FAQ Session 1: Why Maine?

According to Wikipedia, Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQ are a list of questions and answers that pertain to one common subject. When it comes to big shindigs, anyone whose planned a party will tell you people ask a lot of questions - and generally they're the same ones. FAQ Sessions will be posted here for the purpose of answering questions that frequently pop up. If you have any specific questions or concerns feel free to leave a comment or drop a line at our blog e-mail: ACMEWedding@gmail.com. I'm sure we won't be able to think of everything you guys will end up asking us, so feel free to suggest subjects we should touch upon.

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I understand that with our wedding a lot of people will have a lot of questions, because lets just face it - this isn't going to be a run of the mill, uninspired and cookie cutter wedding. Alan and I just aren't the run of the mill, uninspired and cookie cutter, type of couple. We like traditions. We love to wave at them as they pass by. Unless they happen to be particularly functional, or meaningful - then we'll highjack them like the pirates we are.

Some of you may have wondered why we're having our wedding in Maine - others, may not care as long as you get cake and booze. Either way, lets talk about the reasoning behind our "destination" wedding.

Most traditions have the wedding couple head to the brides hometown and get the deed done there. Well . .as much as I love my family and friends in North Carolina I can't stand the state. Any of my friends will tell you that upon graduating high school I literally pounced the opportunity to be anywhere else. Through my trips back and forth from school in Atlanta to home in NC I was surprised to actually find myself missing the stupid sand pit where I grew up. It took me a while to realize this glaringly obvious fact that it's the people you love who tend to make you stay someplace you'd otherwise flee. Frustratingly, they also tug you to come back, and you do! You do come back to that place you loathe because you miss them and you love them and you want to see them again. It didn't take me long after that to figure out that it wouldn't matter where we had the wedding because all that mattered was having those loved ones there. I don't care about the stupid state, I care about them. So not being particularly attached to my home, it didn't feel right for us, and was pushed from the listing.

Then there's Atlanta, where Alan and I currently reside. To be honest we thought about it for a split second or two. Venues there (because of the 'big city' factor) are several shades, and several thousand bucks on the side of uncomfortable. The city is nice, but the traffic is awful, the heat is abominable, and finding your way around Atlanta can be extremely confusing if you're not used to it. Peachtree street is an inside joke in the Big Peach state because those city builders just couldn't stop naming streets after that silly peach. Peachtree Dunwoody, Peachtree Chamblee, Peachtree Battle, Peachtree Crossing, Peachtree Circle, Peachtree Corner, Peachtree, and eventually you'll find the Pitts Road too. And as long as we've lived in Atlanta, we don't really like it. Wedding places should feel special, and as cool as Atlanta can be, it just doesn't feel like the right place for us. So Atlanta was also pushed from the listing.

So then we came to the thought of Maine, and we liked the idea. Alan grew up in Maine. The roads are easier to navigate as they don't name everything the same. The scenery is beautiful. The people are awesome. The ocean is everywhere, and most importantly it's special. It feels like home. As the Shire is to Frodo and Bilbo, Maine is to Alan and I. We love it here.

Many of you may think along the lines of my own mother, "But if you do it in Maine everyones going to have to travel there!" True. Travel is a very real issue - but here's the problem in thinking this way. No matter where we have the party, people will have to travel. We have friends and family all over the place, and travel is just something we can't really get around no matter where we do this.

But one of the big reasons we decided to have our wedding in Maine actually comes straight from the lips of some of our friends and family. Something we noticed as we went about talking to people is that everyone has the same thing to say when we mention Maine, "It's so pretty up there, I wish I could go someday." Well, now you have an excuse!

Understandably some of you may not be able to make it. However, please don't automatically decided you 'just can't do it' without looking into it. Fear not, for we have a travel agent tied up in the closet and he will dish the goods eventually. We are doing everything in our power to pull together ticket info, discount pricing through group rates, and other methods of mayhem to get you there. We'll be posting more information as it becomes available. Info should include travel tips, cost saving ideas, discounted rates, and options for those willing to travel in groups.

Thanks for reading!
- Carrie.