Venue Search #4: The Pilgrim's Inn in Deer Isle, ME

While our weekend plans of going to southern Maine to look at potential wedding venues took a hit because of Katelyn needing to work this past Saturday, I was determined not to let a beautiful autumn Sunday in Maine go to waste.  We looked up a couple relatively-local venues online and decided to hit the road and see what we could find.  Our travels brought us first to Deer Isle, Maine, and a little inn by the sea called The Pilgrim's Inn.

Katelyn found The Pilgrim's Inn online and we've been to Deer Isle before, so we decided to make the pretty drive out to the location and see what the inn had to offer.  Our first impression was a bit disconcerting, as the inn is located just off a very small road in Deer Isle and there is, shall we say, limited parking.  For a wedding party such as ours that will likely number over a hundred, I'm not really sure I could see how everyone traveling from away could possibly park their vehicles in the space provided.  Undaunted, we decided to go inside and see what the interior had to offer.

The Pilgrim's Inn is very pretty on the inside, with three floors of very spacious guest rooms.  Speaking with Tony Lawless, one of the innkeepers, we would have to rent the entire inn and we could probably house between 30 and 40 guests; not a bad number considering the out-of-state guests we're expecting for our special day.  The furnishings of the guest rooms are also quite modern given the historic nature of the inn, and the rooms have a very comfortable feel.

Upon heading to the basement floor of the inn to speak with the keeper, we were also able to check out the restaurant facilities.  Again, much like the parking situation, we would not be able to accomodate the entirety of our wedding party inside for dining.  Even an hors d'oeuvres or buffet-style meal would result in an equal mix of people outdoors and indoors, which might not be the best option directly on the ocean in October.  There are options to set up a tent outdoors and do the meal there, but again this incurs the extra cost of renting a tent and the informality of such a dining experience.

The view from the inn is very pretty, however, being right on the water.  The most probable ceremony space on the grounds is right on the water and there would be sufficient space to set up chairs for all of our guests (provided they could find parking anywhere in the immediate area).  It is clear to see that this inn and its grounds are well taken care of, and the testimonials of guests who have stayed here are very positive.

The Pilgrim's Inn is very pretty and located fairly conveniently from Blue Hill, but it is far out of the way from the major transportation hubs that we're dealing with as far as recommending airports and accomodations to our out-of-state guests.  It is also a very small venue, not well-suited to a wedding of our predicted size, and would have difficulty accomodating both guests and parking.  We've received an email packet of information for the venue, but it is likely that we will not consider it in our venue decision due to the size and location.

More information and photographs of The Pilgrim's Inn can be found at the venue's website, http://www.pilgrimsinn.com/index.html. The Pilgrim's Inn is located three hours and thirty minutes from Portland, three hours and ten minutes from Lewiston, and one hour and forty-five minutes from Bangor.