SET THE DATE AND SECURE THE VENUES
The first step in planning your destination wedding on Martha's Vineyard is to choose your date and venues for both ceremony and reception. September is the most popular month for Island weddings and venues are often reserved 12 - 18 months prior to the event. June, July, August and October are next in popularity, with reservations being made 10 - 16 months out. Don't panic if you want to get married in six months. It's absolutely do-able!
By choosing to plan your destination wedding reception at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House in Edgartown, you have options galore for your ceremony: four different outdoor locations for a beautiful garden wedding or the magnificent Old Whaling Church right next door. The Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs offers many great time options for your wedding ceremony at this high-Victorian cathedral. For a unique ceremony and reception, choose the Grange Hall in West Tisbury - Up-Island casual for Down-Home fun!
SAVE THE DATE!
Send a card by mail or send an email, but do let your guests know that you're planning your destination wedding on Martha's Vineyard. We recommend that you send your save-the-dates in January in the year of your wedding. Include accommodation information so that your guests will be able to make their reservations in a timely fashion. Travel information is important too whether it be flight or ferry. Remind your guests that the Vineyard is a popular tourist destination and to make their plans early! Helpful Hint: Don't count on people declining your invitation to a Martha's Vineyard destination wedding. Our experience shows that people from all over the country - California to Florida, Texas to Chicago - jump at the chance to come to the Island!
DO YOU NEED A WEDDING PLANNER?
Some brides will go straight to the planner as the very first step. Many brides are excited about doing much of the planning on their own and may want to hire someone as the "Day-Of" Coordinator. Still others will do all their own planning with the helpful guidance of the venue staff and caterers.
Do you need help budgeting? Are you "straight out" at school or work? Examine your own situation and decide on how much time you have available to devote to the planning process. The Vineyard's wedding planners and event coordinators are experienced professionals and are incredibly helpful from start to finish. They know the venues and the vendors. Here at the Preservation Trust's historic wedding venues we are happy to work with you or your planner to bring your dream wedding to life.
FURNISHINGS, FOOD AND MUSIC
Once you have confirmed your ceremony and reception venues, it's time to select your tent and party rental company, caterer and band. The Preservation Trust is proud to offer referrals for all three. The Island's party rental companies are top-notch professionals and will reliably service your event with clean equipment in excellent condition. There are some differences in tent styles and other rental inventory and we're happy to answer questions about any of the vendors on our list of recommendations.
You'll be in good hands with your Island caterer. The Vineyard has an abundance of fresh, local produce from Island farms and seafood from local waters. Your caterer will help you craft a menu whether you envision an elegant plated dinner, a buffet table groaning with delicious choices or more casual food stations allowing guests to wander, mingle and "graze". Clambakes and raw bars are classic Island fare that will impress and delight your guests. You can rely on our preferred caterers to provide delicious food and impeccable service.
Music is an important part of any celebration, especially weddings. Be sure to consult our list of approved musicians for your entertainment at our historic reception venues. They are true professionals who will set the tone for your event but not overwhelm it. You can choose lively background music for cocktail hour, jazzy standards during dinner then a variety of styles and tunes for dancing. Our "unplugged" policy allows for dancing AND conversations in the same space, appealing to all the generations in your families.
PHOTOS AND FLOWERS
You've picked your date, you've confirmed your venue. You've chosen your tent and tablecloths, crystal and china. Your mouth waters every time you think about your menu and your musicians are rehearsing the song for your "First Dance". Now it's time to select a photographer and a florist.
Martha's Vineyard is well known to artists and photographers alike for it's amazing light. It is perhaps because of this that the Vineyard boasts so many fabulous wedding photographers. Whether you prefer a journalistic approach or more formal photos, our recommended photographers will record your wedding day in a way that you will enjoy for the rest of your life. The day will fly by but you'll have it all in pictures to re-live again and again.
Flowers enhance a wedding ceremony and reception in a way that nothing else does. Martha's Vineyard wedding florists will work with you to bring your colors and favorite blooms together with an artistic flair. Our recommended Island florists will help you choose your personal bouquet, bridesmaid's flowers, family corsages and gentlemen's boutonnieres. They will design centerpieces for the reception and arrangements for the ceremony. For the budget-minded bride, the West Tisbury Farmers' Market is famous for beautiful locally grown blooms. Sunflowers to roses; daisies to delphiniums - you'll find what you're looking for at the florist or the farm.
CONFECTIONS AND COCKTAILS
Your florals are designed and you've chosen a photographer to document your day. Now on to the wedding cake and the bar!
The choices for wedding confections have grown over the years. The traditional tiered wedding cake will never go out of style, but maybe you love the idea of a tower of cupcakes or a Viennese dessert table. Our Island pastry chefs will beautifully and creatively make your sweet vision a reality, whatever you choose.
When planning your wedding reception at the historic venues of the Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust, you, as the host, will provide your own alcoholic beverages. This can be a tremendous cost savings! You can consult our Island package stores on everything from toasting champagne or prosecco and wine choices for dinner to "signature drinks" - Cosmos, Bellinis, Pomgranate Martinis or Mojitos, to name a few. Your bartender will mix them but your beverage representative will make sure you have all the ingredients. With free delivery and pick-up of unopened bottles, the Vineyard beverage distributors will make your bar selections easy and economical. You are also welcome to BYO from off-island, if you prefer.
WHEN IT'S TIME TO GO - TRANSPORTATION AND PORT-O-POTTIES
Transportation options abound for your Island destination wedding. To get you to the church on time, you can choose from horse and carriage, vintage or stretch limo, even school busses and trolleys. NOTE: If you have your heart set on a trolley, make this step number 2! Trolley availability is limited and they are very popular.
In Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, it's easy for your guests to walk to our beautiful ceremony and reception venues. But for Up-Island events at the Grange Hall, we recommend that you provide transportation for your guests in the form of the colorful sight-seeing busses, which are available for charter. Funky and fun, your guests will enjoy the short ride to West Tisbury and appreciate not having to drive after the reception.
Port-o-potties are a necessity at times. Don't wrinkle your nose! The Island has three companies that can provide facilities worthy of your wedding. Deluxe potties have running water, sinks, mirrors and even a spot for a bouquet of flowers. House them in a "Modesty Tent" and impress your guests even more!
JUST IN CASE
The Island of Martha's Vineyard is well known for its natural beauty and quaint New England villages. It's easy to see why so many couples come here to get married and plan outdoor events during their wedding weekend. The wise couple will also plan a back-up venue for their beach wedding, garden ceremony or anything else outdoors. Our wedding ceremony and reception venues are available to reserve as your "Plan B". Don't be caught without a back-up!
PROLOGUE AND EPILOGUE
Welcome receptions, rehearsal dinners and post-wedding brunches are events that bookend your wedding weekend. They are a way for your families and friends to spend more time getting to know each other and share in the joy of your love and commitment. As you go through the steps of planning your wedding ceremony and reception, keep these other events in mind. Each of the professional vendors that you choose will assist you in planning any and all of these events. And the historic properties of the Preservation Trust are available venues for all of these special occasions. Sparkling clean, meticulously maintained and staffed with caring professionals whose goal is to make your Island wedding a dream come true.
