Client Information Archives

November 4, 2019October 26, 2019

What Do I Do About Food Between Events?

French's Point - Wedding Weekend Planning - Weekend Catering

When planning a destination wedding, and your guests are all staying on site, there’s always the question; What do I do about food in between events? Do I have to provide every meal- breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Or can I just provide the meals for events?

Here are a few options that will help your guests understand what is provided, what is not provided, and how to provide meals for the whole duration of your stay:

Create a Weekend Itinerary

Talk with your stationer about creating a weekend itinerary that you can send along to all your weekend guests. You can inform them of the meal times and your event times so there are no questions! Send the itinerary in your invitations or post them on your wedding website. When you arrive at French’s Point, post your itinerary in our Welcome Center in each home so your guests can reference it at Check In and during their stay!

Post the Expectations on Your Wedding Website

Make it clear to guests the meals that you are providing during their stay and inform them of the food that will be available for them in the nearest residential kitchen.

Streamline Your Weekend Caterer

Throughout your stay, hire the same caterer to create meals, formal and informal, and even drop-off meals to you and your guests! Many caterers will not only design your wedding day meal, but drop off breakfast, brunch, lunch, and late night treats to your guests throughout your stay! Working with one provider streamlines the communication and helps ensure you aren’t missing any key mealtimes!

Don’t Forget to Provide Coffee in the Morning

You can order coffee from your breakfast caterer, or leave supplies and coffee grounds at each coffee maker for the guests to enjoy for themselves!

Hire a Personal Chef

Some catering companies offer a personal chef to cook meals for you and your guests within the home you are staying in! They will become a member of the family in no-time as they prepare all your favorite eats right in the heart of the home- the kitchen!

Hire Brunch Service

If you have multiple meal providers during your weekend stay, contact Eileen of Creative Catering or JoJo of Bell the Cat to drop off breakfast for your guests, they have everything from brunch/lunch platters to warm, home-cooked breakfasts. They will drop off at both homes, and pick up the platters as soon as you’re done!

Or a Food Truck!

If a donut truck is more your style, contact Eight 8 Donut Cafe about coming and parking in front of the Retreat House any morning during your stay! They provide fun-filled and uniquely decorated donuts, warm out of the fryer, and locally roasted coffee! It’s all you can eat so invite all your guests staying down Hersey Retreat Road to join you for your early morning treat! The Salt Box Café is another great breakfast, brunch or lunch option. They provide creative breakfast and lunch sandwiches of your choosing and cook it fresh off the truck!

October 28, 2019October 26, 2019

How To Plan Your Transportation: Uber, Lyft, & Taxis

Kelci Alane Photography - French's Point Destination Wedding Venue - Ubers, Lyft & Taxis

French’s Point is a Destination Wedding Venue on the Coast of Maine and a Vacation Home Rental Property. We are privately located at a quiet spot on the coast, with uninterrupted views of the ocean and the Maine landscape. The nearest city or downtown area is 15 minutes from French’s Point and the nearest airport is in the City of Bangor, 40 minutes down Route 1A. Uber and Lyft are great resources in Southern Maine, but once you head up the coastal region and into the midcoast or central regions of Maine, finding an Uber or Lyft is a rarity. We don’t recommend relying on these resources when traveling to French’s Point for a wedding or vacation.

Car Rentals

We recommend renting your own vehicle for the duration of your stay so you can explore all the wonders and attractions this wonderful region has to offer.

Taxi Service

If you must use a cab or taxi, there is one resource in Belfast, Maine, 15 minutes down the road. Please call Bay Taxi at (207) 338-1993. They have a limited number of vehicles.

Event Transportation

If you are the host of an event at French’s Point, please secure a bus, trolley, shuttle or form or transportation service for your guests staying offsite for your events to ensure their safety and enjoyment.

Photos by Kelci Alane Photography

October 21, 2019October 26, 2019

The Sound System at French’s Point

Sound System at French's Point - Estate Destination Wedding Venue - Lindsey Ocker Photography

The Sound System at French’s Point is offered to our guests during their planned events. The Sound System is a property operated piece of equipment. Guests have access to the sound system from 9am-10pm with the site managers permission. Sound System will be locked at 10:00PM or at the end of your event before the site manager’s departure.

Microphone

Our Sound System broadcasts sound on the Main Level of the Retreat House and outside on the Cocktail Terrace. If you have a speech planned during your event, you are welcome to speak with a French’s Point site manager about using a microphone. Please plan to use the microphone only inside the home, as the microphone will lose it’s line-of-sight connection once it leaves the Main Level of the Retreat House.

Piano

If you plan to have a Pianist, please let us know ahead of time so we can set up the microphone to the piano to broadcast outside on the Cocktail Terrace.

Music

In order to play your music selections, you will need a Phone or iPad with an Aux Port or Aux Port Converter. You are also welcome to play CDs.

For any other Sound System questions, please email Nicole at [email protected].

Photos by Lindsey Ocker Photography

October 14, 2019October 26, 2019

What to Include in Your Bathroom Baskets

To better serve your guests and help take care of them during their time here, here are some items we think are perfect to include in your bathroom baskets! At French’s Point there are 4 common guest restrooms, two on the main level and 2 on the lower level of the Retreat House. Please keep in mind if you are a host at French’s Point, you will need two of each of the below:

Women’s Bathroom Baskets:

Straight Edged Basket

Mints

Tic Tacs

Cough Drops

Toothpicks

Floss

Mini Disposable Tooth Brushers

Women’s Deodorant

Perfume

Bug Spray Wipes

Sunscreen

Aloe

Lotion

Tide-To-Go

Chap Stick Tubes

Lint Rollers

Q-Tips

Mini Tissue Packs

Nail File

Mini Sewing Kits

Safety Pins

Mini Hair Combs

Contact Solution

Contact Cases

Tums

Band-Aids

Triple Antibiotic Cream

Ibuprofen

Advil

Mini Pads

Pads

Tampons – All Sizes

Hairspray

Dry Shampoo

Makeup Remover

Hair Ties

Bobby Pins

Grass Heel Stoppers

Men’s Bathroom Baskets

Straight Edged Basket

Mints

Tic Tacs

Cough Drops

Toothpicks

Floss

Mini Disposable Tooth Brushers

Men’s Deodorant

Cologne

Bug Spray Wipes

Sunscreen

Aloe

Lotion

Tide-To-Go

Chap Stick Tubes

Lint Rollers

Q-Tips

Mini Tissue Packs

Nail File

Mini Sewing Kits

Safety Pins

Mini Hair Combs

Contact Solution

Contact Cases

Tums

Band-Aids

Triple Antibiotic Cream

Ibuprofen

Advil

August 19, 2019August 9, 2019

FAQ: Do We Have to Clean Up After Our Stay?

French's Point - Client Information - Cleaning Up After Stay

French’s Point is a family vacation home rental property. We ask that you remove all trash, recycling and redeemables to the designated receptacles in the dumpster enclosure, remove your personal effects & food, return furnishings to their original locations and leave the property in the condition in which you received it at check in.

Housekeeping Services

If you would like daily house keeping services during your stay, these services can be arranged in advance with our office. These services are billed at $100/hour. This service requires advanced reservation with our office.

August 12, 2019August 9, 2019

FAQ: What Role Does French’s Point’s Team Play During Our Stay?

French’s Point‘s team provides support related to the venue, in advance of your stay, during your stay, during your events, and during your departure. Our Property Manager, Nicole Lesher, will be your primary point of contact with us once you reserve your stay.

In Advance Of Your Stay

Nicole will offer recommendations on how to make the most of your stay with us and your time at the estate, suggestions on how to best meet your specific goals for your event, offer educational resources through periodic emails, our blog and website to prepare you for your reservation, answer questions that arise from you, your planner, and your vendors.

At Check In

Nicole will greet you and your House Captains, get you oriented to the facilities and amenities, and address questions before you get settled and you begin welcoming the rest of your guests to the estate.

During Your Reservation

We will address facility/utility related issues that may arise, be the facilities point of contact with your planner & vendors, provide traffic direction and security during events larger than 50 guests, set fire pits before use, turn on and off gas lights to set the ambiance for your events. With direction from your planner, we can shuttle elderly and mobility limited guests for photos or the rest room in our golf cart. During your stay, we will keep normal office hours from 9am-4pm daily. We will also be present for your events of more than 50 guests to ensure their safety.

At Departure

We will be sure you know where everything is to help you collect your personal effects before we bid you fair well.

June 10, 2019August 8, 2019

How To Plan an Event or Ceremony on The Farm Beach

Farm Beach - Plan an event or ceremony - How to plan a beach event - French's Point - Rachael Anderson Photography

The Private Farm Beach is an idyllic seaside setting for a rehearsal dinner celebration or ceremony. It has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years since we installed a new sea wall and regraded the lawn area abutting the beach to allow for tenting of the area. If you are looking into the possibility of hosting a Rehearsal Dinner, celebration or ceremony on the Private Farm Beach, please keep in mind the details we have listed below. We want to ensure our couples & their vendor team are aware of the details that go into planning any event on the Beach.

Key Details:

Maximum Guest Capacity: 100

Event End Time: 9:00PM including vendor & guest departure

Beach Area is in shade from afternoon on
There is no parking available on the beach & vehicles must remain clear of the roadway at all times so as not to block access to the neighboring cottages
There is no power supply on the beach, so a generator is needed if power is required

Rental Needs:

Porta Potties or a Bathroom Trailer

Restroom rentals are required for meal events because of very long uphill walk to the public restrooms at the Retreat House.

Golf Cart

A golf cart to shuttle guests from/to the houses & parking is required to transport your guests down to the Farm Beach. During your event, your planner should provide staff to drive the golf carts to shuttle guests to and from the parking area as guests are not permitted to drive themselves once alcohol service has commenced.

Event Tent & Service Tent

You will need to rent a tent in order to have proper weather/rain shelter in the case of inclement weather for an event planned in this area. The size of your event tent should be no larger than 30’ x 60’. Your caterer will need a dry, enclosed & covered space to meal-prep. The service tent for the cater should be no larger than 20’ x 30’. Please contact Wallace Events for your tent rental needs because they know where the tent is permitted in this area due to the 15’ fire pit on the beach & underground water lines.

Generator

A generator is required if power service is required for music, lighting or catering needs. Please contact Wallace Events about placing a generator on your rental order. It will need to be large enough to cover your full needs for catering, lighting, and musician or DJ.

Lighting

There is no source of walkway lighting on the path down to the Beach or on the Beach itself other than some tiki torches and a fire pit. Please please plan to light the walkways for your guests safety. You will also need lighting in the tent for events that take place after dark.

General Rental Equipment

Items you will need to rent for an event on the beach include:

Chairs
Bar
Dishware
Glassware
Linens

Recommendations:

Event Time

We recommend starting the event earlier in the day or hosting an early dinner. This way the event end time of 9:00PM does not seem early to you or your guests and the cost of the necessary lighting is not an issue.

Temperature

We recommend providing blankets at the fire pits, patio heaters & tent heaters(May-June & September & October) as it can get chilly on the water once the sun goes down!

Games

Providing an assortment of lawn games for your guests to enjoy during their time on the Beach is also a great way to keep them entertained and feel at home.

We hope you find this information helpful & enjoy this space to really relax and get a true Maine beachside experience.

Photography by Rachael Anderson

June 3, 2019August 8, 2019

FAQ: How is the Lodging Block Fee Paid?

French's Point Lodging - Farm House - Retreat House - Seaside Estate Vacation Home in Maine - Greta Tucker Photography

Typically, your guests cover the expense for their lodging in the guest suites. As the host, you assign your guests to the suites. By reserving French’s Point, you are guaranteeing the lodging block payment just as you would a room block at a hotel. You have two options as to how payments are made for lodging:

Option A

You assign your guests to the suites and collect the lodging rates and applicable Maine State Lodging Tax from your guests using the Venmo app or collecting check payments and then pay the balance due on lodging and lodging tax to French’s Point 100 days prior to check in.

Option B

You assign your guests to the suites and provide the names of the guests you wish to stay at French’s Point and the room assignments to our office. For a $1,500 Administrative Fee, we will collect lodging payments from your guests directly and apply the payments to the balance due on lodging and lodging tax. With this option, the balance due on lodging and lodging tax to French’s Point is due 160 days prior to check in. Credit Card payments are subject to a convenience fee.

May 20, 2019August 8, 2019

FAQ: Do We Have to Clean Up After Our Stay?

French's Point Textile Parter Feature: Molly Hutchins of On Board Fabrics - Maine Vacation Home Rental Property

We ask that you remove all trash, recycling and redeemables to the designated receptacles, remove your personal effects & food, return furnishings to their original locations and leave the property in the condition in which you received it at check in. If you would like daily housekeeping services during your stay, these services can be arranged in advance with our office. These services are billed at $100/hour.

March 25, 2019August 8, 2019

How to Make Coffee & Coffee Station Supplies

At French’s Point, we have 3 guest coffee stations: one in the Farm House residential kitchen, another in the Retreat House residential kitchen, and one located on the Second Level of the Retreat House. We get asked frequently how to use the coffee makers in our homes and what supplies need to be provided in order to create a successful station. Here is some helpful information on how to make coffee and the supplies you need in the coffee stations at French’s Point. We hope you find this information helpful as you make your wedding weekend plans!

How To Make Coffee:

Place a paper filter in the basket in the top of the coffee maker
Choose your coffee grounds
Measure 1 Tablespoon of coffee grounds per 6 oz cup and place in the paper filter in the top of the coffee maker
Pour 6 oz of water in the reservoir per serving
Close the lid
Turn on the brewer
Savor the rich aroma as the coffee brews
Pour the coffee into your selected coffee mug and enjoy!
When you are done, please rinse the coffee out from the carafe and turn off the coffee maker

Supplies You Need:

We provide the appropriate coffee filters for the maker, located in the nearest cabinet to the coffee maker
We also provide press-pots located in both of our homes’ residential kitchens
Coffee Grounds – Regular & Decaf
Coffee Cups
Coffee Lids
Coffee Stirrers
Straws
Coffee Cup Sleeves
Variety of Sugars & Sweeteners
Milk & Creamer
Milk Frother
Cinnamon & Cocoa
Whipped Cream Topping

Tea & Hot Cocoa:

There is also a hot-water-maker at each coffee station at French’s Point. Therefore, we have included some other supplies to consider adding to your Coffee Station:

Hot Chocolate Station:

Hot Cocoa Boxes
Mini Marshmallows
Fluff
Chocolate Dipped Spoons
Cinnamon Shaker
Cocoa Shaker

Hot Tea Station:

Tea Sachets – Assortment of Flavors, Regular & Decaf
Honey
Sugar Packets