All About The Barn at Tidal Shore

The Barn at Tidal Shore is a hidden gem tucked in the woods along a private lane in Kennebunkport, Maine. You and your guests will enjoy the best of both Maine worlds — the land and the sea. Hold your ceremony on the lawn overlooking the marsh and distant ocean and retreat to the barn for an intimate reception indoors and out. The Barn at Tidal Shore is truly a unique Maine wedding venue.

The Spaces

The Barn at Tidal Shore is an authentic timber-framed barn. It measures 40 feet by 50 feet and can accommodate 130 guests for a sit-down dinner with plenty of room remaining for a dance floor. 140 is “cozy.” Up to 200 guests can be accommodated for a standing cocktail reception. The barn has an attached, covered “shed,” that is the perfect location for additional casual seating… or the event bar. You’ll find a spacious lawn immediately adjacent to the shed. The lawn is flat and manicured, so that a tent as large as 25 feet by 40 feet can be added, to accommodate larger events, cocktails, lounge seating… or to move your party-of-a-lifetime from one spectacular place to another, all under cover.
The Marsh Lawn can be configured to seat as many as 200 for an outdoor ceremony, with the salt marsh, Batson River, and ocean as your backdrop. As kids, our daughters dubbed the big rock outcropping at the edge of the marsh “Monhegan Mountain.” There is no more spectacular place for the bride and groom to be captured in a very special moment.
The charming Potting Shed, located in the large kitchen garden across from the barn, is fully furnished. It is the perfect private get-away spot for the bride and groom or the bride to change from her gown to party dress.
If you choose to take advantage of the Main House for dressing and staging, you will find yourself in a stunning arts-and-crafts seaside home, overflowing with opportunities for your photographer to snap candid shots of the bridal party, as they share the excitement of the moments leading up to the ceremony. A first-floor full bathroom is available for the bridal party.
The Barn and all grounds are handicap accessible. The Potting shed and Main House are not.

The Amenities

The Barn at Tidal Shore is fully decorated with a wide range of authentic memorabilia, antiques, and even a wall art installation by local artist Holly Ross. Many of your guests will want their picture taken with the Barn Moose or the Barn Deer. The Stroh’s Beer light-up sign says it all – “You are a Stranger Here but Once!”
You can count on the grounds being in perfect order for your event – lawns, kitchen garden and flower gardens. Numerous stone walls, all by a local artisan, provide that special New England feel. A ten-foot-by-ten-foot glass partition in the barn, brings the outside in, during both the daytime and nighttime hours. The view from the inside-out is especially special after dark, as the perimeter of the kitchen garden is accented by a strand of party lights.
There are two fire pits on the property – one adjacent to the kitchen garden and another in front of the house, overlooking the marsh and ocean. Seating around these gathering areas is provided by your hosts. The supply of firewood is endless. The event planner will make the call on weather conditions being suitable for outdoor fires, on the day of your event.

The Planner

Lana Wescott Events is the exclusive planner for the Barn at Tidal Shore. Lana and her team know the property well. They will ensure that your planning process is a pleasure and your very special event comes off without a hitch. Please reach out to Lana at wescottlana@gmail.com. Lana establishes her fees independent of the venue pricing.

The Details

  • Parking: There is limited parking at the site. Lana Wescott, your event planner, will arrange for off-site parking, for the majority of your guests. Lana will work with you to secure the services of one of several local trolley companies, to ferry your guests from the designated parking area to the venue, and back again as required. The travel distance from parking to the Barn at Tidal Shore is just under one mile. Our experience is that the trolley ride becomes part of the whole seaside wedding experience!
  • Kitchen Facilities: Your caterer will need to supply their own kitchen and refrigeration facilities. We find that setting up a prep kitchen in an adjacent tent works very well. There is plenty of available power nearby. Potable water (cold) is available from the house’s deep well.
  • Bathroom Facilities: Bathroom facilities will need to be supplied by one of the approved vendors.  Our guests tend to hire a luxury bathroom trailer, which can be conveniently located immediately behind the Barn at Tidal Shore. This facility must have its own on-board water supply.

The Fine Print

  • Limitations: Rental of the Barn at Tidal Shore does not include tents, tables, chairs, table service, bar service, food and beverage service, decorations, without limitation.
  • Fireworks: Fireworks may be displayed by a licensed operator and must be deployed from the marsh lot, over the salt marsh. Proof of licensure must be supplied to Lana Wescott 30 days in advance of your event.
  • Trash Removal: All event trash must be removed from the property, including recyclables. A minimum fee of $1,000 will be assessed if trash is not removed by the event sponsors or their service providers.
  • Evening Event Stop Time: All music and fireworks (if any) must cease by 10:00 PM per local ordinance. The event planner will ensure that the sponsors and service providers comply with this requirement.
  • Alcoholic Beverage Service: The event caterer must be licensed to serve alcoholic beverages. Only the caterer will be allowed to purchase or serve alcohol.
  • Wireless Internet: Wireless internet service will be available in the Barn, Potting Shed, and Main House.

The Packages and Pricing:

  • The Standard 3-day Package: This includes use of the Barn, Potting Shed and the surrounding grounds, for 72 hours, including set-up and tear-down. Rental pick-up within 24 hours of the event end.
  • Rental fee: $15,000
  • Deposit: $7,500 upon contract signing. Balance due 60 days prior to the event.
  • The Standard 4-day Package: This includes use of the Barn, Potting Shed and the surrounding grounds, for 96 hours, including set-up and tear-down. Rental pick-up within 24 hours of the event end. More complicated events may require additional set-up time.
  • Rental fee: $17,500
  • Deposit: $8,750 upon contract signing. Balance due 60 days prior to the event.
  • The Premium 3-day Package: This includes use of the Barn, Potting Shed and the surrounding grounds, for 72 hours, including set-up and tear-down. It also includes use of the Main House (first level and lower level only) from 8:00 AM – 1 AM the day of the event.
  • Rental fee: $20,000
  • Deposit: $10,000 upon contract signing. Balance due 60 days prior to the event.
  • The Premium 4-day Package: This includes use of the Barn, Potting Shed and the surrounding grounds, for 96 hours, including set-up and tear-down. It also includes use of the Main House (first level and lower level only) from 8:00 AM – 1 AM the day of the event.
  • Rental fee: $22,500
  • Deposit: $11,250 upon contract signing. Balance due 60 days prior to the event.

The Story

The story of The Barn began back in the early 1990’s when Cynthia looked up from her breakfast at the Green Heron Inn in Kennebunkport and asked Bob, “Do you think people actually live here?” A few short years later, they packed up their Ford Explorer and left Connecticut for Maine. Cynthia claims that Bob insisted on the move… because he adored E.B. White, who had abandoned the canyons of Manhattan for a Maine salt water farm some 56 years earlier.
Cynthia and Bob started out in Kennebunkport proper… out by the breakwater… but the town proved to be too crowded, especially during the summer months. Eventually they found their way to Cape Porpoise, settling on a spot that had been farmed for centuries. “If it was good enough for E.B. White, it’s good enough for us,” Bob reasoned. They built a wonderful house for a young family. They enjoyed the peace and quiet. But something was missing. “I know,” thought Bob, as he gazed up at a copy of Charlotte’s Web on the bookshelf next to his desk. “We need a barn… like Charlottes’s barn.” So they built an authentic timber-framed barn next to the house. It was the most sincere barn in all of Kennebunkport – full of cars and trucks and tractors and boats and rakes and shovels… and license plates. Then one day, their older daughter announced she planned to get married in the barn. “I guess we’ll have to sweep it out,” replied Bob.
In the fall of 2023, Cynthia and Bob were thrilled to host Paige’s wedding at The Barn. The ceremony was held on the marsh yard, with the ocean as a distant backdrop. Picture perfect – just ask the photographer. Following the ceremony, guests filtered back toward The Barn, walking amongst the towering pines. The cocktail reception was set up between The Barn and potting shed, with an open bar under the pergola, embellished by the flowers and vegetables of the family’s kitchen garden. A tent next to the barn made for a spacious outdoor living room. It turns out you can make a living room almost anywhere – just throw a few chairs around an oriental rug… and voila. As the sun set and the light dimmed, the many guests who had crowded around the fire pits became mere shadows. And then… dinner was served in The Barn. And there were toasts. And lots of dancing. Even as the evening seemed to pass in the twinkling of an eye, many found their way back to the bonfires for cocktails, coffee, and s’mores.
Late that night… maybe early the next morning… as they leaned against the picnic table watching the final guests board the trolley, Bob asked Cynthia, “Do you think other people would be interested in getting married here?” And now you’re seriously considering joining the select few who thie the knot at The Barn at Tidal Shore.. where the forest and the marsh meet.
Just as Charlotte Spun the message SOME PIG into her web, we think you’ll agree that The Barn at Tidal Shore is SOME BARN.

The Barn at Tidal Shore

Get married where the forest and the salt marsh meet.

Host your wedding with us!

Please contact at us at:

207-423-2059
thebarnattidalshore@gmail.com

As Seen on The Knot weddingwire.com

Copyright © The Barn at Tidal Shore All Rights Reserved.

Scroll to Top