Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z F O C U S H O S P I TA L I T Y / T O U R I S M wait, to come visit, and they know what's happening without seeing the space." Another trend is that while couples used to book eight months to a year before the big day, they're now booking a year to 18 months out — leaving few 2023 dates left. Another venue, Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake, will host 16 weddings this year, within its usual range, after raising prices to cover the cost of labor and goods, according to Maddy Abbott, assistant general manager and sales and events manager. A reception alone at the South Casco resort costs around $160 to $200 per person plus a tax and service charge. "We have not made not a crazy change, but significant enough that cli- ents do notice that we're one of the more expensive venues," she says. COVID "was a huge derailment for a lot of peo- ple, but it's nice to be back to normal." And in Cape Neddick in York, Walkers Maine restaurant is set for one wedding a weekend from May to October with a new mobile kitchen that makes it easier to cater large events, says co-owner and sommelier Danielle Johnson Walker. "Many in this industry are still not out of the woods," she says, "and need to make the best of the upcoming season to make up for lost time in 2020 and 2021." Flowers and fonts Maine wedding vendors with their hands full include florist Robin Samalus Getchel, who opened the Robin's Nest store in Waterville in 2018 and recently expanded to a much larger space at 173 Main St. "Last year I did 25 weddings and will certainly do as many again this year and probably more," she predicts. at doesn't include elopements, which she says can be as simple as a customer coming in a day before a City Hall ceremony. "For me, almost every single week we've had that happen for the last month. We're doing a lot of that," she says. While pricing flowers a year in advance depends on weather and supply, she says that using the average cost over the last few years works well. She also says she can easily offer alternatives when there are supply shortages and that customers are flexible, with continued demand for natural-look bouquets with lots of white and off-white blossoms. "at's still what a lot of people are looking for, but they're spending more money," she says. "ey've waited a while to get married, so a lot of them are going bigger than I think they might have originally." Like other retailers shut down at the start of COVID, the store introduced curbside service. During the pandemic when there was a renewed focus on shopping locally, Samalus Getchel also connected with a lot of area growers. "Whereas in the past there was the convenience of ordering from my wholesaler, I tried to buy as much as I could locally," she says. "at's a huge change for me." Among emerging wedding businesses, Lisbon Falls-based entrepreneur Hannah Marr of Clique in Style is working on a web application to help brides preview bridal party attire. She's working on a product with help from a Romanian web developer she connected with remotely during the pandemic. She has also lined up a Portsmouth, N.H.-bridal shop to test the app with the store's customers. "Originally I was planning to do a consumer-based pricing model," Marr says, "but I would really like to move toward partnering with wedding planners and bridal stores who pay the premium and absorb those costs for the customers." Meanwhile in Portland, invita- tion designer Meghan Carey says she's juggling eight weddings for the 2022 season after three last fall and two in the winter she says were elaborate. She's also gotten some 2023 inquiries, and while nothing is yet nailed down, "I'm trying to get the summer invita- tions to the printers before all of the event-day items consume me." If next year is as busy as this year, the off-season should be anything but quiet. R e n e e C o r d e s , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s 15 A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 2 2 Catherine Caswell, at Caswell Farm & Wedding Barn in Gray, recently added a garden ceremony space to her property. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY S C R E E N S H O T / C L I Q U E I N S T Y L E Many in this industry are still not out of the woods and need to make the best of the upcoming season to make up for lost time in 2020 and 2021. — Danielle Johnson Walker Walkers Maine restaurant Clique in Style is an app in development to help brides preview bridal party attire.

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