The Maine Wedding Company

by : MWC

 The Maine Wedding Company is an exclusive source of ideas, inspiration and resources for planning a Maine wedding. Maine attracts brides and grooms from around the world searching for planning information and top-notch wedding pros....

Vendor Profile

Sometimes, the best thing about your wedding is when it’s over. We mean that in a good way, of course.

Your wedding is a day you anticipate for months after the engagement. All the planning and anticipation come down to one day, where you are the center of your friends’ and families’ universe. And while it’s joyful and exciting, you feel as though you’ve run a marathon when it’s over.

So when the wedding and reception have come and gone, you will need that honeymoon, like yesterday, to recuperate from it all. The good news? You don’t have to travel for a million years to start relaxing. You may be surprised to know how many places you can get from the uppermost corner of the U.S. -- quickly, and without driving to a major airport.

When traveling to exotic locations from Maine, “people almost always think they have to go through Boston,” says Beth Skypeck, a travel agent specializing in honeymoons and destination weddings at Hurley Travel Experts. “But you can leave from Portland, make one stop, and get to the Bahamas of Jamaica -- and the price is no more in most cases.”

While there are a variety of non-stop options straight from Portland (including Atlanta, New York City, Chicago and Orlando), the majority of Skypeck’s honeymooners opt for tropical trips to Jamaica, the Bahamas or Mexico. And they get there fast.

You can chug some coffee on the way to the airport in the morning, make one connection, and be eating lunch and sipping a fruity drink on the beach by early afternoon, Skypeck said. Who can argue with that?

The hotel options in those destinations are endless, too. Experience the beach as well as local culture, or consider an all-inclusive resort, where you barely have to move to tend to your needs.(“Just make sure to examine what you’re getting for your money,” Skypeck says. “Not all all-inclusives are not equal.”)

Another thing that may surprise travelers, Skypeck says, is the colonial connection between Maine and the islands. “They are rich with history. Explorers that came to New England also went places like Jamaica.”

So, you could actually get married in Falmouth or Portland, Maine, and vacation in Jamaican towns of the same name. Fun, right?

As your honeymoon wraps up, you can keep the mellow vibes flowing. “When they get home, they arrive right in Portland and don’t have to get in the car and don’t have to drive for two hours,” Skypeck said.

One final thing to keep in mind when planning your honeymoon: Take a breather. “Try and put a day between your wedding and honeymoon,” Skypeck said. That gives them time to get a little rest, say goodbye to out-of-town guests and maybe open their gifts.”

Because who knows? You might get a little somethin’-somethin’ you’d like to take with you on your trip. (We got some embroidered his and hers travel laundry bags that came in awfully handy on our honeymoon!)