barberry hill farm.

June 26, 2012

barberryhillfarm6
When James and I first started thinking about where we wanted to get married, I knew exactly the place where I wanted it to happen.  I imagined our wedding in the rear pasture of my grandfather’s farm. It’d be August, the dahlias would be huge, the tomato vines would be starting to get heavy with ripening fruit. We’d fill our bellies with all of summer’s best foods and sweat through the dog days, dancing the night away under a New England summer sky. barberryhillfarm1 There was, however, something of a hitch. I don’t have a grandfather with a farm.barberryhillfarm5
I didn’t spend all of my summers chasing butterflies in his back pasture. I always knew I had a rich fantasy life, I just didn’t know how much it would impede on this particular decision. I couldn’t bear to even think about wedding venues. We knew we were going to get married in my hometown but I wanted to get married in a place that really meant something to me. I couldn’t think of a spot that fit that description and could also play host to a big ole mess of a party.barberryhillfarm4 I’d entertained the thought of getting married in my parents’ back yard–the place where I actually did chase butterflies–but the house is up close to a main road and the noise from the summertime traffic would drown out even the most ardently spoken vows. I thought about a wedding on the town beach where I’ve collected whole bottles worth of sea glass, but town ordinances say no weddings during the summer months and I had my heart set on those August tomatoes.barberryhillfarm3 I promise you, I had practically given up, frustrated and grumpy about my noisy back yard and stuffy town beach, when I realized there was a place, just up the road from my parents’ house that might be just fine. It wasn’t my grandfather’s farm, but it was someone’s. No surprise, I’ve always had something of a love affair with these particular neighbors’ house. Where mine sits on the road, theirs is tucked down a rambling driveway and sheltered by massive trees. You see fields of vegetables and cutting flowers before you ever see the house. If you walk along the road that passes alongside of it, chickens will cross in front of you. In springtime, we eat their multi-colored eggs.barberryhillfarm7 Kelly and Kingsley Goddard farm the land that Kingsley’s great uncle bought in 1909. Purchased originally as a summertime getaway from New York City, it was Kingsley that turned the place into a real working farm. It’s Kelly and Kingsley that have agreed to let us to get married there in August. I’m fairly certain there will be tomatoes.

These are photographs of their family, not mine, but I don’t think I could love them any more than I do. They’re from all the familiar places. Which is really what I was hoping for all along.
All images courtesy of Kelly and Kingsley Goddard. Read more about them their incredible farm, here.

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24 Comments

  • Reply Lindsey June 26, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    What a lovely post! Love seeing these old pictures. I'm envisioning the same imaginary farm for my one day wedding!

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  • Reply Patricia Villamil June 26, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    Incredibly sweet and imaginative post. You had me at 'dancing the night away under a New England Summer sky'. I hope you get to marry in an enchanting farm like the ones in you dreams. Every bride deserves that.

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  • Reply Ashley June 26, 2012 at 1:54 pm

    Sooooo romantic! Happy you found the perfect spot!

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  • Reply Caroline June 26, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    We're getting married at a farm (actually it is currently conservation land) too! No tomatoes, but we'll be surrounded by apple and chestnut trees and say our vows in front of a kettle pond and behind a pumpkin patch.

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    • Reply Erin June 27, 2012 at 2:31 pm

      caroline, that sounds awesome. kindred spirits, sister.

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  • Reply Meg June 26, 2012 at 7:18 pm

    it looks beautiful! what a wonderful place for an august wedding 🙂

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  • Reply tinajo June 26, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    These photos are absolutely wonderful, I love them all!

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  • Reply Rachel June 26, 2012 at 8:07 pm

    Yay! So glad you found a dream venue. I think the venue is the hardest part, hands down.

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    • Reply Erin June 27, 2012 at 2:31 pm

      i remember your posts about the same thing. seriously. so hard.

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  • Reply Claudia Nicole June 26, 2012 at 8:50 pm

    These photos are amazing. Your wedding is going to be beautiful and this venue and how much it means to you is going to make it so special. Tomato plants and blooming dahlias under a sprawling New England summer sky…sounds perfect.

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  • Reply Linda Zimmerman June 26, 2012 at 9:26 pm

    LOVE these. The one of Middle Beach Rd and Tuxis…….fabulous!! So happy you shared these!

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  • Reply Shannon June 26, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    My husband and I got married on a beach, it was a bit rushed, but I loved it anyway. Here's a pic if you like: http://www.11thandshannon.com/2012/05/my-life-story-so-far.html

    I love the idea of getting married on a farm, it sounds so beautiful and I do hope you will post photos! Especially of the food 😉 Congrats!

    Shannon

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    • Reply Erin June 27, 2012 at 2:33 pm

      shannon, sounds like it was totally lovely. will hop over and check out your story!

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  • Reply Adriana F June 26, 2012 at 9:43 pm

    What a lovely place, and the photos are simply beautiful. I'm enchanted.

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  • Reply Amielle June 27, 2012 at 3:00 am

    These photos and this story are amazing! Your wedding sounds like it's going to be wonderful and beautiful and that's wonderful. 🙂

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  • Reply Azrakun June 27, 2012 at 4:30 am

    Dreamy!

    http://www.azrakunworld.com

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  • Reply Sobrina Tung June 27, 2012 at 5:19 am

    oooh that is awesome. I wonder if it was hard/weird to ask?

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    • Reply Erin June 27, 2012 at 2:32 pm

      hi sobrina! it wasn't too hard.the goddards are incredibly lovely people, so that made things really easy. they're also playing host to a few other dinners this summer and fall, so it wasn't something that's totally out of their comfort zone!

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  • Reply sweet harvest moon June 27, 2012 at 9:20 am

    Amazing! It looks like a wonderful place!

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  • Reply Rhianna Nelson June 27, 2012 at 10:35 am

    This is such a lovely story! and I absolutely adore old photographs 🙂 They're so beautiful and I always imagine them to hold such rich histories. Perhaps I should start collecting them… I also love that it's not just me who gets a little too run away with my imagination 😛 Rhi xx

    The Wildest of Dreams

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    • Reply Erin June 27, 2012 at 2:33 pm

      oh no, you got a soul sister there.

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  • Reply Joan June 27, 2012 at 7:22 pm

    Love the farmer's cottage.
    Yes, an incredible farm they have! I was wandering around their site. So pretty.

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  • Reply saradowle July 2, 2012 at 9:52 pm

    This farm looks perfect! Best wishes!

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  • Reply Wedding venues Los Angeles October 31, 2014 at 10:06 am

    I am a photographer based in here. Before I moved out west, I used to come here all the time. They have great staff, great lighting.

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