Letter From the Editor

Welcome to wedding central on Martha’s Vineyard – at least that’s how our office feels with the hundreds of photos we look through, and all the brides and vendors who come through the office, either in person, on the phone, or via e-mail.

If you know your nuptials will take place here, this magazine is full of ideas and resources to help with your planning. If you’re still considering the Island for your big day, we’ll give you a sense of the place through wedding stories and numerous photographs and articles showcasing the Vineyard and its bounty.

When you choose Martha’s Vineyard, having a destination wedding is a given. To make the trip worthwhile, your guests expect part-wedding, part-vacation. While this magazine focuses on the wedding side of the weekend, the Island guides for tourists are a great resource for everything else.

Whether you know the Island or not, an early consideration should be transportation. Since the only way to get here is by boat or plane, you and your guests need to make travel arrangements early. Especially during the prime wedding months of June through October, suggest that people leave their cars behind, because traffic and parking on the Island can be tough – you often need to plan extra time to account for it – and you don’t want your guests to miss your grand entrance.

The Steamship Authority runs the most frequent ferry service (and the only one for vehicles) out of Woods Hole, where Peter Pan Bus Lines connects to Boston and Logan Airport as well as the Providence airport; the Martha’s Vineyard Fast Ferry is the closest ferry to Connecticut and New York and offers shuttle service from its Quonset Point, Rhode Island, location to the Providence airport and Amtrak. Passenger ferries also come to the Island from New Bedford, Falmouth, and Hyannis, so depending on where people are coming from, they can choose the closest. Remember that schedules vary by season.

When planning your own travel, keep in mind that Massachusetts requires that you file for a license at least three days but no more than sixty days before your wedding date. This can be done in any town, regardless of where the ceremony is.

The advance planning necessary to come to the Vineyard makes the place all that more relaxing when you get here. Then you can focus on what’s important: your beloved.

Congratulations and best wishes,

Nicki Miller