Destination Wedding: Blue Hill, Maine
Get ready Maine. We’re coming to visit!
Blue Hill Inn, Blue Hill, Maine
Last night we booked our flights and reserved our rental car for our trip to Blue Hill, Maine for my friend Neena’s August destination wedding. Flights came out to $400 each (ouch, but it’s summer) from Los Angeles to Boston and we found a decent weekly rental car rate - $575 with unlimited miles - thanks to American Express Travel and Thrifty Rental. My boyfriend and I decided to make a vacation out of this destination wedding because we both need a trip in the horizon; just two months away.
We will spend some time in Boston, and possibly Cape Cod, and then drive four hours north to Blue Hill, Maine which is a small, oceanfront town. When in Maine we will stay at the Blue Hill Inn, supposedly walking distance to the John Peters Estate - the location of the reception as well as a good old-fashioned Maine lobster bake the night before the wedding. While on holiday there may also be some hiking, swimming and general sightseeing. What can I say, a whole week off - okay maybe I’ll twitter - to enjoy New England in the summertime. Anyone have any recommendations?
Maine Destination Wedding Budget:
Car, flight and Maine hotel alone comes out to about one thousand dollars per person and we still need to sort out the budget for a few other items and necessities. Budget-wise this one week trip/vacation/wedding could come out to about five thousand dollars total. Here is the breakdown:
- Airfare - LAX to BOS: $800 total (two tickets on United)
- Rental Car: $575
- Maine Hotel: $700 (three nights $195 per night plus tax)
- Boston Hotel: TBD (est. $600 for three nights plus tax and parking)
- Airport Parking/Car Service to airport: (est. $150)
- Wedding Gift: $150
- Gas: (est. $100)
- Food & Incidentals/Sightseeing: (est. $700)
- Dog Sitter or Doggy Day Care ( est. $400 to $800…I have no idea…yet)
You can see that things start to add up when you attend a destination wedding and on top of it turn the experience into a vacation (which we are also going to do for Australia in December). Did you notice that I included a line item in the budget for a wedding gift? Generally for international destination weddings I do not feel the pressure to purchase a gift, but for domestic destination weddings, while I still don’t feel any pressure, I do feel inclined (maybe because Neena is one of my best girls) to give her and Sam a wedding present despite the involved attendance expenses. Ultimately it is my pleasure - I just might be socially laying low until Augsut to save up - and I cannot wait to explore Maine.
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- Santa Barbara Bachelorette Weekend
- Expert Survival Tip: What To Expect At A Rehearsal Dinner by Kathy Goodman
- Expert Survival Tip: To Bring A Date Or Not To Bring A Date by Vicky Choy
- Bad Guest Etiquette: Asking About The Rehearsal Dinner
- Best Wishes Bride. Congratulations Groom.
Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.
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Tags: Blue Hill Inn, Blue Hill Maine, How To Survive Wedding Season On A Budget, John Peters Estate, Maine Destination Wedding, Wedding Blog, Wedding Guest Finances
June 3rd, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Destination Weddings do involve a lot of expense for the guests who choose to accept an invitation. But it is a good opportunity to combine a holiday as well and possible visit somewhere you might not have considered otherwise.
June 4th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Here at Northeast Guide Service, we love providing you with the stay of a lifetime. We are located on beautiful Moosehead Lake, where the Moose outnumber people 3 to 1. So if you’re in the Greenville Maine area, drop on by for a Moose Safari, Tour, or Whitewater Rafting adventure; and let us make your Maine vacation one to remember! Maine rafting, it doesn’t get any better!
888-484-3317
http://www.northeastguideservice.com
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July 28th, 2010 at 12:35 am
Wanted to update everyone on the budget for this trip. We are now looking like a little over $2,100 each which is a lot for a trip east.
Airfare - LAX to BOS: $800 total (two tickets on United paid for)
Rental Car: now $600 (est. $570)
Maine Wedding Hotel: $700 (three nights $195 per night plus tax)
Camden Maine Hotel: $200 (it’s really $400 but I am using some Amex points to help with the cost)
Boston Hotel: now $330 (est. $400)
Car Service to airport: (est. $150)
Wedding Gift: $150
Gas: now $200 (est. $100)
Food & Incidentals/Sightseeing: (est. $700)
Dog Sitter: $300 ( est. $400 to $800)
Hotel Parking: $90 (had not originally estimated)