The Cape Cod Destination Wedding Experience

Professionals in the wedding industry on Cape Cod are featured in this section "Wedding Tips". We are all dedicated to your wedding event planning and the "Cape Cod Destination Wedding" experience of your dreams. Cape Cod emerged as a popular wedding destination in the early 1990's with the addition of new and updated resorts (Ocean Edge Resort, Wequassett Inn and Golf Club, Chatham Bars Inn) and country clubs as well as the tradition of tent weddings (American Tent, Undercover Tent) on Cape Cod. Cape Cod Destination Weddings are often family reunions with several days of multi generational visiting and events. Your wedding planning starts with the reception site. This selection can be an anxiety ridden process or you can turn to the folks who manage these events. These professionals will make the process as easy as possible by offering inclusive packages, well tested referral lists and knowledgeable advice.

I developed www.receptionsitesoncapecod.com especially for you. If you need a recommendation or have a question please contact us.

Richard Talmage Photographer -- 774-238-0719 - info@richardtalmageimages.com

YOUR WEDDING PROCESSION

Sometimes the church or wedding venue does not have a wedding coordinator to assist. Be sure to ask so that you can assign a responsible family member or friend to assist with the procession down the aisle. Keep in mind that your bridal attendants will be nervous. Your coordinator should allow at least 30 seconds for each bridesmaid to proceed before the next one starts.

You have several choices: (1) the girls walk down, shortest to tallest and then the Maid of Honor, who should arrange the bride’s train & veil as required; (2) the groomsmen walk with the bridal attendants, as a couple – men on right side; (3) the bride’s parents walk together halfway down the aisle... pause , look back as their daughter walks up to meet them and then all three proceed to the altar.

FEATURED RECEPTION VENUES

Captain Linnell House and Gardens

SHELLY HIPPLER-CONWAY, CO-OWNER with her chef-husband Bill Conway of the Captain Linnell House and Gardens in Orleans, says she has tried to eliminate all the things she hates at Weddings she has attended – such as long lines at the bar, cold food with bad sauces and servers who take your plate away too soon. She advises couples to approach the task of choosing a venue with practicality first, then emotion.

“I think bridal couples should consider budget first and compare it with their guest list. Some people get carried away with who they want to invite and then find they can not afford to do that.

Look at all the denominators: the cost, the guest list and whether you love the site or not. Most important, you have to fall in love with the place”.

The Captain Linnell House is a restored French-neoclassic-villa-style mansion set on more than 2 acres of gardens. Picture cascades of wisteria, indigenous plants like hydrangeas and lavender and enough roses that guests are given rose petals to toss. The restaurant closes for weddings so that the wedding party has full use of the mansion and grounds. Hippler-Conway estimates that 30 percent of Captain Linnell wedding ceremonies are performed onsite in the gazebo, with another 30 percent performed at nearby Skaket Beach. To keep things simple, she offers two packages, an hors d’oeuvres party or a sit-down dinner. “We are a foodie bride’s restaurant. We are really into balancing the hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dancing and the dinner is really, really special” Hippler-Conway says. With a pastry chef who makes wedding cakes on site, “Our package is a really inclusive package".

The Old Sea Pines Inn, Brewster

A “Secret Garden” for ceremonies onsite is very convenient for bridal couples, according to Donna Kalinick, wedding manager at Old Sea Pines Inn. “Although it’s a romantic idea to get married on the beach, you have to factor in parking, crowds, green flies. My job as a wedding coordinator is to discuss the bride’s dream wedding and determine the best-case scenario for them”. The Old Sea Pines Inn offers inclusive, flexible packages. Couples can choose from ten menus with sit-down service, family style dinners, buffets, indoor station receptions, brunches and lobster bakes.

CAPE COD RESTAURANTS, Inc

Budget is the first thing couples should consider when choosing a venue, according to Bill Zammer, owner of Cape Cod Restaurants, Inc. which does more than 400 weddings a year at three different wedding venues, The Coonamessett Inn in Falmouth, the Flying Bridge Restaurant in Falmouth and Tugboats Restaurant in Hyannis. “As long as bridal couples are realistic, we can work with their budget” says Zammer. Each venue has a function coordinator who sits down with the bride and groom to help them plan the perfect wedding for them. Most couples have already download the menus and price list from the restaurant's Web site, so it is just a matter of deciding which menu fits their budget. He does two basic styles of reception: An elaborate cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres and stations, or a traditional sit-down dinner with a cocktail party to start.

Cape Cod Restaurants Inc. also offers a package Zammer calls “The Perfect Wedding” which includes a rehearsal dinner the night before, the wedding reception the day of and brunch the day after. “We do many on-site ceremonies” Zammer says. “Each of our restaurants has a perfect spot, either a garden, a tent facing Falmouth Harbor or a gazebo.”

HERITAGE MUSEUM AND GARDENS

The Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich lends magic for your outdoor wedding ceremony. “We have a couple of different venues to offer” says Libby Knott, director of Sales. The Windmill Garden is our most popular. Thousands of day lilies surround our Sundial Garden. Our largest outdoor area is the Parade Field on Shawme Pond. For your reception, we offer a sit-down dinner (up to 150) or a cocktail party (300). Our caterers offer impeccable service and delicious cuisine. There are shuttles to move guests around and a Rolls-Royce golf cart for the bride and groom. A bridal suite is stocked with champagne and flowers and has a full bathroom and bridal mirrors for pre-ceremony preparations.

SELECT PHOTOGRAPHY AND / OR VIDEOGRAPHY

After all the hoopla about choice and cost of requisite wedding needs (ring, gown, bands, d J., venue and cuisine etc) and the day ends, you are left with your beautiful memories - with photographs and possibly video. On our sites you will see many examples of artistic wedding photography and wedding video. How do you decide on priorities? Quite simply –

www.richardtalmagephotography.com Photographs - on DVD or in an album - allows you to sit, reflect and dream for years to come and your family and children can do the same.

Video - on DVD – gives you a long-lasting memory of the sights and sounds of the day itself. Your children can actually hear their Mom & Dad repeat their wedding vows. It’s an incredibly romantic moment and we can capture just the ceremony or the whole day. You will hear the voices of favorite relatives, and the ceremony toasts in an “It’s Your Life” moment

COMMENTS FROM RECENT WEDDING GUESTS

Wequassett Resort and Golf Club - We were married at Wequassett 5 years ago, so it already has a special place in our hearts. With 2 small children, we haven’t had much ‘couple time’ since then. To celebrate our anniversary, we decided to spend a night there. Although too short a stay, it was perfect. The new rooms are spectacular – clean, comfortable and technically “over the top”. The food is amazing; the grounds are gorgeous. But, I believe, the highest rated aspect is the service. You will not deal with a more professional and kind staff. You KNOW you are on vacation when you stay at the Wequassett. And, if you are looking to get married on the Cape... look no further!

Coonamesset Inn - I attended a family wedding here and it was fabulous. I really loved the INN! The place is very quaint and ideally located. The food was wonderful and we had a lot of fun at this memorable wedding. We thought the staff did a fantastic job; they worked really hard to make it all perfect and it turned out to be just that! Some places know exactly what they are doing when it comes to a large group and this is one place that we thought really handled it very well

Chatham Bars Inn - Our daughter had a destination wedding at the Chatham Bars Inn. We chose this Inn because it was large enough for all of our guests to stay in one place and because of its reputation for being a first class resort. All of our guests commented on how nice their rooms were; some were in the Main Inn; others were in cottages elsewhere on the 25 acre property. My husband, daughter and I stayed in one of the Presidential Suites in the Main Inn and it was wonderful with every amenity imaginable including a huge deck overlooking the ocean. Sue and her groom stayed in the Bridal Suite the following night and they loved that as well. Even though it was an “off-season” wedding, there was plenty for our guests to do. Transportation was even offered for shopping on Chatham’s charming Main Street and there is a Spa in-house.

Reception Sites on Cape Cod.com, created by Richard Talmage Photographer is the perfect site to use for planning your wedding. The video clips shown above are the work of Richard Talmage. We urge you to consider our artistic photographic skills in planning your Cape Cod Wedding.

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Richard Talmage Photography - P. O. Box 1812 - Mashpee, MA - 02649 - 774-238-0719