
• Candid Casuals by Kim Heidke - Photographer Kim Heidke knows which wedding moments you’ll want to capture, from the cutting of the cake to a candid kiss before the ceremony. http://www.candidcasualsphotography.com/ 508-697-4757
• Ilene Perlman - Boston-based photographer Ilene Perlman’s photojournalistic style translates well to weddings and commitment ceremonies, capturing the motion, laughter, and excitement that accompany tying the knot. http://www.ileneperlman.com/ 617-308-7508
• Cydney Scott - Customary of her simple, understated style, photographer Cydney Scott will create elegant memories of your wedding that are sure to last. http://www.cydneyscott.com/ 617-957-2062
• Patrick Singleton - Photographer Patrick Singleton will capture everything from before/after scenes to candid moments you might have otherwise missed. http://www.singletonphoto.com/ 617-519-4457
• Nancy Gould - Remember your big day as if it had existed in the pages of a magazine! Nancy Gould’s photography will bring your favorite wedding moments to life all over again. http://nancygould.com/ 617-283-3882
• 1K Promedia - Revisit your wedding day in hi-definition! The video specialists at 1K Promedia will work to make sure your wedding video is just as special as the wedding itself. http://www.1kpromedia.com/ 617-515-8569
• Revel Video - Recently featured in popular wedding Web site and magazine the Knot, Revel Video believes that the best moments are captured when people forget they’re being videotaped. Not only that, the company offers and LGBT discount in support of equality. http://www.revelvideo.com/ 413-313-2542
Officials
• Justice Carol Roberts - Justice Carol will make sure your wedding is a comfortable and happy one from the moment you start planning! Optional ceremonies and blessings can be added to customize your special day. http://www.justicecarol.com/ 508-339-7898
• Loving Unity - Ordained non-denominational ministers will provide a customized wedding or commitment ceremony from the get-go, and provide you with a printed copy of your ceremony as a keepsake. http://lovingunity.com/ 207-590-6339
• Elly Jackson - A civil celebrant and an ordained non-denominational minister, Elly Jackson offers unwavering respect for her clients’ needs and wishes, and will help design your ceremony to your custom specifications. http://www.bostonceremonies.com/ 800-233-6460
• Alan Jardine Ulrich - Justice of the Peace Alan Jardine Ulrich will walk you and your partner through obtaining your marriage license, all the way to the moment you each say, "I do." http://www.bostonjusticeofthepeace.com/ 781-944-0885
• Friend or family member - Want a close friend or family member to officiate your wedding? It’s easy to become a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts. http://www.mjpa.org/pm-how-to-become.aspx 800-663-8867
Rentals
• Festive Occasions - Serving the event rental needs of New England since 1982, Festive Occasions will provide all your ceremony and reception needs, from fine china and glassware to party canopies. http://www.festiveoccasions.com/ 781-933-8777
• A Perfect Setting - From fountains to chair covers, Worcester’s A Perfect Setting will deliver and pick up your rentals anywhere in New England and New York! http://www.aperfectsetting.com/ 888.830.7887
• The Perfect Setting at Felicia’s - Felicia’s event stylists will assist in choices of décor, table linens, and chair covers to make sure your big day is coordinated and comfortable. http://www.feliciasbridal.com/ 508-679-9650
Music
• Azalea Chamber Music - Classic or contemporary string music provided by Azalea Chamber Music is sure to offer the ultimate in elegance for your wedding. http://www.azaleachambermusic.com/ 617-484-1699
Gifts/Accessories
• Pueblo Pottery Maine - Pueblo Pottery Maine offers one-of-a-kind, carefully decorated Native American wedding vases for gift or display at your wedding. http://www.pueblopotteryme.com/wedding.htm 207-637-2547
• WineOpeners.com - Order personalized wine openers in a rainbow of colors from WineOpeners.com as gifts for your guests or wedding party! http://www.wineopeners.com/ 877-299-3446
• Wedding Collectibles - Wedding Collectibles is our favorite online source for elegant and tasteful wedding cake toppers featuring gay and lesbian figurines. http://www.weddingcollectibles.com/Gay-Cake-Toppers.html 866-210-2226
• TwoBrides.; TwoGrooms.com - These sister companies offer everything from LGBT thank-you cards to guestbooks. http://www.twogrooms.com/ or http://www.twobrides.com/
• Northampton Pride & Joy - Settled in the heart of Northampton, Mass., Pride & Joy offers no end of LGBT-themed cards and gifts. http://www.nohoprideandjoy.com/ 413-585-0683
Destination: legally wedded bliss
• Provincetown, Mass. - Celebrate your wedding or commitment ceremony in one of the nation’s gayest towns! P-town welcomes couples ready to tie the knot in a seaside Cape town. The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum can be rented for weddings, as well as the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House. The town is chock-full of LGBT-friendly restaurants, officiates, florists, hotels, and churches. http://www.ptown.org/Weddings.asp
• Jackson, N.H. - Celebrate New Hampshire’s brand-new marriage equality law by getting hitched there! The Inn at Thorn Hill & Spa offers the perfect setting for the intimate wedding of your dreams. The Inn can accommodate up to 66 guests (at double occupancy) and hosts weddings and commitment ceremonies on its wraparound porch and in its sprawling backyard. With a full spa and four-star restaurant on the premises, the Inn is a destination indeed. http://www.innatthornhill.com/ 800-289-8990
• Westbrook, Conn. - The Nutmeg State is celebrating its second year of marriage equality in 2010. Visit the Angel’s Watch Inn for wedding packages ranging from $250 - $1,045. The all-inclusive packages accommodate every couple’s needs. Bring up to 20 guests South for an outdoor wedding under an arbor, on the beach facing Long Island Sound, or in an intimate living room before a roaring fireplace. http://www.angelswatchinn.com/elopement_wedding.htm 860-399-8846
• East Dover, V.T. - The Cooper Hill Inn provides ten acres of landscaped grounds 2,300 feet high in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont. Make it your destination for a country wedding or commitment ceremony with up to 40 guests. Dance the evening away on the sunset deck, barbeque your rehearsal dinner, or have a quiet Sunday brunch wedding. http://www.cooperhillinn.com/ 802-248-6333
• Washington, D.C. - Beginning in March of this year, same-sex marriage will be legal in our country’s capital city. To show that you’re political, proud, and committed, plan your wedding or commitment ceremony in Washington, D.C. LGBT-friendly vendors are springing up all over the city, as are venues and services. http://washington.org/visiting/experience-dc/pride-in-dc/neighborhoods or http://reservations.washington.org/4316_package-list_m812_r733758.html
• Montreal, Canada - High-tail it to the great North to tie the knot and you’ll find a country that’s largely been used to the concept of gay marriage for years. The only country in the world where LGBT couples don’t have to be residents to marry, Canada has a tradition of warmly greeting gay and lesbian Americans headed to the altar. Wedding planners at An English Rose will help you figure out how to get there, where to stay, and how to coordinate your travel. http://www.an-english-rose.com/ 514-290-3765
Trends & Tips
• DIY - One of the hottest new trends on the wedding scene this year is Do-It-Yourself. From personalized calligraphy on the place cards to writing your own vows, all a DIY wedding takes is a trip to the craft store -- and some free time. If you’re a little short on the latter, visit http://www.etsy.com for handcrafted, custom-made, or vintage wedding decorations that will make you look more creative than Martha Stewart, at a fraction of the price (and time). Speaking of the queen of craft, she included a gay couple in her wedding magazine for the first time this year.
• Reading List - Take some advice from the pro’s: "The New Essential Guide to Gay and Lesbian Weddings" by Tess Ayers and Paul Brown will guide you through dealing with less-than-eager family members, what to carry down the aisle, where to register, and how to announce your engagement. http://www.amazon.com
• Giving the Gift of Equality - Plenty of gay and lesbian couples tying the knot are opting to register at non-profit organizations rather than Macy’s (which is LGBT-friendly, by-the-by). Instead, guests can make donations in the happy couple’s name to organizations like the Human Rights Campaign (http://www.hrc.org), MassEquality (http://www.massequality.org), or Equality California (http://www.eqca.org). Another idea is to request that your guests write letters to their representatives either making the case for marriage equality, or thanking their public officials if they live in a state that allows gay marriage. Send them to https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.
Honeymoon
Whether it’s relaxing on sandy white beaches or living a fascinating lesson in LGBT history, your honeymoon destination should reflect your relationship. With help from the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA; http://www.iglta.org), we recommend these travel ideas:
• Santa Catarina, Brazil - Visit the island of Florianopolis (or "Floripa" as the locals call it) and relax on one of LGBT South Americans’ favorite beaches. The island has always been a safe haven for non-traditional lifestyles, and the tourism infrastructure and local state of mind supports that. Take in the sun, visit the wild nature, and enjoy your honeymoon in a welcoming, supportive community. http://www.iglta.org/destination/brazil/santacatarinagay.pdf
• Schöneberg, Germany - Rainbow flags abound in this small town that has, since the 1920s, been a mecca for LGBT Germans and tourists alike. A locality of Berlin, Schöneberg is close to the best attractions Germany has to offer. Visit the apartment that inspired "Cabaret" in a gay district rich with history, and you and your newlywed will be ably to proudly say, "Ich bin ein Berliner!" http://www.iglta.org/destination/germany/berlintourismgay.pdf
• Tours - Visit the wonders of Egypt (pyramids, sphinxes, camels -- oh my!), the jungles of Cambodia, or go on safari in South Africa with Venture Out -- Tours for Gay Travelers. This exclusively LGBT tour company works with small groups only and will escort you and your partner through the country of your choice. With a special emphasis placed on unique lodgings and upscale restaurant choices, your honeymoon will be truly unforgettable. http://www.venture-out.com/
• Cruises - Cruise in style with Olivia Lesbian Travel. The women-only cruises offer amazing lesbian entertainment on their luxury ships while shuttling you through the Caribbean, down the Amazon River, or among the Greek isles (keep an eye out for the Isle of Lesbos.) http://www.olivia.com/
Special thanks to the Rainbow Wedding Network (http://www.rainbowweddingnetwork.com).
Hannah can be reached at hclaywareham@baywindows.com.
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