Cunningham Farm: A New Maine Barn Wedding Venue
We first began helping couples plan their dream wedding in Maine a few years ago. Since then, we’ve had the good fortune of working with incredible wedding vendors at a number of unique wedding venues in Maine. This year, we are even more excited for our wedding season to begin because we will be working at new-to-us venues!
Today we’re sharing Cunningham Farm with you. This new barn wedding venue in Maine just opened in 2018, and we’re thrilled that two of our amazing 2019 brides will be holding their weddings here.
Introducing Cunningham Farm
Located just north of Portland in picturesque New Gloucester, Maine, Cunningham Farm is primarily used as a wedding venue for barn weddings, farm weddings, estate weddings, and outdoor weddings. With 90+ acres of land that includes three event barns, a farmhouse, a pond, a river, a meandering brook, rock walls, and a tree farm - complete with a white farm fence - it offers everything you could desire in your barn wedding venue.
As wedding planners, we love that the owners are dedicated to maintaining the historic nature of both the land and buildings, while thoughtfully providing modern day upgrades and improvements where needed.
While the wedding venue is dedicated to hosting elegant barn weddings and classic estate weddings, Cunningham Farm is really so much more than your typical barn venue. The history of the venue is visible everywhere you look, and adds to the appeal for couples who are interested in finding that classic New England charm.
Cunningham Farm is a unique property in that there are three wedding barns on site to utilize for your wedding’s events and activities. They also can accommodate tented weddings, and even al fresco if that’s more your style for a perfect spring, summer, or fall day in Maine. As an added bonus, they provide weekend rentals so you can enjoy the space for the entire wedding weekend, and they have an amazing suite for brides (or grooms) to get ready in before the ceremony.
We are so excited to continue planning and designing weddings at this venue, and hope that if you’re a newly engaged couple looking for the perfect barn wedding venue for your upcoming wedding in Maine, you’ll give Cunningham Farm a look!
Interview with Cunningham Farm
Venue Name: Cunningham Farm: Barns & Estate
Venue Location: New Gloucester, Maine
When did you open? 2018 was our first season!
Capacity: 200 for a seated dinner in our largest barn, up to 300 for a tented event.
What was the inspiration behind opening Cunningham Farm as a wedding venue?
We looked for years to open an event space that represented how we like to celebrate with our own friends and families. We even designed a venue in case the right land came along! Really our only requirement was a bit intangible - something that felt refined, yet with a sense of ease, and of course, special. About four years later, we walked Cunningham Farm and knew we had found the spot. The property had a feeling of being perfectly untouched by time, so there’s this great balance of us adding in modern amenities while still keeping the essence of a historic estate.
What makes your venue unique?
Three barns with the rental is definitely pretty unique! We loved that our couples would have the flexibility to use each space for different parts of their day if they wanted. For example, the Carriage Barn for a groomsmen cabin, the Hay Barn for cocktail hour, and the Dairy Barn for the reception. It makes for a built-in rain plan as well. The 13 mowed acres, pond, and tree farm also created a pretty unique setting, and it makes the grounds a wonderful spot for a ceremony, cocktail hour, or tented reception!
What’s one piece of advice that you give to couples who book Cunningham Farm? The best compliment we received from our own wedding were comments from extended family that we don’t see as often – they left saying that they knew exactly who we were as a couple. I think it’s easy to lose authenticity and have couples start doing what they think they should do, or what other people may want them to do. Think of what an elevated version of your personalities are and aim towards that – you’ll land with something familiar so you feel comfortable, but something distinctive and special enough for your wedding celebration!
What do you see as the added value to hiring a wedding planner or coordinator?
So much value that we actually require it! There are many moving parts and timelines for planning a wedding and then there’s the day itself. Someone (or a team) that can oversee it all, keep everything organized, troubleshoot, and connect/inform your vendors is invaluable. An organized couple can certainly plan a wedding themselves, but consider your time and stress-level, and never underestimate the relationships a planner has with wedding professionals nor the insider experience that comes with planning weddings for a living!
Photography by Lauryn Sophia Photography
