Camden Lobster Bake

(Guest blogger: Gillian Britt)

Last night Jim and I went to a surprise wedding in Camden. To clarify, it was a surprise to us - and of course to some of the guests, but not all. We had been invited to "party like a rock star" at a lobster bake at a house in Camden- and were instructed to hire a sitter. Alas, no sitter was available and when we called to say only one of us could come we were told to bring the kids - an awkward situation usually but when we got there, late and irritable due to the traffic in Wiscasset (and could someone please tell me why it has taken so many years to figure out how to get rid of that bottleneck?) we saw that we were not late after all, the couple hosting the party wasn't there yet -- and best of all, there were many kids. The lobster bake had changed to an indoor event at the Knox Mill due to worries about the weather. We settled in, chatting with some folks we knew and meeting others, while the kids scoped out the venue. They even found a bowl of Doritos, a good sign (at least from their perspective) for the beginning of the evening. Upon arrival Jim walked over to the "bar" and sent our daughter over to me with a glass of Moet et Chandon and a plate with some brie, crackers and a marinated artichoke. She eyed the cheese and artichoke but did not taste either, opting instead for those Doritos and Barqs root beer (which has caffeine in it, as does Sunkist Orange soda, what an unpleasant surprise). The couple arrived, silently and behind the crowd, with the woman's twin daughters carrying the rings on sweet little pink pillows with satin bows. As soon as we saw them come in we knew what was about to happen. She wore a lovely floor length pleated satin white dress with spaghetti straps - and he wore a suit. Both looked a bit nervous, but also very happy. The vows were written specifically for them I believe - they spoke of love, respect, support and included the girls as well in that, making their devotion to them clear. They all held part of a scarf at one point, symbolizing the bond that would always exist between the four of them. The couple also lit candles, floating in a bowl of water, as a part of their wedding. They kissed, everyone oohed and aaahed and clapped and hugged  -- and then the lobster bake began. Corks flew off additional champagne bottles while steaming mounds of lobsters were brought in. Small bowls of butter,  lemon wedges, salads and some wonderful bread from what we were told was probably the Atlantic Company were spread across the buffet. The noise level grew as the DJ's music increased in volume and people began to get down to the serious business of eating lobsters. The soft shell lobsters were plentiful, sweet and salty, and perfect dipped in butter. There is something about seeing a whole bunch of smiling faces, glistening with butter, it makes everyone feel pretty good. Of course the champagne didn't hurt either. At this point, the kids were running around barefoot, dancing to the music and having a wonderful time. Before cutting the cake the bride referred to one of the guests as a good friend who was now a sister to her - she had baked the wedding cake, a lovely cake decorated with dahlias and other flowers, with a thick buttercream icing (yes, more butter!) on a truly wonderful golden cake. The baker is skilled, and I've had some of her baked goods before, it's always a treat to eat something home made and wonderful. We had actually talked earlier in the evening about baking, I like to bake too and I'm good at it -- but I always follow recipes. She follows her instincts, working based on her knowledge of how ingredients function, and how they need to balance in order to work. Her skill level and understanding far exceed mine and makes me think that perhaps the next time I bake I'll think more about the ingredients themselves, and what I'm doing, versus simply adding the right amount in the right order at the right time.

There is something about a wedding, being asked to share such a special time in a couple's lives, that can really make you stop and think about things. This wedding was unusual, and since the guests did not know it was going to be a wedding there was none of that wedding pressure. People just enjoyed themselves, the couple had created a truly relaxing and enjoyable experience for their guests, and even though no one else there was holding on to that scarf, I'll bet we all are now bound together through this shared memory.

I wish them the best as they embark upon their new life together, and how lucky that they got to wake up to a sunny day today, their first morning as husband and wife.