I. What do I need to hold a successful field wedding?
A. We will provide you with all the essentials: tent, tables, chairs, whiskey barrels (9), blackboard easels, portable toilets, electrical hook-up, parking, wi-fi. If you’d like to rent our farm tables or home and gardens, just let us know!
II. What if it rains?
A. No worries if it rains! We’ll check the forecast a week ahead of time and confer with you. Clear umbrellas are a good option if it’s a light mist. We can also move your ceremony, reception and vendors under your tent. Moving the timing of your pictures is another consideration if it rains.
III. How do I light my tent?
A. Patio lights look great and provide plenty of light when strung around the perimeter of your tent. You can also run them from the corners to the center poles. For soft mood lighting, we’d suggest fairy lights and battery-operated candles. Sweet Meadow can rent you enough patio lights for the perimeter and center run; there’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars buying patio lights that you won’t use again.
IV. Where should my out of town guests stay?
A. Our Sweet Meadow Home is available to rent to the wedding party or guests; it sleeps 8 people comfortably. Since we are only 15 minutes from Freeport and Auburn, other options include:
1. Durham: The Bliss Farm; 207-407-3241; www.theblissfarm.com
2. Durham: Maine Forest Yurts, 207-400-5956,
3. Freeport: Harraseeket Inn, 207-865-9377
4. Freeport: Hilton Garden Inn, 207-865-1433
5. Freeport: The Hampton Inn, 207-865-1400
6. Auburn: Hilton Garden Inn. 207-784-4433
V. Am I responsible for clean-up?
A. Yes. Your tent, our field and the Sweet Meadow Home must all be returned to the state that you found them in by noon on Sunday. Please return all lights and electrical cords to the containers provided. All trash and recycling must be removed from the premises; Sweet Meadow staff will remove all bagged trash and recycling for you for an additional fee, which may be subtracted from your security deposit.
VI. Do you have recommendations for notaries?
A. Absolutely! One of our partners, Leigh Beaulieu, is a notary and a great option for performing your ceremony.
VII. Do you have recommendations for food vendors? Florists? DJs? Bartenders?
A. We have many Proven Partners who have proven that they can deliver excellence on a wedding day. See the Proven Partners tab on our website.
VIII. Can my friend bartend for us?
A. Good question! While we are all about being budget-conscious, all of us need to be fully prepared to serve alcohol and work with the challenges that this might present. For those reasons, you must have someone serve your alcohol who is ServSafe certified by the State of Maine, is experienced in serving alcohol and is insured for liquor liability ($1 million per occurrence, $2 million aggregate). In addition, you must purchase liability insurance that includes host liquor liability and includes coverage of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. Both insurance policies must list the following as additional insured: Sweet Meadow Weddings and Events LLC, Jean Beaulieu and Leigh Beaulieu.
You may purchase the alcohol or you may opt to contract with a bartending service such as Strange Events, Hook’d, Sips ‘n’ Saddles or Nightcap Bar Co.
IX. Do I need insurance?
A. Yes. You don’t want sleepless nights worrying about what could go wrong. Purchase Event Liability Insurance from a reputable company such as wedsafe.com, eventinsured.com or nearby Rogers Insurance in Lisbon Falls. Your policy must include host liquor liability insurance covering $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. It must also list the following as additional insured: Sweet Meadow Weddings and Events LLC, Jean Beaulieu and Leigh Beaulieu.
X. Do I have to hire a caterer or can I prepare the food myself?
A. You can certainly prepare the food yourself, order food to be picked up and served or ask a friend or family member to handle your food for you. Many a wedding party has rented our home and used our kitchen for food prep.
Another option would be to order or prepare the food and hire staff from Strange Events to handle it. If you talk to one of our Proven Partners, you may also find that hiring a caterer is very affordable. Our advice is to create a plan that keeps you from worrying about food on your wedding day.
If you hire a professional caterer, they must provide liability insurance including $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. They must also list Sweet Meadow Weddings and Events LLC, Jean Beaulieu and Leigh Beaulieu as additional insured. A friend or family member taking care of food for you would need to be covered under your event liability insurance.
XI. Can we hold our rehearsal dinner at Sweet Meadow?
A. You are renting the Sweet Meadow field for the weekend so you can hold your rehearsal dinner there or you can rent our home and hold your rehearsal dinner inside our home, on our deck or on our patio.
XII. Can our dogs/pets be part of our ceremony?
A. Your dogs or other pets can be part of your ceremony but remember that you are responsible for their actions and their effects on your guests. Your pets should always be under control and we would suggest that they not attend your reception.
XIII. Can the wedding party wait inside the Sweet Meadow home so that the groom and guests do not see the bride?
A. Any use of the Sweet Meadow home is contingent on rental of the home, either for the day or the weekend.
XIV. Do you allow camping at Sweet Meadow?
A. We do not have hookups for RVs nor do we have shower facilities.
XV. Are portable toilets (porta-potties) ok for a wedding?
A. Absolutely!! The toilets that we set up are foot-flush toilets and are extremely clean. We set up the portable toilets away from your reception area so that they are not in everyone’s view. Many a wedding party has set up a table with tissues, extra hand sanitizer, bug spray and other personal hygiene items next to the toilets.
XVI. Where can the groom and groomsmen wait for the wedding to begin?
A. Usually, the groom and groomsmen arrive an hour before the ceremony and greet guests in our parking area. They are also available for last minute ‘to dos’.
XVII. Can we use your ’67 Chevy truck for pictures?
A. Absolutely!! We will set up the truck near your reception tent so that you can use it for all the pictures you want.
XVIII. Are all photographers the same?
A. Absolutely not! You want pictures that you’ll look back on for years to come. You want a photographer who will work well with your personality, has a history of being organized, spends time getting to know you and the pictures you’d like to get and can deliver your pictures to you in a timely manner. Our wedding parties were all very pleased with the photographers on our Proven Partners list. Check out each one as they each have a different style.