Musings: Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake

engagement photo from Flax Studio

On a hot day in July 2019 at the Migis playground, with the sounds of their playing children intermittently breaking in, Scott and Sarah talked about their October 2013 Migis wedding.

Sarah: “It was kind of an accident, how we found Migis.  I grew up in North Yarmouth, and Scott and I were looking for a venue.  We knew we wanted to be in Maine and it turned out my mother’s pilates instructor was married here.  Yes, my mom is very fit!   She told my mom about it and we came and visited and fell in love with it.  We knew a hotel ballroom wouldn’t really be our style and this felt like a cool opportunity for all our friends and family to be in one spot.

Scott: “I don’t think we even looked it up.  I know probably a lot of people say this, but we came and looked and it was definitely love at first sight when we saw Migis.  It had everything we wanted.  The idea of being able to walk the property, and see family and friends in every nook and cranny was so special, and that’s how it played out.  That’s my favorite memory.  Knowing there’s all these people you love, and who love you, and here they are; that is so special.”

Sarah: “Now, when we come back, we can remember it all, especially when we walk across the front lawn to where our ceremony was.  It turned out to be a cold day, but it was nice and sunny.”

Scott: “Did you realize I give you a kiss the first time we cross that lawn every time we’re here?”.  (Laughs and ahhhhhs all around.)

Sarah: “We worked primarily with Robyn, and by email a great deal, and came here to have a meeting with Chef John to talk through the food details.  Oh!  You have our menu!  Yes!  The salad with no mushrooms, and the vegetables with no blue cheese. (All laughing.)  I don’t like cheese and I wanted our menu to reflect our tastes!  I had the scallops; they were so good. People talked so much about how good the food was which I feel like you don’t hear that often about weddings.  In fact, we still run into people and they start talking about the food.”

 They bought flowers from Snell Farm, and a high school friend was their photographer.  Brett Williams was their DJ and “he was amazing. Fantastic.  Now he runs the Sanford Performing Arts Center.”  And a friend of the family made their cake and that woman’s husband performed the ceremony and Sarah’s dad whittled hundred of sticks for s’mores kits (“some are still in the garage”) and they did the flower arrangements themselves…”so the family and friend collaborations were wonderful”.

    Scott: And the day of, I went for a run with all my friends and that was really good.

Sarah: And I did that too, with my dad and my uncles.

Now it’s so special to come here, to be here with our children (2 and 4).  We keep the wedding book out so they look, they know we were married here, and now they are getting to love it too, as you can tell!  It’s so special.  We come the 4th of July week with them, and Labor Day by ourselves.  And also, before we go chase the kids, a shout out to our golden doodle Henry, who was a very important part of our wedding!

What are you up to, Cait, with that guy on the wall lurking over your shoulder?  (That digging for ice fellow in the black and white photo.)

“Talking to brides this week!  There’s quite a number who are having mini-desserts this year instead of cakes.  It’s a thing!

Oh, and this season?  We’re putting together a blueberry dessert for every night of the week.”  Mmmmm.

ERIC AND LAURA; A MIGIS LODGE WEDDING

We had a nice talk today (9/5/18) about Eric and Laura’s wedding, May 30, 2015.

They came here first when attending Laura’s friends’ wedding in 2009, and when they started looking for themselves, they dutifully toured venues around Maine for several weekends, and kept coming back to this thought:  “It’s good, but it’s not as good as Migis.”

“We started out wanting a fall date and then May 30 became available, so we took it.

We worked with Robyn, who was fantastic, and super helpful.  Explaining everything, and vendor recommendations…we had the Bob Charest Band and our friends still bring it up, how great they were.  My brother [Eric’s] was begging them to play longer, trying to pay them to stay and stay…he loved them.  Everyone did.

We worked with Chef John about menus, and it was really a lot of fun.  He started with “Well, what do you like to eat?”  And took it from there.  It was flexible, creative, collaborative and personal.  For instance, I grew up in Wisconsin [Laura] and wanted to have brats so he worked it into an appetizer.  We had a lobster bake for our rehearsal dinner and with so many of my people from the Midwest it was their first so that was a lot of fun. (And an after party in Boulders.) And we used Marcia for flowers.

It was all so fun, and so special having everyone together, staying in one place, with the lake, having a weekend with friends and family who aren’t always in one place.  Never, actually!  And we could accommodate everyone, including some with physical disabilities and even Eric’s 94 year old grandmother.  She was the last one dancing out of everyone!  And you helped us rent a golf cart so everyone could really be everywhere they wanted to.  Including my father [Eric] so that was really important, him zooming around, and that made him really happy.

And we really lucked out with the weather.  It was a beautiful warm day like today.  I remember looking out the window when I was getting ready and seeing everyone out on the lake, boating and swimming and having fun.

Another thing [Eric] is that everyone here is part of the wedding.  There’s no one else here.  And Laura and I got this sensation that maybe the staff had been shown our photo because everyone knew who we were.  Even when we come back, now, we get treated so well.  Of course, everyone is treated well, but….especially that long weekend, we were treated like gold. [Laura]  The level of service here is unparalleled…helpful, accommodating, friendly. I’ve seen friends have different experiences, so kudos to your staff here.

Other touches…We brought pictures of our parents’ weddings, and then pictures of all our grandparents, and of ourselves when we were children.  That was a neat thing to have by our guestbook.

The boat ride with my dad, to the ceremony, was really special, and a surprise to most of the wedding guests.  And the two of us took a boat ride after the ceremony.

So, do you give a picture to the staff?”  (Maybe we should!)

……………….

Eric and Laura hope to make it an annual tradition (looks like they have!); returning to Migis, that is. And they were able to stay in Ledges this time, where Laura stayed, and got ready, before their ceremony.  Thank you for visiting again, and we look forward to many years of future returns to Migis.

We’re wrapping up another winter week here at Migis.  It’s busier than you might think!  The guys are running two teams, ripping and tearing and rebuilding....one set is down at Topside for a major renovation, and the other is over at Birch and Loon, refiguring and rebuilding bathrooms.  Scott and Dana are doing the fine painting, touch ups, and window repairs that never run out.  Two pumps are back at work in the boat basin (see it down to 18″), and we’ve been busy inside as well.  Maddy and Adam are interviewing potential staff, Joan and Marcia are loaded down with carpet samples, Robyn is fine-tuning this year’s weddings, and Sarah is about to mail about 50 confirmation letters!  And we all manage to get out and enjoy the Maine winter snow and frozen Sebago, as evidenced by Maddy’s fishing hole, and Matt’s sunset skate photo here of Thomas.  Give us a call!  207-655-4524.

Sarah and her mother Lauren pulled into Migis to have a look on a cold, rainy December day.  And Sarah said “This is it!  This is the place.  It reminds me of Belfast...it smells like Maine.”

James chimed in, “This is a very special place.  Like her mother said, Sarah knew.  And she is decisive where I am not, and it’s fortunate for me because I can trust that decision….good thing because I was in Houston when she called.”

And James’ mom, “This is just the best, the most beautiful.  Perfect.  Three of the guests TOLD me, when they walked in last night after having been here for the lobster bake, they told me ‘they totally transformed this place!’  It is a fairyland.”

And Lauren again?  Months later, she said “How do I love thee?  Let Me Count the Ways….. it still brings me to tears.  I don’t know if this is over the top, but it was a dream.  Migis was just….I don’t know if I had any preconceptions, I really didn’t have any expectations…it was the most physically and emotionally beautiful wedding.  Yes, I know it was my daughter’s wedding but everybody said it was the most beautiful wedding they’d ever been to.  I don’t know how you can top this. The other thing, the big thing, was everyone was together for the weekend. I don’t know anything that Migis could possibly do (give me a free weekend or something?)… I don’t think there was anything that I would ask you all to do differently!  I mean nothing!  It’s amazing.  I’m known to be pretty demanding…..I’ve been at my college for 44 years, and I love my students, but I’m one to call out anything that doesn’t work pretty quickly. (And I could be better at not doing that, but…)  This was my daughter’s wedding and it was absolutely perfect.  I have to say, Robyn made everything magical. Robyn was…hats off to Robyn.  She never ever ever didn’t answer….she and Sarah were pretty much in contact all the time.  We never had one of those bridezilla moments.  It was just sheer joy…Sarah was so organized and Robyn was so helpful to her and everything was Sure, we can make that happen.  So, don’t lose Robyn!  And of course the FOOD was great, and Sarah’s quite the little foodie.  Some of the family from Texas, they’ve been to some phenomenal weddings…I heard them say this was the best wedding they’ve ever been to.  A number of people had never been to Maine.  We stayed in a beautiful cabin; the accommodations are phenomenal.  The art, the quilts, the linens!

I don’t know how you can top this.  We’ll never be the same.”

Last October, our annual Closing Dinner achieved new heights of sepia-toned glamour.  From the vintage autos to the golden candles, it was a Birthday Party of resplendent celebration.  Wouldn’t yours be, if you were celebrating your 100th?

Plenty!  There’s a lot going on here....a new storage facility going up behind the staff dorm, four new bathrooms in Beach, rebuilds in Northstar and Pinestops, more new baths here and there....whew!  Busy.  (We have usurped your parking lot this winter.)  And inside, Robyn and Maddy and Chef John have met and planned with five of our spring wedding couples, and the chart is filling up!  (Is your name there in red yet, after sending your deposit?)

We pause on the way out to smell the metaphorical roses; even in the heart of winter, oh those Sebago sunsets.

Before he left for his next adventure, Rahul Gupta sat for a bit of conversation about his career path, his internship at Migis Lodge, and his travels.

We think it is beautiful here all the time, but when Migis is all gussied up for a wedding...well, oh my!  Have a look here, at some of our 2016 nuptials.

For their wedding, Monique and Corey wanted to evoke the feel of a time that Corey lived in Maine, and “the moment we stepped on to the property, we knew.”.

Yes, it was December and yes, a third of the main lodge had been torn off, and no, they couldn’t really get into the dining room for a good look, but They Knew!

Corey spent part of his childhood in Maine.  He lived in Buxton for a while, then right across the lake in Sebago, so they decided they were going to get married somewhere in Maine.

M) And we started looking on the internet for Maine venues and really, we only looked at two.  This was our first choice right from the beginning.  We reached out for some information and then came here in the middle of winter.  It was actually his birthday...there was construction going on so we couldn’t get in everywhere but the moment we stepped on to the property we knew.  We were both, like....

C) Robyn had told us to just go ahead, look around, help yourselves, look in some cabins.  It was a nice winter, not too cold, so we walked all over, starting over by the Lake House, and looking at possible ceremony spots.

M) And we literally were peeking in windows and couldn’t tell 100% what the dining room looked like, 

C) but what could see looked pretty and, well, lodgey looking.  That’s a word, right?  And we thought wow, this is perfect!

We also showed up in the middle of summer, after we had decided, and Heather, a server, was here and we told her we were getting married here and she said Great! I work weddings!  And she showed us around; she was really excited for us.

M) We saw some photos on line of a wedding that was here in the fall a couple of years ago, two women, and they had fall foliage brought in and we asked Robyn “who did this?” and it was Marcia, your flower person, and she took care of it.  It was so beautiful.

Monique and Corey had a whoopee pie competition; apparently Maine and Pennsylvania both claim sovereignty in this arena.  So who won?

“We don’t know!”  (Much back and forth.) “We had a voting jar, and we got busy...I do know Table One was unanimously for Pennsylvania, with one holdout.  The Pennsylvania Dutch invented this treat, they claim...and the state senates got involved a few years ago, a Whoopie War, so we thought it would be fun.  She gets all the credit for that; it was a her idea and it was a super big hit.  We think it came out 50/50.  Maybe we’ll set up a Facebook poll!”

M) And the cake of cheese?  Another long time desire.  A light Gouda, lighter white, a very soft one, a Spanish one.  I’ve wanted this my whole life, and we loved it.

C) And Gabby, my six year old daughter, she had a blast.  She tried on 20 dresses, shopping with my mother, and she twirled and danced and finally went up to bed...then came down and had one more dance, in her pajamas, before she gave up.

C) We decided on a sit down dinner.  We worked it out over the phone, talking with Robyn and Maddy, and chef John.  A nice touch was that they asked what we wanted for a salad and I said I didn’t want any, didn’t want it on my plate.  Ever!  And I mentioned deviled eggs...And when I got back from the extra photos after the cocktail hour I thought ‘I’m so hungry, and I’m going to have to eat that salad.’ But no!  There they were.  Deviled eggs!  They remembered!  And the carrots, they were great.  (It’s funny what you remember.)  And did you see the cake? The top?

M) A long time family friend came from Pennsylvania to officiate, and we wrote the vows. C) You can put in your notes that my vows were rated higher than hers.  M) No fair! They set the bar higher for me!  Now I guess we’ll have to set up another poll. 

M) My ring is a Maine tourmaline, a rare Alice blue.  Another Maine connection, and I had matching earrings that I wore for the ceremony.

“Everyone here was very easy to work with, so it was super nice.  And we loved the photographer (Chris Reilly).  He was relaxed and knew where to go and he kept us on time, in a really nice manner.  He was really good about it.  And something we didn’t expect, he had our whole crowd out front for a group picture, so we are going to love that, having the whole group.  And now we can relax and go on our honeymoon.  Our friends who are here are even taking our dog so we can go and really enjoy it.”

Thank you, Corey and Monique, for letting us provide the ‘perfect’ Maine place for you and your families and friends.  Congratulations, and come visit us again.