Along the Coast
Maine's miles of coastline offer a wealth of ideas for choosing your wedding program style. Of course, a beach or ocean theme works well for a Maine-based wedding. Try a natural touch, such as a tiny sea shell attached to one corner of the program (you can do this yourself using a hole punch, a borer for the shell and a piece of ribbon). You can also apply invisible-dry glue to the outer or inner pages with a paintbrush and sprinkle a bit of sand over the area for a Maine summertime beach theme. For a fanciful and on-trend touch, use colored sand. (Be careful not to obscure the printed information when applying any page decoration; the options listed here are best suited to the outside, bottom or very top of the page.)The Pine Tree State
An amazing 90% of the state of Maine is heavily forested, giving it the nickname "The Pine Tree State." Other trees native to the area include birch, balsam fir, red maple and dogwood. As most trees and some brush in the state of Maine turn colors, develop berries or nuts or bloom at various times during the year, you can create a natural style page background that corresponds to the season during which you're getting married. Try a border of cheery winter berries for your holiday wedding; reds, yellows and oranges for Maine's spectacular autumn; or blooming floral colors for the spring or summer.There are several ways you can use Maine's seasons and changing scenery to add style to your wedding programs. Using color for the page itself makes a dramatic impact (particularly intense shades, such as a ruby red page for an autumn wedding or forest green for the summer or winter). You can also incorporate the colors in a rainbow effect across the page as a "wash" style background. Another very unique idea is to find software that includes natural or woodsy fonts, like a twig-style lettering.
Maine Icons
Add one of Maine's well-known icons to the front of your wedding program page for immediate visual impact. Try a lighthouse, seagulls or an ocean wave; playful and trendy couples-to-be can choose a lobster or swimming fish image, whereas boats and sunsets are romantic embellishments that are frequently associated with the state of Maine.Blueberries and cranberries are other popular Maine icons. A border of either (or both) is exquisite. A real cluster of cranberries around the holidays, attached to the outside of the program, is another unique touch. Also consider maple trees, maple leaves and other maple images. These bring New England to mind all year long and can be used for any season wedding.
If you haven't visited Maine beforehand, do so now. You'll come home with beautiful memories -- and dozens of ideas for your fantastic Maine-theme wedding program.
