When BRIDES magazine featured Sophia and Alex's May wedding at Walnut Hill, it was easy to understand why. Sustainable local florals, a ceremony grove alive with the soft dappled light of a lush, late May tree canopy, and the restored 1887 barn transformed into something airy, luminous, and deeply personal. This is what a spring destination wedding at a Maine barn venue can look like, and why May at Walnut Hill is always a season worth seriously considering for couples planning a wedding in southern Maine.

The fourth annual Big Tree Catering Supper Club was always going to be a great night. What we did not fully anticipate was how meaningful it would become. Chef Adrian Arvizu-Rico arrived with a bold concept, the traditional steakhouse experience reimagined through a global culinary lens, and delivered one of the most memorable and quietly profound evenings the Flanagan Farm Supper Club has ever produced. Read the full story inside.

Chef Devin Finigan of Aragosta has built one of the most celebrated dining destinations in America from a coastal kitchen on Deer Isle, Maine. For her third consecutive season at the Flanagan Farm Supper Club, she brought that same ingredient-driven grace and sense of place to our Valentine's eve barn in Buxton. A full recap of the evening's menu, the story behind our family's love for Deer Isle and Aragosta, and details on Chef Finigan's debut cookbook are all inside.

When Piccolo closed in 2020, Portland lost one of its most beloved dining institutions. When Chefs Ilma López and Damian Sansonetti agreed to bring their cherished Sunday Supper tradition back to life for one evening at Flanagan Farm, we knew it would be special. What we did not anticipate was just how personal it would feel — for our guests, for Damian and Ilma, and for Mike, whose own culinary story begins on the streets of Florence not far from where this style of cooking first shaped him. The full story is inside.

When Mike and I first moved to Portland in the fall of 2019, Woodford Food & Beverage was the first place that made us feel at home. So welcoming them to Flanagan Farm to celebrate their 10th anniversary this winter felt like one of the most meaningful evenings we have hosted. This post is our love letter to a decade of Woodford in Portland, plus a full recap of the extraordinary menu Chef Courtney Loreg brought to our barn for the occasion.

Two properties, one philosophy of hosting — but the differences between Flanagan Farm and Walnut Hill matter, and they're worth understanding as you consider your venue options. This post walks through everything from guest capacity and seasonal availability to tenting, outdoor dancing, winter weddings, and the subtler question of atmosphere and feel. Consider it an honest, unhurried introduction to both — the kind of guidance that helps you begin imagining which property might be the right home for your celebration.

Many of the couples who celebrate at The Maine Barns share a particular relationship with Maine — a place that has shaped them, drawn them back, and ultimately brought them here to mark one of the most meaningful moments of their lives. Love/Give is our way of honoring that connection. Through the program, a portion of proceeds from every celebration at Flanagan Farm and Walnut Hill is donated to nonprofit organizations working across five key issue areas in Maine. This post tells the story behind it — and the organizations we're proud to support.

Behind every exceptional venue is a team that genuinely cares — and at The Maine Barns, that starts with owners Essie and Mike Haimes. Their paths to Flanagan Farm and Walnut Hill are anything but conventional: international development work in Mozambique, culinary training in Tuscany, years in New York's nonprofit world, and a formative apprenticeship with one of Italy's most celebrated chefs. What brought them back to Maine — and ultimately to these two properties — is a story worth knowing, especially if you're considering celebrating here.

A Maine wedding weekend is unlike any other kind of celebration — and planning one well requires knowing a few things that most venues won't tell you. This guide covers everything: why Portland is the ideal hub for destination guests, what a full weekend at Flanagan Farm or Walnut Hill actually looks and feels like, and how the best celebrations here tend to come together. Whether you're envisioning a multi-day gathering or a single beautifully hosted day, consider this the most useful thing you'll read in the early stages of planning.

Gathered is where The Maine Barns shares the insights, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes perspective that couples tell us they wish they'd found sooner. Whether you're envisioning a full wedding weekend at Flanagan Farm or Walnut Hill — our two estate-level venues just outside Portland — or simply seeking guidance on designing a meaningful celebration, you'll find honest, practical expertise here. In this first post, we introduce ourselves and the story that brought us to these two properties, share the philosophy of hosting that shapes everything we do, and lay out what you can expect from the journal ahead — from seasonal design ideas and venue comparisons to real planning guidance and the questions we answer most often each season. So, come on in, and we’re so glad you’re here…