Maine Spring Wedding Part 1: Create a Wonderful Seasonal Menu

We love helping couples plan their wedding day menus in the springtime because the options are abundant and it’s simply the best time of the year to serve what’s beautiful and fresh. Many of our couples come to us asking what is locally available at the time of their wedding because Maine is known for its fresh food. In the spring, you’ll find early appearing produce such as beets, cucumbers, dill, asparagus, sweet peas, strawberries, rhubarb, fiddleheads, brussel sprouts, cherries, tomatoes and mushrooms available in Maine. We also see fresh goat cheese, lamb, and soft shell crab. Lemon, citrus and mint flavors also summon thoughts of spring. Maple syrup sugar shack season in Maine happens in early spring, so this flavor is also one many of us Mainers think of this time of year.

We take pride in sourcing locally and some of our favorite farms and providers are: Caldwell Family Farms in Turner which provides the most incredible beef; GM Allen & Son Wild Maine Blueberries in Blue Hill for scrumptious Maine blueberries; Appleton Creamery Goat Cheese Farm in Appleton for mouth-watering goat cheese, a centerpiece for our Signature Famer’s Table served often during cocktail hours; Stone Fox Creamery which makes the ice cream we use for our ice cream sandwiches and Ice Cream Bars and various local fisherman that provide the freshest lobster possible for our always popular lobster bakes.

Cocktail Hour
You’ll want to provide appetizer stations and a series of passed hors d’oeuvres to create an easy social atmosphere for your guests to enjoy. Our list of fare is endless, but we thought we would share a sampling of our spring offerings is below.

Stationary Hors d’oeuvres Displays

• Baked Brie — Luscious, rich imported Brie topped with sweet strawberry preserves wrapped with puff pastry and baked until golden. Served with fresh baked French baguette and fresh cut fruit.
• Soft Shell Crab Bar — An incredible display of the finest soft shell crab available with lemons, homemade lime-infused cocktail sauce, spicy dill remoulade

Passed Hors d’oeuvres

• California Wontons with Chevre & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Sherried Wild Mushroom & Leek Tartlets
• Chicken Salad with Fresh Mint & Dried Cranberries in Belgian Endive
• Rosemary & Garlic Marinated Lollipop Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce

A great way to personalize your cocktail hour and showcase the season is to offer a signature cocktail. Some wonderful, spring signature drink options using seasonal fruits or infusions are Cherry Blossom Tini, the El Pepino and the Rosé Berry Bliss. And, we can create something very specific for you, too.

An example I always like to share is of a couple who met while attending law school. The bride was from Knoxville, Tennessee, and her family had a passion for University of Tennessee football. The bride also loved Maine and had summered here since childhood. To bring a little bit of the South to New England, we created a drink for this couple called the “Voltini” in honor of the school’s mascot, the Volunteers. The drink was a frothy orange (the UT school color) and it contained Caravella Orangecello, Absolute Citron, and fresh-squeezed orange juice with a splash of freshly made sour mix.

Not all your guests will prefer alcoholic beverages and it’s important to keep their comfort in mind, too. At French’s Point, we are known for our fabulous beverage jars which we fill with fresh fruits and herbs from our gardens for these delicious beverage displays. Non-alcoholic beverage jars also make a thoughtful self-service thirst quencher prior to the ceremony.

Here are some of our favorites for spring:

• Cucumber Water (Non-Alcoholic) — Iced water with floating slices of fresh cucumber and cucumber water essence.
• Sparkling Strawberry (Non-Alcoholic) — Ginger ale, our French’s Point strawberry simple syrup, and sliced strawberries garnished with fresh mint.
• Rose Iced Tea (Non-Alcoholic) — Iced freshly brew white tea with our own French’s Point Rose Water Simple Syrup with eatable rose petals.

Join us Thursday for the seasonally inspired dinner menu!