Bar Harbor/Acadia vs. Camden/Rockland?

lrmain

Hi ladies!  Looking to garner some more of your Maine knowledge.

First of all, thanks for all of the great suggestions on my initial post!  I feel like I'm finally making headway, hah.

After consulting your feedback and scouring Google for who knows how many hours, some outliers aside, my top choices for elopement venues seem to fall between Bar Harbor and the Camden/Rockland areas.  There seems to be tons to do in both of these locations, not to mention great examples of Maine's beaches and landscapes.  FI since explained he wants to get all things Maine, like lighthouses, harbors, and the lovely coastline in our wedding photos, and these locations generally both seem to foot that bill too (I'm thinking Acadia National Park vs. Camden Harbor & Amphitheatre).

In your experiences, which do you all prefer?  Just curious on your thoughts when comparing the two.  Any other suggestions/comments also definitely welcome. 

Thanks again!
- Lindsey

gloriastyle10

My FI and I are considering the Camden Amphitheater as well, it's absolutely beautiful there. It is almost like being in another world with the ocean behind you and then all the trees and landscape around you. I felt like there was a lot to offer as far as ceremony and definitely for pictures. Just walk across the street and you're at the Camden harbor. 

There is also a new reception venue literally just around the corner that we found called High Mountain Hall. It's a neat space, we both really liked it, it's very classy and a lot could be done with it as far as decorating. 

I hope this helps! Good luck! 

fickrj5

If you are doing a summer ceremony, which I imagine you are because it's outside.  Bar Harbor is much more of a tourist attraction and there will be a lot more crowds, at least near the beaches in that area anyway.  I would go with the Camden/Rockport area, I used to go camping there a little kid and It was always just so beautiful.

lrmain

gloriastyle, I am SO happy to hear that the Amphitheatre is as beautiful in person as it looked online.  It seemed like a perfect place for photos.  Not to mention, Camden Public Library being in the vicinity.  I'm working on my masters in Library Science and thought it might be cute to do some pictures there too.  I checked out High Mountain Hall as well out of curiosity, and the space is gorgeous!  If we were doing a full-on wedding, this would be a beautiful spot for a reception.  Great find.  Do you have other areas you guys are looking at that rank high on your list?

flckrj5, also great to know.  Instinct told me that Camden was more touristy (probably because it seems more pricy from what I've seen), so I'm really glad you posted this!

Thanks, ladies!  I really appreciate your insight. 

jasmine.watson

I actually got married in the Camden Amphitheater last month.  It was beautiful and I don't regret it.  When I was choosing between venues, I also considered the Bar Harbor/Acadia vs. Camden.  I'm glad that I went with Camden.  All of my guests LOVED the town.  They loved that they could walk everywhere and take in all of the shops.  Camden can be traffic-y, but once your guests have arrived and they settle in, there's really no need for a car.  The bit of advice that I would give would be that your guests find accomodations sooner rather than later.  Camden can be a popular vacation destination in the summer, and you want to ensure that your guests are able to stay in town, which makes for a walkable, memorable experience.

I had my ceremony at the Amphitheatre, and loved that I didn't have to decorate the venue.  My reception was across Route 1 at the Camden Windward House.  They do a tented garden reception for up to 130.  It is right next to the High Mountain Hall Inn.

Also, I highly recommend Josh Gamage at Maine Coastal Catering for your catering needs.

I'm still on my wedding high and would be happy to talk more about Camden if anyone is interested.

Jasmine

schadbourne

both are absolulty beatiful! Bar harbor is def more of a tourist mob, in the summer at least, Camden is more expensive. 

I personally think Bar Harbor would be more of a 'maine' experience' but Camden is more "classy". There are pros and cons of both

If you go to Camden make sure to go to the Camden Deli for lunch, its soooo good!

gloriastyle10

Irmain, my FI Jake and I are mostly looking in the Southern Maine area but because he grew up in Camden we have poked around at some locations up there. I've spoken with the owner at High Mountain hall and one of their caterers is the Blue Elephant from Saco, which is one of the Caterers on our list so we're liking the looks of this location even more! They do great work, I'm really impressed with them so far. 

I will let you know if I come across anything else that is interesting! 

lrmain

schadbourne, good points to ponder regarding the level of "Maine" experience we want to have, at least as far as the wedding itself is concerned.  We're hoping to stay there for about a week, so it would be nice to venture to another part of the state for our "mini-moon" once we're hitched.  Thanks for the Camden Deli recommendation though, will definitely have to check it out if we end up in the area!

gloriastyle, that would be great!  I'd love to hear about any other cool stuff you find.  I've never been to Maine before, so I can't speak from personal experience, but I will say that everything I've read in regards to Blue Elephant has been nothing short of glowing.  Not a bad word in the bunch.  Which are you liking better so far, Camden or Southern Maine?  Southern Maine seemed really nice too.  I toyed with the idea of having our ceremony at SMCC for a bit, I've seen some gorgeous pics from weddings held there.

Jasmine, congratulations!  I'm sending you a PM.  I've really been looking for a B&B where we could stay, and Windward House ranked pretty high on my list.  I'd love to hear about your experience with them.

As usual, you ladies all give great advice!  Thanks so much!!

gloriastyle10

There is actually a neat little place in Boothbay Harbor that overlooks the ocean called the Ocean Gate Inn, all of your guests can stay there. It's very pretty and very Maine. We went up there over the weekend and now we have that one on our list. 

We also had a meeting yesterday with the Blue Elephant team and they were telling us about this garden in Gorham called Friends Corner. The way they describe it, it sounds beautiful so I'm calling to make an appointment to go see that and I'll let you know what thats like. 

Where are you planning your wedding from? Why did you choose Maine? 

lrmain

Wow, Ocean Gate is lovely!  Their location is gorgeous.  (Oh no, now you've got me looking at Boothbay Harbor!)  I really like the ceremony site, the gazebo on the water that they have on their weddings section.  And this place is huge, but still manages to be quaint and cozy-looking.  That would be really great if everyone at your wedding could stay together at the same place.  How many people are you planning on having? 

We're planning the wedding from Raleigh/Durham, NC while I finish up my masters at UNC-Chapel Hill.  It was actually FI who thought of Maine after much indecision on both of our parts.  We toyed with running off to Vegas or having a big wedding where we met in Western New York, but none of it really fit our personalities (or our budget!) in the end.  We're relaxed, easy-going foodies at heart that just wanted to enjoy our special day.  So when J said one day while we were talking weddings that Maine was the one state in the country he's really wanted to visit, it seemed like it was meant to be.  We're hoping to elope somewhere on the coast in early June not long after I graduate.  After all of the research I've done and the wonderful people I've talked to so far, I'm positive we've finally come to the right decision.  Now, the only thing I'm indecisive about is where in Maine to go!

gloriastyle10

We are having about 170... or I should say inviting 170 and hoping for less! I liked that all the guests could stay the the site too and be together for the whole weekend. It's a cozy little spot and It's right on the water which makes it even better. I'm not sure if it would work for us to be there because our guest count is so high- we could make some cuts but I'm not sure I want to do that. There is so much to do! Now my FI is bringing up the idea of getting married in his grandparents backyard which is also really beautiful. So I'm not sure what we will decide. 

Keep me posted on your plans!! 

 

lrmain

170 can be quite the guest list, but I can understand your having trouble making cuts, especially if either you or your FI have particularly big families.  As far as the backyard idea is concerned, the only thing I myself would really be worried about is space.  Is there enough room to accommodate that many people?  That would give your reception a really personal touch though.  I can see your dilemma, so many good options!  How much time do you have left to plan?  I'm sure that as time goes on, things will naturally start to fit together one way or another and the best choice will end up falling into your lap. 

And thanks!  Definitely let me know how things develop as well!

gloriastyle10

The yard would definitely hold everyone, I'm just worried about the weather! But it would be intimate and beautiful. We have just about a year left- September 24 2011! I'm probably getting ahead of myself with all of this planning but I'm one of those people who likes to have everything in its place... what do they call that... a type A personality?! lol!

I'm sure everything will work out fine. Keep me posted on your planning as well! Good luck!   

HE&ME

Definitely the Camden/Rockland area.  You should check out the Samoset Resort if you haven't already.  You could have your ceremony in the Amphitheatre and your reception at the Samoset.  Awesome!  Good luck!

mafyler

My finace and I went to school up at Orono and traveled every chance we could to both Camden and Bar Harbor. We personally love Bar Harbor more....but this is because we are hiking outdoors people who just love that feel. Camden has a smaller feel to us, and is also beautiful but there is less of a retreat into the woods feel. I also think Bar Harbor has better views. In terms of a wedding, I agree that the Camden ampitheater is beautiful (and pretty cheap to rent) we stayed at an amazing place in camden called The Oceans Edge...this was the most beautiful place and the restuarant (although pricey) had really high end food. The complimentary breakfast was really nice, I would have payed 20 dollars a person for it easily it was beautiful!

hope that helps!