Welcome to The Maine Barns: Why We’re Here (and What You’ll Find in This Journal)
There are places that feel like a deep breath.
For us, that place has always been Maine—big skies, salty air, tall pines, and a style of hospitality that is never performative. It's thoughtful and generous, grounded in nostalgia but shaped by a modern sensibility that celebrates the best of this place.
It's the feeling you want to share with the people you love most when you gather for something once-in-a-lifetime. That's why we're starting this journal.
Searching the Shadows
The Maine Barns is home to two distinct venues for weddings, events, and gatherings just outside Portland, Maine: Flanagan Farm in Buxton and Walnut Hill in North Yarmouth. Different in personality and setting, they share the same essential promise: privacy, beauty, and the freedom to craft a celebration that feels like the perfect reflection of you (two).
For more than a decade we've hosted weddings and private events in Maine, and we've learned that the most memorable celebrations are rarely defined by a single perfect moment. They're shaped by the rhythm of the entire weekend: welcome drinks that turn into real conversation, slow morning coffee with family, an unplanned laugh on the dance floor, the quiet joy of seeing everyone you love in one place.
We host one exclusive wedding per weekend at each property so couples and guests can truly settle in. That exclusivity creates breathing room—time for rehearsal dinners, welcome gatherings, farewell brunches, and the spontaneous moments that make a weekend feel fully yours.
Flanagan Farm spreads across 66 acres of meadow, orchard, and woodland — expansive, seasonal, and alive in every month of the year. Walnut Hill is a more intimate garden estate, quietly elegant and deeply personal. Both sit just twenty-five minutes from Portland, close enough for easy travel and guest logistics, far enough to feel like a true arrival.
Flanagan Farm, Novae
Walnut Hill, Alanna Hogan
And then there's us. We're Mike and Essie Haimes, and The Maine Barns is genuinely a marriage of our backgrounds — Mike's in culinary hospitality, Essie's in nonprofit events and strategy— and the values we share. We were married at Flanagan Farm long before we became its stewards, which makes this work as personal as it gets for us. [Read more about Mike & Essie]
We care deeply that every couple, every family, and every guest feels respected, celebrated, and safe here. Equity and inclusion are not a "nice-to-have" for us. They are foundational.
Because belonging is at the heart of what we do, giving back is too. Through our Love/Give program, we donate a share of proceeds from every wedding to organizations supporting Maine's people and places. Clients choose the causes that resonate most with them across impact areas like social justice and equity, LGBTQIA+ rights, and the wellbeing of children and families, and we make a donation in their honor.
Novae
This journal is where we'll share what we've learned and what continues to inspire us — planning insights, seasonal ideas, and behind-the-scenes details that help celebrations feel effortless and personal. Many of these posts grow out of conversations we have every season with couples planning wedding weekends in Maine. From time to time, we’ll also share stories from other gatherings and private events that bring these properties to life, like our winter Supper Club.
If you're here because you're planning a wedding, we're so glad you found us. And if you're here because you simply love great spaces, good parties, and Maine — you're in the right place too.
Cheers,
Mike + Essie
Explore the blog:
Newly engaged and considering Maine → [The Ultimate Guide to Planning a High-End Maine Wedding Weekend Near Portland]
Deciding between venues → [Flanagan Farm vs. Walnut Hill: Which Maine Wedding Weekend Venue Fits Your Style?]
The hosts behind The Maine Barns → [Meet Essie and Mike]
Ready for next steps → [Explore Flanagan Farm] / [Explore Walnut Hill] / [Inquire to schedule a tour]