The Maine chapter of NACE (National Association for Catering and Events) held its annual gala at The Portland Masonic, a historic and still quite active Masonic temple located in the heart of downtown Portland, Maine. With a classy 1920's theme, a variety of local vendors donated their services to deliver a very memorable evening for all of those in attendance!
Comprised of multiple rooms and theaters, The Portland Masonic is able to host weddings large and small while providing an extremely unique atmosphere. We immediately fell in love with its dark, moody vibe and quickly began envisioning all the different ways the spaces could be used.
Guests were greeted with a full bar in the Reading Room, provided by The Dogfish Company, which featured two signature cocktails, the Ward 8 and French 75. Appetizers were passed and a layered charcuterie table presented itself to anyone who needed a little extra nibble! It was hard to miss all of the impressive details provided by Strange Events, which truly helped set the stage for the '20s theme!
As a unique way to commemorate the evening, Melita from Your Caricature Studio donated her services throughout the entire event, staying busy creating quite flattering caricatures of anyone willing to sit down for a relatively brief 5 minute session! We even took ourselves a little time out from capturing the event to get one done for ourselves, and we absolutely love it!
While guests mingled about the bar area and adjacent hallways, the real magic was coming together in The Armory. The moody tone was being set by tables adorned with black tablecloths and gold napkins, vases overflowing with white feathers, white roses placed in champagne flutes, and pearl beads strung across the back of chairs. In a room that used to serve as a dancehall for troops before they headed out to Europe during World War II, the scene could not have been more perfect.
To let everyone know The Armory was ready to receive them for the rest of the evening, the live music of the band Plush began belting out, beconning those within earshot to gather. Playing their own takes on '20s era popular songs such as 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,' as well as modern hits, Plush kept the good time rolling throughout the night! What really impressed the two of us was that being so used to having our eardrums blown out at weddings, the band kept the volume at a reasonable level that sounded great while still allowing people to have conversations. Imagine that!
Blue Elephant Catering, one of Maine's premier wedding and event caterers, was ready to go with an excellent buffet style dinner for those in attendance. Roasted beef, potatoes, asparagus, pulled chicken and pork, along with rice and rolls, complimented the plated salads. The incredible wait staff did an excellent job of serving up the food and ensured that no one went hungry!
Now, we've seen plenty of dessert bars during wedding receptions and events. But never have we encountered such an epic spread as the one provided and set up by Ava's Classic Candies. It would be hard to describe the plethora of treats set out on the table, so thank goodness we were there to capture it! Go ahead, stare at those photos and dream about what you'd fill your goodie bag up with! There was so much candy that somehow the setup wasn't completely cleared out by the end of the evening!
What would a gala with a live band in a remarkable venue be without a dance party!? I guess we'll never know, because by the time dinner had been served the dance floor started filling up and the guests began strutting their stuff! We're so used to shooting wedding receptions that it was fun to see people dressed in their 1920s gear instead of everyday formal attire. And the two of us? You better believe we were out on that dance floor working up a sweat for a good part of the night!
As the party kept going in The Armory, Frannie's Mini Donuts quietly began filling the display where the charcuterie was set up previously with a TON of mini donuts! And you better believe we ran in there to capture it all before they were gone! (And let's be honest, we wanted to snag a few before people found out they were there and disappeared them!)
Having been our first time filming at The Portland Masonic, we were absolutely enthralled with the venue. While it served perfectly for this gala and its theme, we would absolutely love to capture a wedding there. With such a wide variety of spaces, we can easily see how an entire wedding day could be held there, from bride and groom prep through the reception. If you have a wedding or event coming up in Portland we highly recommend checking out The Portland Masonic and hope you consider us to capture it!
Out Of This World Vendor Team
Film + Photo - Mars and the Moon Films
Venue - The Portland Masonic
Catering - Blue Elephant Catering
Coordinator - Strange Events
Florist - 48 Long Stems
Bar(tenders) - The Dogfish Company
Live Band - Plush
Caricatures - Your Caricature Studio
Donuts - Frannie's Mini Donuts
Rentals - One Stop Event Rentals
