Innkeeper Launches Destination Wedding Site

 

Innkeeper Launches Destination Wedding Site

nnkeeper Launches Destination Wedding Site Camden Maine Newest Wedding DestinationContributed by Kristen Bifulco 2008-02-24

Camden — Camden, ME February 24, 2008 -- Kristen Bifulco, owner and innkeeper of the Camden Windward House B&B in mid-coast Maine, has launched a destination wedding website, Mycamdenwedding.com.

The new website assists brides in planning a wedding in Camden, one the most photographed coastal villages in Maine-popularly known as the Jewel of the Maine Coast.

The site features four signature, wedding packages unique to the natural surroundings of Camden: Ocean View Weddings, Mountain Top Weddings, Coastal Garden Weddings and B&B Weddings.

Ocean View Weddings feature ceremonies aboard a schooner, in front of a lighthouse, on the beach or at the yacht club. Bridal parties can choose to dine aboard ship or picnic on an island with a Maine lobster bake.

For a Mountain Top Wedding, couples exchange vows atop 1300 foot, Mt. Battie with views of the harbor and downeast to Cadillac Mountain. The summit is home to the famous "kissing rock" from the classic movie, "Payton Place" and a verse from Camden's romantic poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay, carved in the granite. An elopement mountain venue includes Maiden's Cliff overlooking Lake Megunticook or the summit of Ragged Mountain with vistas to Penobscot Bay.

The Coastal Garden Wedding packages feature private gardens, Harbor Park and the Bok Amphitheater at the head of the harbor, and the Vesper Children's Chapel in Rockport overlooking Penobscot Bay. The village foot bridge at Tannery Lane with its cascading waterfall and flowering shrubs is a favorite spot for wedding photos.

A B&B Wedding is for bridal parties desiring privacy after a ceremony at a white-steepled church or backyard garden. Camden is home to twelve premier inns, most of which are listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. The Bifulco's Camden Windward House Inn is an 1854 Victorian home with Greek Revival features. It is nearby the Bok Amphitheater and the trailhead to Mount Battie. A July 7, 2007 wedding at the Windward House was recently mentioned in a New York Times vacation escape article. The bride had reserved the Windward House B&B sight unseen.

. Mycamdenwedding.com offers wedding planning tools and advice, access to local wedding services, wedettiquette, honeymoon and mini-moon packages.

Says mycamdenwedding.com developer, Gen X-er Kristen Bifulco, "When my husband and I got married, this is what we were looking for. We were turned off by big halls. We ended up celebrating our wedding with a tent in my brother-in-law's backyard garden. It would have been great if it were a weekend affair in a charming coastal New England town."

The wedding destination site is on-line at www.mycamdenwedding.com or Kristi at bnb@windwardhouse.com or 1-877-492-9656.

Bare Foot in the Snow

The Windward House is surviving another Maine winter. The 2007- 2008 winter season is intense. We have seen several feet of snow, below freezing temperatures and lots of ice. I am always surprised that not everything in this house does not freeze. The house was built in 1854 and was originally a private residence but then was made a rooming house for lobster men in the area. About 25 years ago the Windward House was finally made into a Bed and breakfast, of course still welcoming lobster man - when they are in the neighborhood. One special boat man comes from Australia every year and stays at Windward House with us for sometimes months on end (mind you never in the winter!!). The past owners have really put a lot of love into this house. The original clap board on the front of the house was taken off and insulated and double windows were put on. The insulation, which I find rather funny, was not for heating purposes, but to soundproof the front of the house from the noise of the street. Jesse and I are sometimes hesitant to tell people this because it may imply that Rt 1 is noisy, which to us, coming from NY, it is far from noisy. But, some might notice the occasional truck or traffic in the front. There is no other Inn on Rt1 that can offer this amenity - that of a quite in-town room.
Anyway, being an Innkeeper in the winter is a job and a half, and has a very high stress level. It is our constant job to clean away snow, make sure ice is not unbearable and unsafe, pray that pipes do not freeze and oh yah, always make sure the 100 year old furnace is working.
Couples have been coming to Windward this winter, some to look for a summer house, some for a private getaway, some for toboggan weekend, some to ski and others looking for the perfect wedding venue. Windward House has stayed warm, thank goodness, for all the great winter guests. I think it is only technically half way through the winter. The Windward House is now offering a great Bare foot in the Winter package - so if you want to come and see how the old house is holding up in the winter, please call and make a reservation. The package is $99.00 room rate and a bottle of Bare foot champagne upon arrival. The package is good for any of the fireplaces rooms, excluding Quarterdeck Room.

Thank you to our guests

I once went to an "Innkeeper Course" and learned little things here and there about Innkeeping. There is a lot to this job, much more than baking cookies and decorating (which I have to say are the fun things). At this course they discussed marketing, networking and the talent of book keeping and reservation organization. There was also a discussion on how to know if you are doing all these things, including the baking and decorating, correct. The woman at the seminar said, if after you give your guest a bill and they say "thank you", then you know you did all things right. Since then I anxiously waited to hear thank you from my guests, kind of a validation to my efforts. Well, everyone has said thank you and I think they always did say thank you. Bed and Breakfasts guests are generally really cool and polite people. But just a couple of weeks ago, I received this really neat thank you in an email. A really nice couple in the state of Washington, whom came back to the Windward House to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary (they honeymooned here in 1997) wrote a blog entry about us http://creaturebug.typepad.com/creature_bug/2008/01/a-love-project.html .
I was so happy to read this blog that has been put out into cyberspace. It even has sent us some business. So many of our guests have written nice things about us on Trip Advisor and similar sites. We even enjoy when guests call us to say hello, or ask about the leaky roof problem we had (which by the way Chris with the peacokes, is finally fixed, carpenter put nail through floors radian heat) , or just to check in to see how things are. We also receive a lot of hand written letters from our guests that are always a welcomed surprise. Jesse and I really appreciate all our guests kind words. We have the best job. To our guests, I wish there was a website that I could go and proclaim what great people you are, but to date there isn't, so here it goes - Thank you, Thank you , Thank you, Thank you for making my business a home and happy place - you all are the best.

The Last Leaf Fell

I didn't realize how much I would dread the end of fall before I moved to Maine. The Camden Windward House Bed and Breakfast is an acre in- town property that has lots of trees. I kept asking my husband to go out and rake the leaves but he said - "I'm not doing anything until the last leaf falls." Yesterday November 20th 2007 - the last leaf fell and my husband spent the whole day cleaning up the yard. The yard looks awesome now, everything is dead but it looks so clean.
Now that the leaves are cleaned up it is time to decorate for Christmas. Oddly enough, the town of Camden noticed the last leaf fell yesterday also. The town trucks were out and the work men were busy hanging the Christmas wreaths on the light posts and decorating with twinkle lights. The coastal village looks so quaint this time of year. Almost like a Norman Rockwell picture. The Festival of Lights Celebration is this weekend in Rockland Maine and Christmas By The Sea is the weekend after that, November 30th , December 1st and 2nd. The Inns in Camden have a wonderful Christmas Tea and Inn Tour that weekend here in Camden. The Opera House has a great performance of The Nutcracker and Santa arrives by Lobster Boat.
I wonder if my husband will have a cute answer when I ask my him to clean up all the Christmas and Holiday lights and decorations. I can hear it now, "I'm not going out there until the last snow flake falls. "

Will the Little Old Lady Dance?

I read a review recently that likened Camden Maine to a nicely kept little old lady. Which strangely enough, I agree with. There is a kind of respect for such a person. The title of this blog entry is in reference to Camden Maine and the conversation that I had with a guest today at breakfast. We were discussing the changing face of Camden, which is a common topic around here, and where the future of Camden is. Among many things that were discussed over coffee, one was the upcoming event being sponsored by the Camden Harbour Inn - Weekend with Edie. I think it is fantastic. Weekend with Edie is a dinner and show that features a drag queen (Edie). This is not a typical show to be seen in Camden Maine. It will be interesting to see if the community supports the show (dances) or blushes and turns a polite cheek. The Camden Windward House is doing a special around this weekend, because a dancing old lady is fun and funny.
Spend the evening at the Camden Windward House and we will provide you with discounted tickets to the dinner and show. Saturday November 17th 2007.

The Leaves Are Beautiful - Where is Everybody?

The leaves in Camden Maine are in full peak color this week, October 21 - October 28th. The colors are fantastic. As innkeepers we try to predict when the leaves will peak so that we can help guests make their vacation plans. We predicted the 2nd week in October - I guess we were 1 week off - not too bad, but we don't have any guests to see the leaves. The last 2 weeks in October are usually a slower time here in Camden. The Pop tech conference (which is the 2nd week in October) left and the 600 people that came for it - left also. If you have a minute and want to see some awesome color and have a great Inn and town to yourself, come to the Camden Windward House.

southern Hospitality?

Someone accused me of Southern Hospitality. In our rooms we have a little book that we welcome our guests to write a message about their stay. In one of our rooms at the Camden Windward House, someone wrote "great stay - and thank you for your Southern Hospitality". I do not know if perhaps these people were from Canada, where we would be seen as southern, but I don't think they were. I truly think they meant this as a sincere term of endearment and compliment. When you come to the Inn, it is my pleasure to make your stay as comfortable as possible. I am sorry that Northerners are not seen as hospitable, as I am as northern as they come. I grew up in New York and speak Staten Island-ese, a special dialect of English - that only people in Staten Island speak.
I took this comment as a compliment because just the other day we had a true southern bell at the Inn and believe it or not, she asked to help me with the dishes. I almost fell over because she was so sweet, and her accent was so charming. I did not let her do the dishes but she made me smile because the Southern Hospitality she showed me at my Inn.