Home
>
Marriage & Wedding
>
Rockland: Maines BestKept Secret for A Wedding Destination

Rockland: Maines BestKept Secret for A Wedding Destination

In 2004' Rockland Maine celebrated its 150th anniversary, yet very few in the past would have ever considered it to be a place for a vacation, let alone a romantic getaway experience or wedding destination. Perhaps, this is a draw back to the time when visitors would experience the unpleasant whiffs emanating from the SeaPro fish-rendering plant. In fact, it was not uncommon to hear the jingle: "Camden by the Sea, Rockland by the Smell."

All has now changed in Rockland as SeaPro, along with the town's two sardine-packing and other fish processing plants, have departed along with their odors. There is now a handsome harbor- front with a walking trail extending over four-miles connecting several points of interest as Snow Marine Park, Harbor Park, where the annual Maine Lobster Festival is held, Rockland Fish Pier, Coast Guard Pier, Maine State Ferry Service Terminal, North End wharves, Marie H. Reed Memorial Park and the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse.

The latter two are often venues for some spectacular wedding ceremonies.

It is also home to The Historic Inns Of Rockland, a consortium of six independently owned inns that are dedicated to historical preservation, as well as providing their guests with a memorable experience within a locale that has reinvented itself as a mecca for the arts and outdoor activities.

In addition, three of these inns, LimeRock Inn, Berry Manor Inn and Captain Lindsey House have created a sub-consortium that inter-change and leverage their facilities offering a combined wedding venue that take full advantage of their unique attributes.

As all are in walking distance of one another, you can avail yourself of anyone of them for the rehearsal dinner, afternoon bridesmaid's tea, wedding reception, and any other functions.

The gorgeous outdoor gardens of The LimeRock Inn make it an ideal choice to exchange vows providing plenty of space to move around.

The stately Berry Manor Inn with its drawing room, spacious parlor, dining room, and grand stairway, all presenting a Victorian flair, make this inn a most attractive wedding venue.

You can even engage the services of Captain Ken Barnes to perform the wedding ceremony. He and his wife Ellen are owners of the Captain Lindsey House. The intimacy of the Captain Lindsey House, that incidentally resembles a European style hotel, along with the Barnes' wonderful collection of d?cor, relics, and authentic antiques acquired during their many years of travel, will surely provide the wedding guests with some interesting topics for animated conversation.

The combined number of rooms of these three inns is twenty- nine, and if you add the other three inns, Old Granite Inn, Waterman House & Gardens, and the Lakeshore Inn, you have a total of forty- four rooms to call upon. All total with roll-aways and cots you could conceivably accommodate about one hundred guests.

What is also noteworthy is that all, with the exception of the Lakeshore Inn, are in walking distance of one another. It should be mentioned that the latter is within an easy ten- minute drive from the others.

What is also interesting about these inns is their close proximity to many outdoor venues where wedding ceremonies can be celebrated. Here is a sampling:

? As mentioned above, the Marie H. Reed Memorial Park and the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, is a very popular wedding venue offering spectacular panoramic ocean views of mountains, islands, Penobscot Bay, as well as schooners, island ferries, fishing boats depart and enter the harbor. There is also a small sandy beach leading to the historic Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse.

? Mt Battie located in Camden Hills State Park offers spectacular views of Camden, Penobscot Bay, and surrounding islands. During the autumn the foliage is breathtaking. If you are in the mood to add a little poetry to your ceremony, it should be pointed out that the famous poet and playwright, Edna St. Vincent Millay, who was born in Rockland, was inspired by the view from the summit of Mt. Battie when she wrote her poem "Renascence" which opens "All I could see from where I stood / Was three long mountains and a wood; / I turned and looked the other way, / And saw three islands in a bay."

? One of the most popular venues is the non-denominational Vesper Hill Children's Chapel, set atop a rock ledge overlooking unbelievable lush gardens. The chapel can seat fifty, however, there are other spots nearby where you can exchange vows that will accommodate a larger party.

? Don't forget to check out the Merryspring Horticultural Nature Park with its herb and rose garden, the Perennial Border, and the Birds and Bees/Winter Color Garden. In late summer, the 250-foot long annual border is the star of the show, with some flowers blooming well into October.

? Last but not least are the many lighthouses that attract couples from all over the globe. There is the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, the Owls Head Lighthouse and the Marshall Point Lighthouse

In order to reach these various venues and at the same time keep the wedding party together, many couples rent a trolley from the All Aboard Trolley Company.

In addition, the trolley provides you with the added feature of having some great photo opportunities.

No doubt, with all of these resources available and a little imagination, weddings in Rockland Maine can easily compete with the best of them at any other destination. One last important mention, in most instances it is necessary to contact the officials of your chosen venue in order to arrange a date and time for the celebration of your wedding.

A UNIQUE GIFT

If you are looking for that special gift for the bride, mother and daughter getaway, mother-in-law, or wedding attendants, the Lakeshore Inn, a member of the Historic Inns of Rockland, offers a reasonably priced Ladies Only Spa Weekend during the months of Mid-October through June. From their arrival on Friday evening until they depart on Sunday, groups of 4 to eight ladies experience a wonderful line up of mind and body presentations with learning sessions with spa treatments that include facial, massage, manicure, pedicure and paraffin wax treatments. In addition, owner Pam Masson serves mouth-watering gourmet meals.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A great place to pick up some excellent wines produced in Maine is Cellardoor Winery & Vineyards located in nearby Lincolnville.

For delicious sandwiches, soups, breads and pastries check out Atlantic Baking Co. You won't be disappointed.

Norm and Lily Goldman are a unique husband and wife team, writer and water colorist, who write and paint about romantic destinations.

Basically, they meld art and words to create an unusual travel story, which generates interest, particularly because of the fact that each painting appears to have been 'custom made' for the story ? original story and original art.

You can view all of their articles and art work on sketchandtravel.com. Norm and Lily have collaborated with several Convention Bureaus and Public Relations Companies visiting many romantic travel destinations, resorts and inns throughout the New England States and Florida.

reliable home cleaners Mundelein ..

In The News:

Data removal from brokers protects against AI-powered scams and deepfake threats in 2026. Learn how data brokers sell your personal information to scammers.

Learn how to act against cybercriminals in 2026 with essential security steps like two-factor authentication, software updates and credit freezing.

Choose between OpenAI releasing Sora text-to-video model, the AI race heating up, or Waymo driverless cars launching in cities across the country

Learn how to set up Google Maps and Apple Maps on your phone to automatically remember where you parked. Step-by-step instructions for enabling location services and parking detection.

Phishing scammers use rnicrosoft.com domain to impersonate Microsoft by replacing "m" with "rn" in typosquatting attacks that steal login credentials.

OpenAI announces new teen safety rules for ChatGPT users under 18, blocking romantic roleplay and requiring extra caution on body image topics.

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Rockland: Maines BestKept Secret for A Wedding Destination

Marriage & Wedding