In bloom at The Mansion

Now is the time for the beautiful show in the woodlands at the top of the property. Cool and grassy, filled with ferns and forget-me-not flowers, in sprawling waves of blue. Just beautiful!

The Rehearsal Dinner

It's the night before your big day, the rehearsal is finished, now what? It's time for dinner! We host dinner parties the night prior to your event also. Many couples elect to go out to a restaurant, sit at a big long table and are only able to talk to the people sitting close to you. At The Mansion Event Home, you can mingle around, help yourself to seconds at the buffet, or just relax in one of the many rooms. We

offer you a customized menu to fit your budget and still impress your friends and family with our welcoming atmosphere. The Dining room table seats ten and the adjoining living room has room enough to set up additional tables so everyone can enjoy the party together. It is a much more intimate setting and this is also the perfect time to give your gifts to your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Keep it short and simply elegant. It will be another treasured memory.

Let the garden remind you

As spring begins in Maine, also known as mud season, I look forward to my garden awakening. For me, many of the flowers and plants in my garden were planted for a special reason, to mark an event in time. A beautiful show of white Lilies from my sister for Mother's day, Sarah Burnheart Peonies from my Grandmothers house, double flower Tiger Lilies from my best friend, as an anniversary present. The list goes on and on. Gardens have a way of reminding us long after the event is over. Why not plan to purchase perennial flowers instead of a center piece that will fade in a few days. You can do this at your next event and plant them after the party is over. Next year they will bloom again bigger and better. Give the bride and groom a tree as a gift. How unique! One couple that was married at The Mansion two years ago, gave mini pine saplings as a favor. The trees are now foot tall in my garden. One of my favorite ideas for wedding favors are seed packets. Flowers have meanings behind them and many times they can relate to the feeling that the event will evoke. Rosemary for remembrance, Bay Laurel for victory, red roses for love.
Let the garden remind you. That way you'll never forget.

The Party continues...

The usual standard wedding is planned for only four hours. How do you speak to two hundred people in such a small amount of time? One suggestion I have, is to stay with the traditional receiving/greeting line so at least Great Auntie Tilly will get to meet the new family members. Another awesome idea is to plan an after party. If you are not able to continue to add hours to the venue you rented, plan a simpler separate party so the friends and family that want to carry on the celebration can. We have a rustic Lake house that many couples rent for the weekend so they can continue their special day and savor each moment shared together. Our front porch makes the perfect place to relax on the veranda, while people chat and say goodbye. Always be prepared with a friends back yard, pre-supplies with nuts, chips, fruit and sparkling cider. Add some twinkle lights and the party continues...

Vow's! Be in the moment

So you are at the point in planning your wedding and everything is in place. Do you feel like you might be forgetting something? This is one thing that I find so many couples delay in doing. What about your vow's? I am expressing this to you because, this is the most important moment of the whole day. Have a conversation together about what you want this moment to signify. Is it your past high school romance that is now turning into a promise of marriage? Is it a request of love and respect for each other? A pledge to be truthful and work with each other, in this life you will share as one. Marriage is a covenant in my opinion. Now is the time to speak all the dreams that you will plan to live by together. Yes its true, you can let the Minister do all the work, read the vow's and accept the standard I do's. Ask yourself and your partner, is that what we want? Or, do we want to create promises, share visions and evoke the feeling of love? This is a very personal choice. My best advise to you, is to feel the love and to be in the moment.

Spa day at The Mansion

A relaxing get together can be arranged with all of our licensed professionals to create your Spa day party. The new trend is to relax with your bridal party, in lieu of a night at the bar. Manicures, pedicures, facials, full body message and chair messages can be scheduled for your gathering. I have infused this plan into spiritual retreats and milestone birthday parties with small groups. It's the best feeling to relax and reconnect with how truly special you are. You deserve it!

Adding Family heirlooms

I always do my best, to encourage my clients to add family heirlooms and mementos into their special occasion. Placing well loved family objects around The Mansion makes it feel even more like your home. Family photo albums are always welcome. One client of mine shared several meaningful items when celebrating her wedding day. The cut glass cranberry vase in this photo was her Grandmothers. It was very sentimental to her. It also stated Grandma's spiritual presence on her wedding day. The Grand Foyer' was filled with the sent of Lilies as vows were exchanged.

The Presentation of the rings

A variety of ring presentations are available to suit your style. It's easy to decide on what works for you, once you are clear on how this choice is significant in your relationship. Some couples choose to involve their family pet to deliver the rings secured to their collar. Others select elaborately decorated boxes or Grandmas old jewelry box. Crystal boxes are a popular choice too, but take into consideration the age and maturity of your ring bearer. Although the traditional pillow for the ring bearer is an option, I suggest to you to think of what you will use this item for later. In this photo the ring bearer carries an engraved, elegant silver box. It will be a resting place for two precious rings, for safekeeping together while the couple sleeps in bliss...

A Celebration of Life

When I came up with this idea a couple of years ago, within one weeks time of the thought, a person contacted me to inquire about The Mansion, and if I could help her with a memorial service for her Mother. I spoke to the woman about my plan to offer the community a place to host their family to celebrate all their loved one's accomplishments. Not having to worry about all those details when in grief. I have held several Celebrations of Life since then.
My experience of the Celebration of life this past weekend, was truly heartfelt. Four beautiful daughters along with a lot of other family involvement commemorated their Mothers life with stories of childhood, prayer, beautifully selected music and poems from my favorite Kahlil Gibran's masterpiece "The Prophet". As I sat in the pale green room I could feel the beauty of this woman's spirit. Friends shared an introduction to Shamanism and welcomed anyone to join in with their feelings of gratitude. More memories were shared of two sisters and their last weeks together walking on the beach, picking up shells. A common thread of woven love was shared by many. Beautiful pale green glass vases, with starfish and seashells were candle lit centerpieces. They were crafted by the daughters and greeted everyone for a lovely meal.

Keep it a surprise.

Oh how I love those milestone birthdays parties. The challenging thing is that friends and family planning these, mostly surprise events, can't figure out how to keep it a surprise. As an Event Planner here is my best advise, or as some would like to call it "the tricks of the trade."
#1 Tell everyone you are inviting that it is a surprise. Also, keep from telling the younger children about the party at all. Even teens have a way of making the mistake of mentioning the party.
#2 Send the person being surprised an invitation to the party. Of course saying that the party is for someone else. (Remember to tell the someone else what you are doing.) That way the person being surprised won't be wondering why they are going to the location of their party. You can add to this diversion by asking them on the invitation to bring a baked good or a snack to share. Suggest going in on a restaurant gift certificate together. That way you can enjoy a little extra birthday celebrating, at another time when you are alone together.
#3 Never, never, never plan the surprise party even remotely close to the actual birthday party. I suggest it to be at least two months prior to, or if you're not worried about the possible after effects from "being forgotten", a month or so after.
#4 Lastly and most importantly, especially health wise, if you are surprising an older person, as you are walking to the door together, let them know how much you love them and tell them to hold their heart because they are walking into their surprise birthday party. SURPRISE! You pulled it off...

Dressed for Valentine's Day

The staircase in The Mansion is dressed in red satin ribbon and laurel garland, all ready for a Valentine's Day bride. The unique balustrade, with each third spindle being different is significant to marriage. Being called a "wedding cake banister" their meanings are love, health and prosperity. A perfect start to a union of two people in love. Being open to the second floor of the home adds to the drama. As the long white train of the gown is captured by the perfect location for a photograph, good wishes and tears of joy abound. Happy Valentine's Day!

Commemorated by a ring

I receive so many compliments on this ring. I actually chose this ring to commemorate the beginning of the my event planning career. The fleur de lis design standing for perfection, designed across the ring three times symbolizing for me, faith, hope and charity. It's been most interesting for me to see how different couples choose their rings and why. Some couples choose it for strength or a never ending circle. There's also "the bling" for glistening size and beauty. My most recent favorite, was a groom-to-be that designed a silver ring around a purple heart shape stone he had found. Purple is known to be a powerful color, when in deep meditation. It looked like a piece of rough amethyst, a stone that symbolizes protection. I hope this bride-to-be appreciates the deep feeling her man put into this ring to commemorate their engagement. It was just lovely!

The Mansion welcomes winter sports

The snow has finally arrived in Maine encouraging the snowmobilers to create the gentle hum from the nearby trails. Dexter's ATV trails are known for being the longest in the country! With the nearby lake to add to the bliss, shanties in a multitude of styles and colors, are deeply involved in locating their best spot for ice fishing. Just ten minutes away from The Mansion, a full day or half day dog sled team awaits being booked for your Maine adventure. New cross-country ski trails have just been added as well. What fun abounds in this playground for winter enthusiasts everywhere!

Come home for a while

Our B&B guests are invited to spend some time with the family and watch a movie in the gathering room. Or you might want to slip off into the Library for a quiet read? Enjoy a game of billiards on the third floor or some air hockey for fun. Awake to the scrumptious breakfast of your choice, freshly prepared and served in the dining area, that intrigues you the most. We customize our time to suit your needs. Remember you can always grab coffee and wi fi in the grand foyer' if you're in a rush. Or possibly you could just linger a little longer in a nice soaking tub. We look forward to seeing you.

With Valentine's Day approaching and decorating on the top of my list for parties, I wanted to share a few good ideas. Red depression glass or cranberry glass as its known, is a wonderful way to create a focal point with or without flowers. By placing a small tea candle in the bottom of the red vase, the color is infused into the room in a very impressive way. I find random sizes for the vases adds interest. You can find these vessels in a Craft store or for the real deal, you will need to hunt in an antique store.

Dramatic effects

Prior to an event, one of my favorite things to do is to add ambiance to a room by putting a grouping of candles in the fireplace. Thats the safest place for a candle when you think of it. My special trick is to take a vintage or distressed mirror and add it in back of the grouping. The effect is elegant and unique. Most people don't expect to see a mirror in a fireplace. It also has a reflective value that doubles the light. I always receive compliments on this design. This is the perfect romantic setting, just in time for Valentine's Day.

Gingerbread ruins

The holiday season decorations are officially being packed away for next year. This photo, marks the end of the 2011 holiday season. The remains of the Weasley style gingerbread house created by Liz Granite and her brother Gabe was fully enjoyed. Well almost... An amazing idea came to me when I noticed the same gingerbread house on sale at Sam's Club for $1.27 ( the freshness date was good for months)! How about a gingerbread sweet heart house for Valentine's Day? Children love to create them, just add a few red hearts and a fun begins. I also found it best to keep the house under a glass cake dome so it remains fresh until it's all gobbled up...
Happy building!

Beautiful Fall wedding flowers

It's easy when you have a bride that knows just what she wants. Saving money on flowers was a priority for this bride,so she actually ordered single stems from an on line company and I arranged them in random vases throughout the house. Lucky for her I do have a background in arrangements. This bride had so much fun with her sister and I decorating with her Maple leaf theme. We had six lavish arrangements for under $100. Plus we had fun!

Harry Potter theme Wedding

When I was presented with the challenge to create a Harry Potter, Grecian style wedding, all I could think of was how to have candles suspended from the top of the tent. The flaming goblets were easy, but those darn suspended candles? The bride wanted it to look like the Great Hall in the movie. Tarnished silver platters and an abundance of food. I pondered my mechanics for a long time. One day when out Christmas shopping, I came across battery operated candles. My younger son said "well I guess you figured out how you are going to get the candles lit for the wedding." I looked at him and said "wow you are brilliant!" It didn't even dawn on me at first. They were suspended with fishing line at different lengths and came on automatically. It was time consuming to set up, but with a lot of help it was just perfect!

Garden grounds in the summer

Summer weddings always bring a special touch of extra beauty to The Mansion. The lawns are lush and green the three acres of manicured gardens boast in color with flowers just waiting to be someone's backdrop for the perfect wedding photo.

Centerpiece savings!

The trend these days in the party planning industry is all about creative ways to create the WOW effect without the ouch to your budget. I have some ideas that I would like to share when it come to centerpieces for the tables.
The hard fast rule over large expensive floral arrangements, has taken a bit of a shift. Many brides are agreeing to simple yet elegant natural designs that incorporate a thyme. I recently had a bride that liked the look of bird nests. She and her groom had already started their family, so it wasn't just the two of them, it was three. I was able to locate twig-like bird nests in a local craft store, and filled each nest with three powder blue eggs. The nests were laid on a bed of ferns and surrounded with small white votive candles. Their colors were powder blue, brown and white. Using some wide satin ribbons and sheer long curtains, the arbor was transformed in no time. The colors were infused throughout the gardens. Tall vases were filled with blue food coloring and a floating candle. They lined the isle with the perfect illumination needed for a wedding at dusk. The vintage birdbath added to the thyme.

With gratitude for abundance

This past year was extremely abundant in so many ways. My original goal of twelve events ended up to be quadruple that. All events were well run and the great feedback is the proof of such. I love doing gatherings! It's where my creativity really soars. I am blessed to be surrounded by my family and friends for the most awesome support team I could have ever dreamed of.
With deep gratitude, I thank all of you for a prosperous 2011. Now lets rock 2012 and up the bar! I have confidence in the people I am blessed to work with. How lucky I am! My special thanks to my son Dan, who has created a name for The Mansion Event Home with his multi talented skills as a chef. Your food is fabulous darling!