Rustic wedding venues in Halifax - Hatfield Farm, Nova Scotia
If you are getting married in the fall, may I suggest a picturesque lakeside setting for your wedding ceremony, reception, and wedding photos? The Hatfield Farm, 30 minutes away from downtown Halifax, is an amazing venue during any season! If you’re looking for a venue that will take care of most of your wedding planning in HRM, read about why The Hatfield Farm is definitely the venue you should consider! Scroll down to see the highlights from Rae & Kasey’s wedding at the Hatfield Farm.
The Hatfield Farm is a popular spot to get married in Nova Scotia regardless of the weather. You can get married outdoors at the beautiful lakeside gazebo or indoors next to one of the beautiful stone fireplaces… always a popular choice for those looking for a venue that offers both Plan A and Plan B with looming weather on the horizon.
Couples have been getting married for years at the Hatfield Farm — everything is onsite, including a delicious meal for you and your guests at the 5000 sq. ft. rustic lodge that has seating for up to 200 guests. This rustic wedding venue provides the best in accommodations after the wedding ceremony for you and your guests in one of many comfortable cabins and cozy bunkhouses. Here’s the link to their 360° virtual tour.
Hatfield Farm Wedding Package Pricing
Hatfield Farm offers a total wedding package price that is dependent on the expected number of wedding guests and any other additional services that you would like to include. It is not based on a per person rate but based on a set number of guests, in which you will be given a per person rate for any additional guests, taxes and gratuities are extra of course.
Most weddings at the Hatfield Farm cost between $8000-$10,000 before tax and gratuity.
Each wedding package comes complete with things like wedding table decorations, linen table cloths & candles, mason jars or milk jars that are used as vases for centerpieces, and artificial flowers for starters. Also, the plates, cutlery, glassware, and napkins are included in any wedding package, so no worries there!
If the bride and groom want to supply real flowers or other decorations for the wedding ceremony or reception, that is perfectly fine, and must do so out of pocket. In fact, the bride and groom do not have to bring much as all. Hatfield Farm will even provide all the food and drinks for the ceremony, all except the wedding cake. No alcohol is provided by the Farm, however BYOB is welcome, how awesome is that? They will also chill your wine in advance, cork it, and place it on the tables when guests are seated.
One bonus with the wedding package at Hatfield Farm is that the wedding party does not have to set up or clean up after the ceremony or reception. It is all handled by the Hatfield Farm staff. That being said, if you have some special items to be included in the set-up (eg. flowers, favors, table wine, etc), you can bring them to the farm 24 hours in advance and then the staff will include those items when setting up at no extra charge.
The Typical Wedding Procedure at Hatfield Farm
The typical wedding at Hatfield Farm usually starts when guests arrive around 5:00 pm and are greeted by the friendly staff where they are given a meal ticket and a ticket to get on the horse-drawn wagon that takes them to the ceremony site. The bride is transported by an old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage. If the weather cooperates, the timing of the bride’s arrival is perfect for magical photos with sun peaking through the majestic trees — if you ever dreamt of a fairytale wedding, this is it — arriving in a carriage with every guest’s eyes on you, you will surely look and feel like the true princess that you are!
The ceremony lasts about 15-30 minutes, depending on whether or not you opted for your own vows. Yep, the Hatfield Farm even provides Justice of the Peace for your wedding ceremony — they truly are an all-inclusive Nova Scotia venue! After the ceremony, the bride & groom are whisked away in the carriage, for a few minutes of alone time while the wedding guests all head over to the lodge. After Mr. & Mrs. come back, your photographer has about 30 minutes to take photos in front of the carriage. Oh, and did I mention that one of the horses that pulls the carriage is a celebrity? Yep, Suzy, the horse in the photo above made an appearance in Chapelwaite - a TV show starring Adrian Brody and Emily Hapshire of Schitt’s Creek fame, how awesome is that??
After photos with the carriage, the bride and groom have about 45 minutes for the rest of the wedding photographs with the wedding party and family.
The staff at the Hatfield Farm keep to the schedule and I gotta say, as a photographer, I found it was very convenient to be told how much more time we have left.
Once the photos are finished, guests are seated in the lodge for dinner. The bridal party is introduced and seated and then dinner is served. Speeches can be given throughout or after diner, which is followed by the cake cutting, bouquet & garter toss and “first dances”. Once all of this has taken place, the dance starts in the lodge, the Rubber Rodeo opens, and the bonfires are lit outside.
Horse-Drawn Wagon
Once your wedding guests arrive at Hatfield Farm, a horse-drawn wagon will transport guests to the ceremony location.
If it is raining, a sheltered wagon or bus will be used. Elderly guests and those with special needs can be transported to the ceremony location by company shuttle. A shuttle is available throughout the night to transport guests back to the front of the farm in case they require an early departure. In my case, I arrived at the barn ahead of the guests to be able to capture their arrival. Having a lot of gear to carry around, photographers get special permission to drive up to the barn and park there.
So think about getting the wedding party together before the ceremony and have them all transported together to the wedding reception via horse-drawn wagon. This venue would make for great outdoor wedding photos.
Picturesque Lakefront Wedding Backdrop
Most weddings at Hatfield Farm take place outside at their picturesque lakefront pergola where benches are provided for all wedding guests in attendance. If it is raining, the ceremony will take place inside the lodge. The winter weddings are also set up inside the lodge by their beautiful stone fireplace of course.
There are actually several locations for wedding photos around the Farm, so if you want pristine wedding shots taken in any number of areas such as down by the lake, in and around the farm buildings, on the mechanical bull, or in the surrounding woods, bring along your wedding photographer and you are sure to capture some great moments.
Ask your wedding photographer about lighting and if at all possible, schedule your ceremony close to golden hour - having your photos taking during golden hour will make your photos even more magical!
Ask your wedding photographer about lighting and if at all possible, schedule your ceremony close to golden hour - having your photos taking during golden hour will make your photos even more magical! During summers, that hour starts around 6-8 pm, so having your ceremony later in the day is ideal if your photographer is a true light chaser.
In this case the ceremony for R&K started at 5:45 and photos were taken between 6:15 and 7 pm. We took advantage of the golden hour and their wedding photos turned out magical, don’t you think?
If it is raining on your wedding day, you may take pictures inside any of the many buildings on the Farm, or you are free to leave to go to another location for pictures if you choose to do so. The bride and groom are responsible for providing any hourly wedding photographer of their choosing.
What About the DJ?
The DJ will be provided by Hatfield Farm until 11:45 pm, so relax, and enjoy the evening dancing to your favorite music. What a great venue the reception will make for wedding pictures. awesome music, just the right lighting, and all shared with your favorite people all in one place, a night to remember!
The only regret some people have during weddings is that they did not pay their wedding photographer to stay around long enough, which includes the reception. It will payoff in the long run if you bite the extra cost and have the photographer stay around for a few hours after the supper. You will not regret all the great memories you get to keep long after the party is over.
No reception is complete without a wedding DJ to dance the night away!
Don't Miss the Great Moments for Wedding Photos
Aside from the bride and groom portraits, the wedding party group pictures, and the ceremony shots, the wedding reception is one of the best times to capture the best moments of the wedding.
During the wedding reception there are so many key moments — the speeches, first dances, the cutting of the wedding cake, and the bride and groom kissing on request. So much fun with all the people you love, right in the same room, celebrating your wedding.
A few of the most memorable photos are usually around the following wedding reception moments:
Grand entrance
First dance
Mother / Son & Father/ Daughter dances
Wedding Toasts
Cake cutting
Bouquet toss / Garter toss
Dancing
Capture the Real Wedding Moments
Hatfield Farm Wedding for Rae & Kasey
Your photographer won't miss a single moment to photograph your wedding reception. All the candid shots of you and your partner, the parents taking pictures of their own while crying, grandma and grandpa holding hands, your crazy friends being totally themselves, and yes all those epic dance moves you both love.
These are all the real moments of your wedding. Your wedding is certainly a day of happiness, love, and fun, and you will be able to tell this just by looking at your wedding photos in the months and years to come.
Put your trust in your wedding photographer. This is what they do best. From the latest in camera gear, to batteries, memory cards, and LED lights, they have it covered! They often get to the wedding ceremony and reception early, so don't be surprised to see them all setup when you arrive.
Enjoy yourself and leave the pictures to the professional photographers out there. Photographing weddings can be a really rewarding and fun experience for a photographer. By day’s end, it will feel like the photographer is now a part of the wedding party, the family. A very rewarding experience at the end of a very long day :)
Book Hatfield Farm: For further information in planning your special day with Hatfield Farm, call (902) 835-5676 | www.hatfieldfarm.ca
Book Wedding Photography in Halifax: Anka Goold Photography Halifax NS | 902-880-5458 | www.ankagooldphotography.com (Specializing in wedding photography, engagement photography, and elopement photography)