Any wedding planner will tell you that if you’re thinking about having an outdoor wedding, always have a Plan B. As their wedding vows hour approached, Gary Casement and William Flora of Dallas found out the hard way just how fickle Vineyard weather can be.”
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If a bride and groom expect their wedding guests to fly halfway or all the way across the country for their big day, is it kind to then haul them around the Island for different wedding festivities? Leslie Goldberg and Matthew Borkow thought not. With 98 mostly out-of-towners coming, they elected to keep all the venues for their wedding weekend within walking distance in Edgartown. As it turned out, they were all on one street.”
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Mothers want to appear stylish and elegant for their offspring’s big day but sometimes face wildly inappropriate options when looking for that special dress. Flouncy frippery that works for a wedding in the big city looks out of place at an Island event. What’s a mother to do?”
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What is the origin of the gift bag? In the Dark Ages, it was enough that the bride and groom entertained guests at a wedding reception and possibly a rehearsal dinner. But now, especially at a destination wedding, a gift bag is de rigueur for the weary travelers.”
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New or improved wedding sites are cropping up all over the Island this year; old restaurants in new locations, new restaurants in old locations, new looks in old places, new owners of old places — new opportunities abound.”
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The Gazette asked students of Lorraine Parish’s fashion design class to sketch some chic looks for Vineyard wedding parties. Since last November, the girls have met weekly to study the mode in costuming from the earliest civilizations to the present.”
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Couples looking for another way to personalize their event are adding signature cocktails to their receptions. Frequently fruity, colorful and fancifully named, the drink can be a light refreshment for the summer or hot and spicy for the cooler months.”
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As long as you plan to marry on an island, you may as well take advantage of the water and plan an event on it, not just overlooking it. While some couples marry on one of the Black Dog Tall Ships, others are choosing smaller craft for more intimate gatherings or just as a form of entertainment for guests.”
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A couple can put their personal stamp on wedding festivities even if it’s as private as a wedding party of two.”
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A flower girl leading the bride down the aisle is a sweet addition to a wedding party but can also add a touch of the unexpected. A bride may at first envision her flower girl scattering rose petals but may end up more concerned that she won’t even make it that far. It’s not just the couple that can get the jitters at a wedding.”
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It was sunset; he actually did a nice job. He pulled off [by the East Chop lighthouse] and said, ‘Let’s watch the sunset.’ Then as we stood there, he asked me to marry him and pulled the ring out of his pocket. Before we left, this very old couple walked by holding hands, said hi, and we thought, oh, that’s us in 50 years.”
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“It’s the first question people ask when they call me,” says Vineyard wedding planner Lynn Buckmaster-Irwin: “‘Can we get married on a beach?’ By the time I fill them in on all the details, not a lot of them end up with a beach plan.”
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"Less is more." This may be an old design concept but when put in the hands of a floral designer and stylist like Mariko Kawaguchi of Donaroma's in Edgartown, it takes on a new and often exciting dimension - producing, in the end, some stunning results when applied to wedding flowers.
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Word has it that the Island is among the most popular spots in the world to get married. "I know I've heard that," said Toby Wilson, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce. "There's also Vegas," he offered. "And Paris. But the Island is right up there."
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Even for a seasoned traveler the thought of coming to Martha's Vineyard can be exciting. The Island holds a certain mystery, and the fact that it is accessible only by boat or plane gave me the feeling that I was working for something, offering a commitment of my time for the reward of whatever I would find upon arrival. It seemed the perfect place to travel for a wedding.
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Three popular wedding sites on the Island are also landmarks preserved by the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust. They are the Grange Hall in West Tisbury, and the Dr. Daniel Fisher House and Old Whaling Church, both in Edgartown. The vitality of wedding events keep these buildings alive, as well as afford the preservation trust a means of restoring and maintaining the history of the Vineyard.
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The Steamship Authority gets three to four calls a year from couples hoping to get hitched on the way to Martha's Vineyard. Romantics are often disappointed to find that the captains of the ferries are not authorized to perform weddings. However, persistent couples who bring along a justice of the peace are allowed to be married on board. Just don't forget your marriage license!
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A recent wedding magazine featured a multi-tiered creation composed entirely of cupcakes. A short-lived trend, one hopes. This ziggurat of blue-frosted dainties looked more like the piece de resistance for a kindergarten show and tell. What is next, Twinkies artfully arranged in a Lincoln Log-style fortress? What has happened to tradition and good taste … that tastes good?
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In this section of the Vineyard Gazette are gathered all manner of listings from providers who offer their services to help you plan the perfect Island wedding. And we certainly join them all in hoping that everything goes entirely according to plan on your wedding day. And if it doesn't -- we're tempted to say, when it doesn't -- we hope you will keep in mind a wonderful mystery surrounding all the glitches of human affairs:
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How could anyone possibly reduce something as elusive as true love to mere numbers? Actually, if you do a bit of research on the Internet, it turns out to be easy. Here are some of the numbers to ponder as you consider tying the knot on Martha's Vineyard.
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If you're planning a Vineyard wedding, the one piece of advice you'll get on a regular basis is to "think local." It's advice not based merely on regional bias, but rather on experience and the usual number of disaster or near-disaster stories about cakes left on the other side and guests who couldn't get here because the boat stopped running.
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