Crabs and Maryland might as well be synonyms with one another. For the Chesapeake bride who wants to incorporate the region into her wedding festivities, custom screen printing and embroidery company, Bay Imprint , provides original and handcrafted crab mallets.
Why mallets?
If you associate mallets with the mess of taking crabs apart, think again. These engraved mallets are extremely elegant and representative of Chesapeake Bay culture. Brenda Fike of Bay Imprint says, “Crab mallets are Maryland’s unofficial utensil! Like crabs, crab mallets are uniquely identified with the Chesapeake region, and Maryland couples with a lot of out-of-town guests are increasingly eager to share Chesapeake culture with those friends.”
How are they produced?
Brenda Fike describes how the mallets are environmentally conscious, easily personalized, and highly affordable. The mallets are constructed from recycled strong rock maple creating an environmentally friendly product. The personalization process is quite simple as Bay Imprint can create a design for you or brides and grooms are welcome to come up with their own original design. A laser is then used to finely engrave the mallets on one or both sides. Production generally takes about a week but Fike noted a few times where they have been produced in 24 hours! Design and proof are free and the total cost is generally $200 for 100 custom mallets.
How can you incorporate mallets into your wedding?
Mallets can be used for crab feasts prior to the wedding; engagement dinners, rehearsals and more! Mallets also make gorgeous favors, as out of town guests will love to have a regional keepsake that they can use in their own homes. Some brides and grooms even include their favorite recipes attached to the mallets as a welcome gift or favor. Mallets are also being increasingly incorporated into wedding décor itself as Fike notes that, “The juxtaposition of humble decor — like mason jars and crab mallets — in a formal wedding setting is a charming contrast.”
How can you incorporate the mallets into the décor?
Fike says, “One of my favorite ways to see a custom mallet is simply tied up with baker’s twine with an attached hand-written tag that says “Love, Honor, and Old Bay.” Mallets are often used in table settings and décor and sometimes even intertwined with floral and nautical arrangements.
