Wedding Planning on Martha’s Vineyard
Attending Martha’s Party: Martha’s Vineyard’s First Ever Wedding & Event Conference
Martha’s Vineyard’s first ever wedding industry conference, Martha’s Party, took place this past week. I had the pleasure of moderating a panel about planning and producing weddings on Martha’s Vineyard and planning the headline event, the Iridescent Island Party!
For my panel, I was joined by three expert panelists from Martha’s Vineyard to discuss some of the specific challenges of planning on Martha’s Vineyard. Here’s a few key notes that came up several times:
Weather - Wind is a real issue, as is the tide for beach events and the elements in general since MV is indeed an island! I have been coming to the Vineyard for 30 years, wind is a real issue!
Transportation and accommodations - This can be an issue for both vendors and guests - from communicating to guests, to booking room blocks, to parking issues - resources and housing is limited on island and room blocks are scarce. Honestly, you could have one whole planner just focused on booking rooms, transportation and planning in between.
Limited vendors - There’s only so many vendors and so many dates. Your options are limited. So working with a mix of on island and off island vendors is important especially if you have a certain design or style in mind that requires additional support from off island. That said, collaboration is the key to success and it is utmost important for off island vendors to work with on island vendors.
Plan in advance - Booking ferries, hotels, houses, etc takes time. As does permitting, hiring and communicating with local vendors in the off season, and planning - give yourself plenty of time!
There were additional panels and speakers and we learned about branding and showing up for your clients, we learned about strategic partnerships. sustainability, social media and all about the food and history of the island.
We concluded the conference with an incredible party at the Grange Hall, planned by us, emlan events! It was a tasting event featuring several food and beverage brands from the island and a real opportunity to party! When thinking of a theme, I collaborated with Abby from Hellabloom to discuss seasonality, the location, and how we can showcase something unique together. We landed on - Iridescent Island Party! I knew I had to do serpentine tables, I’ve been dreaming of doing a serpentine table for months! It just fit the vibe. We built a long communal table for guests to grab their treats and sit - a real family dinner! We had Francesca Dispirito put together this EPIC style guide and guests really showed up! It was a lot of fun, the food was delicious, and it was creatively fun!
I learned so much this week at the conference, met a ton of vendors, learned new things about an island I’ve been coming to since I was a child. I LOVE Martha’s Vineyard, and this just strengthened my bond to the island! Thank you to the Vineyard Gazette and MV Island Weddings for having me! It was an incredible experience and collaboration.
Event Production Team:
Event Host: @mvislandweddings
Planning: @emlan_events and @lets_spennie
Venue: @vineyardpreservation
Florals: @hellabloom
Lighting: @a2dpro
Music: @mikebenjaminandthekeepersmv
Photo: @sambrooksphotos
Video: @keymomentfilms
Rentals: @bigskytentpartyrentals
Stationery: @thebarbarabellissimo
Style Guide: @francesca_stylist.to.the.bride
Photo Booth: @mvphotobus
Food & Beverage Team:
@mvcheesery
@19rawoysterbar @19primesteakhouse
@washashorebeer
@bubblesandbrewsma
@unclenearest
@on_time_catering
@chefdeonmv
@everybodywater
@blackjoymvy
@orangepeelbakery
@madmarthas
@sskitchenettemv
#MarthasPartyMV