in this issue
Wedding Destination
The Sunapee Region
Do you imagine getting married in a flower filled garden? Can you picture the crisp reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn leaves as the background in your wedding photos? Ever dream of enjoying your first dance as husband and wife under a starry sky? The Sunapee region of New Hampshire offers couples countless ways to celebrate their wedding day. Brides and Grooms from nearby and across the country find they can create a memorable event customized to their preference in this picturesque area of the state.
Located in the Central Western part of New Hampshire, the Sunapee region boasts easy accessibility combined with an undiscovered, rural beauty. Only 90 minutes from Boston and less than 60 minutes from Concord, the area is close enough where the couple and their guests can drive home after the wedding. But given the warm hospitality and variety of things to do in the area, offer your guests a wedding weekend getaway where they can enjoy plenty of fun activities along with your wedding celebration. From a scenic afternoon cruise on Lake Sunapee to attending a play at the New London Barn Playhouse, your guests may discover the area as their new vacation spot.
Picking a reception site and lodging is the first item to take care of when planning a weekend wedding getaway. From large resorts to more intimate bed and breakfasts, there are a variety of options to choose from for in the Sunapee region. Starting with The Highland Lake Inn in East Andover, this charming bed and breakfast is located in one of the most beautiful and authentic New England style villages in the area. Situated across the street from a spring water fed lake, the property offers 6 acres of flat grass for tents holding up to 500 guests. While you can have your ceremony on the grounds, says Innkeeper Pecco Beaufÿs, the Inn is also walking distance from the village’s quaint Congregational Church. The friendly ambiance that the Sunapee region is known for is epitomized in East Andover. The town welcomes wedding parties and social affairs where neighbors even offer additional accommodation for guests of the Inn.
Intimate weddings are a hallmark in this area of New Hampshire. John Augustine, Innkeeper at Dexter’s Inn in Sunapee, devotes his Inn to the Bride and Groom for an entire weekend. All your wedding needs are taken care of at this hill top Inn; once you are here there is no reason to leave. The Inn will host everything from the Friday night rehearsal dinner to Sunday morning brunch, and of course, the wedding in between. Dexter’s Inn provides on site recreational activities for all ages such as tennis, swimming, a game room, and trails for hiking. The wedding turns into a vacation for the guests and they are all too reluctant to leave once the festivities are over.
Sunapee Region GardenA wedding in the Sunapee region offers you the professionalism and attention to detail you’d expect in the big city. Lesley Marquis, Innkeeper of The Rosewood Country Inn in Bradford, presents a wedding package that rivals metropolitan venues but without the big-ticket price. For $350 and $15 per guest, the wedding package includes the ceremony and Justice of the Peace, a French champagne toast, two keepsake crystal champagne flutes, five heart hors d’oeuvres, and the wedding cake. To top it off, you may even have some unexpected guests show up. Lesley remarks that one wedding in autumn included the attendance of six deer that watched the ceremony from an apple tree! Talk about including a nature theme into your wedding.
Along with charming reception sites you can also find quality wedding professionals to make your wedding day a true Sunapee experience. Jack Diemar, owner of Jack’s of New London, caterers weddings and events but will also act as a wedding coordinator if your wedding is hosted outside of a function facility. Jack tries to use as many local food products as he can when he caters weddings and events in the area. Which doesn’t seem that challenging when within 30 minutes he can reach a variety of farms that produce everything from goat cheese to venison. One thing that sets Sunapee area weddings apart, says Jack, is that couples can take advantage of the abundant natural elements in the area for their weddings. Wild flower filled fields, lush mountaintops and pristine lakes are the decorations while the food is an extension of the natural beauty of the area.
Photography is the best way to capture the magic of a wedding and surrounding vista. Gary Summerton of Gary Summerton Photography in Sunapee loves the challenge of capturing the passion, love and special family moments that make weddings one of the most memorable days in a couple’s life. Whenever possible, he tries to incorporate the many beautiful mountain and lakeside views of the region. From his experience, Gary believes great wedding photography captures the raw emotion and beauty of the day while telling a story of the family and friends who gather to celebrate in the couple’s future as husband and wife.
No wedding is complete without flowers. Mother and daughter team, Martha Roth and Georgie Hill, own Stillwater Garden Shop, a Newport based florist servicing weddings in the Sunapee region. With head wedding floral designer, Anna French, Stillwater Garden enjoys the opportunity to create a piece of living art that a couple and their guests will remember forever. Wedding flowers require precise work and bring with it exciting challenges that are not often seen in every day floral design work. Some of the flowers that French likes to use in Bridal bouquets are those that are reminiscent of local gardens and warm summer days such as lupines, stock and snapdragons.
Now that you’ve brought your guests up to the Sunapee area, make sure you give them a list of area attractions or plan some fun activities in advance. Whether it’s your Mother-in-law who appreciates folk art or your college roommate who can’t get enough of mountain biking, there is something for everyone to do in this area. Enlist the help of a bridesmaid to research the hiking trails and boating opportunities while you focus on the cultural attractions such as restaurants, art galleries and museums. Even if a guest comes up for only one night, they’ll have a chance to do a quick activity and feel like they made good use of the trip.
Living in the area, Georgie Hill remarks that she sometimes takes for granted the abundance of beauty and natural surroundings the Sunapee area is popular for. Couples and their guests, however, will have no choice but to notice the gorgeous mountains, lakes, quaint villages, and picture-perfect views at every corner they turn. What better way to set a magical and romantic mood for any wedding.
The Highland Lake Inn
603.735.6426 www.highlandlakeinn.com
Dexter’s Inn www.dextersnh.com
The Rosewood Country Inn
603.938.5253 www.rosewoodcountryinn.com
Jack’s of New London
603.526.2703 www.jacksofnewlondon.com
Stillwater Garden Shop
603.863.1991 www.stillwatergardenshop.com
Gary Summerton Photography
603.763.4397 www.garysummerton.com