Nantucket Weddings Unveiled

When hosting a Nantucket wedding you play not only bride/groom but also host/hostess.  How do you stay relaxed and enjoy your guests? Sara shares some thoughts on how to keep your groom and the guys organized and having a blast during your wedding week on Nantucket.  Thanks Sara!

So it’s your last couple of days of bachelorhood! You are your groomsmen arrived a day early for some “guy time” before you have to be at the altar. A Private Concierge has rented you the ultimate bachelor pad on the island and stocked it with all of your guy essentials, but what to do when you are not at the house?

We will also arrange for a full day of fun – golf, fishing, and dinner reservations! First, an early round of golf at one of our select island golf courses, the course we book will depend on guest’s membership with local private courses. Then it’s time to get down to the Straight Wharf for a mid-day (5) hour fishing adventure on the Absolute, a 40ft custom sport fishing boat operated by Captain Brian. Depending on the season and the weather, you can fish for Striped Bass, Tuna, Blue Fish or if you are up for it, Shark.

photo provided by A Private Concierge

After a long day of activities, it’s time to enjoy a great dinner and some nightlife with your friends at one of our favorite restaurants, The Boarding House. Chef Erin Zircher makes her signature (and famous) Chicken Under a Brick and Steak Frites. Don’t forget to ask about a great wine to pair with dinner, maybe the Ridge or Turley Zinfandel? And don’t stay out too late in the Boarding House bar; you have a busy weekend ahead!

photo provided by A Private Concierge

Now on the day of the wedding A Private Concierge will be there to help the groomsmen too. One of your groomsmen forgot to get his haircut? We will get him an appointment. Forget something at the house after you’ve arrived at the church, we can run and get it for you before anyone notices it was forgotten. “The Final Touch” package includes the needs of the groom and his groomsmen too.

A Private Concierge offers “The Final Touch” an all-inclusive wedding package of services, including but not limited to:

• Booking any travel to/from the island
• Providing transportation to/from the airport, or as needed on the island
• Booking your reservation at the Hotel Residences and other accommodations

• Stocking your kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, etc. with everything you need for the weekend

• Arranging pampering needs (hair, make up, nails, massage)
• Making dinner reservations for you and your guests
• Planning activities
• Run errands as needed for bride & groom

• On-call for your every need

Contact A Private Concierge (sarah@aprivateconcierge.com or (508)-332-9422) for more details about “The Final Touch” package and how we can tailor it to fit your wedding needs.

Stay tuned for Sara’s next blog about gifts for your guests.

It’s time…you and your girlfriends were up all night gossiping on the phone the night you met ‘Mr. Right’, and now you are getting married tomorrow! How is a bride supposed to sleep the night before her wedding?

A Private Concierge will make sure the accommodations we book for you and your bridal party come with the most comfortable beds on Nantucket for a good pre-wedding night sleep.  However, we will also make sure your accommodations include a comfortable spot to stay up and chat too.  Late night snacks? Brad Pitt movies? Magazines?  A Private Concierge will make sure that your place of stay is stocked with your bridal party’s favorite treats and needs.

Our recommendations include: The White Elephant Residences on Easton Street in downtown Nantucket. The White Elephant Hotel Residences are the newest Nantucket Island luxury accommodations. These accommodations provide a private residential experience with the amenities of a luxury hotel. You’ll find their premier guest rooms and one-, two-, or three-bedroom Hotel Residences perfect for a wedding weekend.

A Private Concierge offers “The Final Touch” an all-inclusive wedding weekend package of services, including but not limited to:

• Booking any travel to/from the island
• Providing transportation to/from the airport, or as needed on the island
• Booking your reservation at the Hotel Residences and other accommodations
• Stocking your kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, etc. with everything you need for the weekend
• Arranging pampering needs (hair, make up, nails, massage)
• Making dinner reservations for you and your guests
• Planning activities
• Run errands as needed for bride & groom
• On-call for your every need

Contact A Private Concierge (sarah@aprivateconcierge.com) or (508)-332-9422) for more details about “The Final Touch” package and how we can tailor it to fit your wedding needs. And we didn’t forget about the groom in “The Final Touch” package. We’ll talk about his, and his groomsmen’s needs in the next blog entry.

We are happy to welcome new guest blogger Sarah Uhran of A Private Concierge.  Sarah is here today to tell us all about her company and we look forward to her helpful tips in the coming weeks:

A Private Concierge is here to take the stress out of your wedding weekend, leave the “where to stay, where to eat, who will watch the kids if we take them, who will walk the dog, if he comes” questions from your guests and family to us at A Private Concierge.

We offer the services you and your guests require to enhance a Nantucket wedding.  Planning travel to and from the island whether it be by boat, plane or private transportation service. We stock homes, cottages, and hotels with every necessity before you arrive, including groceries, wine/beer/spirits, baby rentals and any other items that you may need for your stay. We will also book reservations for activities including fishing, golf, bike and car rentals, pet services and secure reservations at local favorite restaurants. If the little ones are guests too, we can arrange for babysitting services.

Our services are unlike any you may have experienced and we look forward to exceeding your expectations. We will tailor a package specifically to fit the needs of each couple and their guests because we know each wedding needs a personal touch.

To create a package for your Nantucket wedding needs please contact us at (508)-332-9422 or sarah@aprivateconcierge.com.  We look forward to hearing from you.

photo courtesy of A Private Concierge

Hello everyone.  Sorry for our delay in posting today – we have been experiencing technical difficulties  (we’re blaming it on the full moon last night).

Unlike your typical “expo style” bridal events, The Cape & Islands Wedding Affair provides you with an intimate & lavish setting in which to meet Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyards’ most celebrated & sought after wedding professionals.

WellWed in Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyard – The Cape & Islands’ boutique Wedding Magazine cordially invites you to attend the areas signature bridal event – The 2010 Cape & Islands Wedding Affair. The hint of winter provides an icy theme for decor with innovative floral & tabletop designs…ice sculptures pouring peppermint martinis…and a dazzling runway of couture.

This one-of-a-kind bridal event is dedicated to catering to local & destination couples that want to experience the BEST Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard has to offer. From planning seminars & decor workshops to makeovers & manicures, The Cape & Islands Wedding Affair will introduce you to the products, people & places that create the area’s most talked about events.

Today we welcome a new guest blogger to our team here at Nantucket Weddings Unveiled. Heather is from NannyTucket, a fantastic service for any family visiting the island. Don’t forget your littlest guests when putting together the details for your wedding weekend. Here are a few tips from Heather.

Planning a wedding on the island is “no walk in Stanford farm”. Often times, some little things that help to make the day run smoothly are overlooked- like finding a fantastic babysitter for any friends/family that decided to bring their little toe heads to the island.

Whether it is a sitter for the little ones at your wedding reception or those at your home or hotel room consider forwarding our website and email address to your guests. We will be sure to guarantee that any one of our 180 top notch sitters take charge of all the little ones so that your guests can be that…guests!

You want everyone to be relaxed and enjoy all the efforts that you have put into planning the most important day of your life. NannyTucket can turn a traveling, frantic mother into a relaxed guest by sending a background checked, reference checked, interviewed and trained sitter to her door.  She can even see the sitter’s photo and view their profile on-line prior to arrival. NannyTucket can also drop off mint condition strollers, beach toys and car seats! Let us do all the research too, our complimentary NannyTucket membership allows parents to see all the kid-friendly activities and restaurants on the island.

You have many questions to focus on from now to “then”, which Nantucket beach has the worst undertow, should not be one of them. They can contact us for all their child related questions and needs. We are more than happy to help!

Guest blogger Kristin from Destination Affairs joins us today with another sweetheart of a deal:

If you are looking for a romantic spa get-a-away this Valentines Day (or winter!) ,  it is possible to con your man into a day at the spa.  Complete with romantic French undertones, scrumptious restaurants,  fantastic shopping (and a healthy stronghold against the CAD), luxurious spa treatments for her, and a little technology meets spa for him… Where could we possibly be thinking? First step, get in the car and drive North…to Montreal Canada!

Valentines day weekend rates are still available, however a weekend like this can be enjoyed year round. What a way to surprise that someone special for a weekend.

Head straight to Old Montreal; where shopping, restaurants, art galleries, and history speak volumes. Cobblestone streets, horse & carriage rides….Oh My! With an array of accommodations to choose from, our two favorites have been raved about by past clients and stays there ourselves!  Hotel Gault offers guests a fresh and serene boutique hotel experience. Located in the heart of Old Montreal, rates start here at $150.00 per night plus tax. Another favorite? Hotel Le-St. James is surely not to be missed as it stands proud and boasts itself as one of the most proud historic buildings in all of Old Montreal.  Rates from $290 per night plus tax

Now for the spa part! Montreal is home to numerous day spas, all offering wide varieties of treatments you may not find here in the States. From Thalassotherpay, Massotherapy, Turkish baths, Middle Eastern inspired steam baths (Hammam) , Amma (needless acupuncture), Esalen, Ortheotherpay, Trager, Vichy massages, and of course, various types of couples massages.

We’ve chosen our favorite spa to tantalize you into jumping in your car and heading North.  Our treat? The Ovarium Spa, offering a “cutting edge spa technology” and creatively soothing experience.  The Ovarium Spa offers Pulsar Treatments; Pulsar is a device that includes a miniature control unit, a pair of goggles that position tiny electroluminescent diodes (LED) in front of each eye, which creates and encourages a deeper type of relaxation, meditation, and thus creating intuition. A single session will run about $22. The Ovaruim Spa also provides flotation baths and massages, as well as offering over fifteen of hard-to-find and unique massage and relaxation techniques.

Finish off your romantic weekend at the  L’Academie Restaurant. They are a BYOW (bring your own wine), so stock up on your favorite champagne or wine and enjoy! The “Escalope San Daniele” is a must try!

Call of email Kristin for further information. (508)228-6307 or email kristin@destinationaffairs.com

Guest blogger Kristin O’Reilly from Destination Affairs is here to share a cozy get-away with us today.  She prefaced this post telling us no matter what she writes, it just does not do this place justice!

A true Northern New England Escape. Unearth some cozy romance with a weekend at The Balsams Grand Resort and Spa nestled in the New Hampshire White Mountains. The scenery here sums up New England in one gaze. Be sure to plan your trip so you arrive during daylight, as this grand resort stands proud and suddenly seems to appear among the jagged snow capped mountains. It offers a welcoming unlike any other.

Take a step back and appreciate all the aspects of a picture perfect New England weekend. Famed as one of New England’s culinary indulgences, The Balsams places service and culinary excellence at the top of its list (they even offer a culinary arts school!).  Daily breakfast in the grand dining room feels like a fancy Sunday morning treat (formal silver china and all!), yet in a laid back atmosphere. A breakfast spread that will leave you wanting to curl up to one of the many roaring fireplaces with a cup of coco rather than head out for a day of alpine or Nordic skiing.

P.S. If you’ve got a furry sidekick, this hotel can cater to your pet needs! Their stay here will be filled with long naps and scenic hikes among the resorts many hiking trails.

After a day of skiing, snowshoeing, or dog sledding, head on into The Tavern for some live entertainment, comfort food, and a warm liquid treat! After 9pm the Tavern is the place for music and dancing after yet another culinary indulgence in the grand dining room.

Do you love snow-mobiles? Head North out of the resort to find an abundance of snow mobile rentals. Just  minutes from the Canadian border, this is a snow-mobiler’s dream!

The Balsams also prides itself on maintaining its rich history. “The Balsams has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America’s treasured historic hotels. Since 1866, the resort has only had six owners.” ~The Balsams website

The rooms maintain their bed and breakfast charm, with the absence of televisions and snug New England décor.

Rates start at $330 per night plus tax. Rates do include ski and cross country passes and breakfast daily.

Specials and packages are also available. Contact Kristin at (508)228-6307 for more information.

The holidays are right around the corner, and what better time to be on the search for the perfect attendant’s gift?  This Saturday, November 21st, the Small Friends Shopping Mall is the place to be!  From 6-10pm peruse local talent and artisans with unique offerings.  Located at 19 Nobadeer Farm Road.  Support local talent, and find unique gifts for your loved ones.  It’s a win-win for everyone.  Enjoy!

Gift bags by ACK Gift Bags

The restaurant we all know and love is FINALLY taking some reservations! Black Eyed Susan’s is taking reservations from now until they close for the season at the end of stroll. SO, if you plan to get one last meal in during this year’s Christmas Stroll no need to wait in line. Just call!

Have you marked this years calendar? Did you book your ferry tickets yet?

This years Christmas Stroll weekend is December 4th-6th and you do not want to miss out on this island tradition. Stroll (as we call it) is filled with holiday spirit, amazing shopping bargains, special dinner menus and fun get-togethers. If you are planning and island wedding this is a perfect weekend to get out to the island and get your Nantucket fix before things really slow down for the winter. As we get closer to stroll we will post up some insider tips on the shopping hot spots and dinner deals that will be available at this year’s stroll.

Do you have vendors to meet and venues to visit? Now is the time!!!

See you strolling!!