Many romances start over a candlelit dinner at a fine restaurant. Few, however, start in the kitchen of a restaurant.
  That is where Lynne Swinimer and Scott Ouellette first met. Lynne was working as a server at Canoe Restaurant in Center Harbor. Scott owns Canoe (and O Steaks and Seafood in Lakeport and North End Italian Restaurant in Moultonboro) and on any given
day he can be found in the kitchen creating the delicious meals for which he is famous in the area.
  Lynne, whose background is in working for the USDA Forest Service, was working as a part-time server when she met Scott.
  It seems an odd place to meet the love of your life, but that is where the couple first got to know each other. They were engaged on a trip to Rome in March of 2008 and planned the wedding for October 17, 2009.
  “We were engaged 18 months,” says Scott. He knows the ins and outs of planning big functions and catering parties and weddings. “To put our minds at ease, we hired Signature Events. I have worked with Signature Events owner Amy Piper in the past and liked the style and attention to detail she brings to events. It was great to know someone other than us was going to handle a lot of the details.”
  Scott goes on to say that the last thing he and Lynne wanted was for the staff to come up to them on the evening of their wedding to ask questions about serving and other details. “With Amy there, we could relax. Any direction the staff needed was taken from her.”

  The wedding was no small affair to coordinate and pull off. “We invited 210 guests,” Scott recalls. “For the wedding party, we had the maid of honor and a best man. I also recruited some good friends to help usher.”
  The wedding ceremony was held at the Gilford Community Church in Gilford village. It is, says Scott, “an awesome venue for a wedding ceremony.” He is referring to the recently completed addition to the church with a much-expanded sanctuary and a pre-wedding bridal room where immediate family and the wedding party can gather. The church is beautifully decorated in serene colors.
  The rehearsal dinner was held at the North End Italian Restaurant and the reception at O Steaks and Seafood (at the Lake Opechee Inn and Spa in Lakeport.)
  Guests are still talking about the October wedding where Scott’s creativity with food, Signature Events’ planning skills and some unusual and fun elements came together for a memorable event.
  Scott’s influence as a chef touched many parts of the wedding pertaining to food, beverages, décor and the overall flow of the event. Planning took six to eight months. “We wanted to have an all-out cocktail party that was high end but fun,” Scott explains. “We invited our guests to wear tuxes and gowns and they complied. We had three tents attached to the restaurant and a 20 x 60-foot dance floor. There was a 20 x 20-foot space for the 22-piece orchestra and DJ.
  “A 20 x 30-foot clear tent was set up as a cigar lounge with after-dinner drinks and a cigar selection from Happy Jacks. We had high top bar tables and heaters set up in case it was chilly.”
  The entire floor of all the tents was wood, which was great for women in high heels (no sinking into soft ground or grass in dressy shoes!)
  “It was all about the food and beverages and of course, it was about Lynne and me. We had appetizers tray passed to guests and we offered an open bar in addition to separate martini, champagne and cordial bars. Then guests could move to dinner stations while the Compaq Big Band played.”
  When it was time for dessert and the coffee buffet, the music switched to a hip-hop DJ. About an hour after dessert, a costume room was set up with sunglasses, pimp hats, feather boas, gold rings and chains. “Whatever you could imagine, we had!” Scott laughs. “The guests went crazy!”
  The evening was capped with late night sliders of burgers, chicken and barbecued pork, as well as French fries and cookies. After an 8 1/2 hour reception, 70 percent of the wedding guests were still going strong and enjoying a most unusual wedding!
  When offering advice to couples in the midst of planning a wedding, Scott can look at the event from a unique perspective of both the groom and as a restaurant owner/chef who knows about wedding planning and catering. “Don’t stress about the little things. Focus on the things that are important to you. If you can, I would suggest hiring a wedding planner. It is a life saver.”
  Because many of today’s weddings are tented, Scott also offers some practical advice. “Make sure the tent has heat if needed, as well
as sides, rain gutters and flooring. Don’t scrimp on a tent – bigger is better so guests have more room to spread out.”
  For Scott and Lynne Ouellette, meeting at a restaurant turned out to be the key to planning a memorable and fun wedding. This is one restaurant romance sure to be spoken of fondly for years to come.

Wedding Vendors:

Catering by O Steaks/Magic Food Productions Wedding Planning: Signature Events Flowers: Lakes Region Floral Studio Ceremony/Officiant: Reverend Michael Graham, Gilford Community Church

Photographer: Jeffrey Stevensen Photography: www.naturalweddingsphoto.com Band: Compaq Big Band; DJ: Pete Chambers DJ Cake: Magic Food Productions (Pastry Chef Jen) Groom’s Cake: Jacques Pastries Rolls Royce: Bob Smith and Kurt Anderson