Monday, March 23, 2009

Save the Date

Well, Emily Post is probably rolling over in her grave right now...but, yes, I'm going to use this blog post as a save-the-date of sorts. Pat and I opted not to do save-the-dates because I felt lazy and broke and figured everyone knew the date. What I didn't really think about was how save-the-dates also give people the 411 on travel and lodging, which tons of people have been asking me about. D'oh!

So, anyway, here's the scoop.

First, our wedding Web site, which has the venue addresses and ceremony and reception times.

Travel by Plane/Renting a Car

You can fly into Portland, ME, Manchester, NH (1.75 hrs), or Boston, MA (2 hrs). (Technically, you could also fly into Bangor, ME, but you probably won't want to.) Obviously, flying into Portland will get you closest to the wedding, but it is also probably the priciest option. You'll probably want to rent a car (and carpool), regardless, because the ceremony is in a small town that's about a 20-30 minute drive from Portland. If you opt not to rent a car, just let me know and we'll make sure you get where you need to be! I can definitely help coordinate carpooling.

Hotels

First, a helpful link: our Wedding Mapper. This map shows hotels, attractions, and restaurants in the area (and the airport), as well as the ceremony and reception locations. We only included the five hotels closest to the reception venue in the map: the Regency, Eastland Park, Portland Harbor, Hilton, and Holiday Inn. All are in walking distance of the reception venue (though in fancy shoes, it might be a trek), so here are some details about each:

Regency: Pretty pricey, but it is literally across the street from the reception venue. Across the very narrow, cobblestone street. It's also where Pat and I will be staying. We have rooms blocked there until April 13, so get 'em while they're hot.

Hilton: We also have rooms blocked there, mostly due to proximity, but it's kind of pricey.

Holiday Inn: Actually really nice and definitely the most affordable! I've stayed there before and I endorse it. They wouldn't let us block rooms, but I recommend them anyway.

Portland Harbor Hotel: I was at an event for work there once. Definitely very nice. Probably expensive.

Parking

Parking on the street in the Old Port, as in all cities, is a challenge. You'll probably want to go to the ceremony, park your car at your hotel, and then walk or get a cab to the reception. Or, if you choose to stay further out of town, here's a list of parking garages. I've also included 8 of the closest lots/garages on the map. Basically, though, if you just circle around the venue there are multiple garages within a couple of blocks. The closest is the garage at the Regency, which you can park at even if you aren't staying there.

No comments: