In the rolling hills of Hamden CT, you’ll find Smith Farm Gardens, one of our favorite CT wedding venues. Smith Farm weddings are such a unique experience — there aren’t many quintessential New England garden wedding venues like this one. The venue comes with a sailcloth tent and can be rented for the day or the weekend.
Most wedding venues in CT offer country clubs, banquet halls, and grand ballrooms for dance floors and ceremonies. Instead, this stunning property offers a sailcloth tent and beautiful gardens for your ceremony and reception. With stunning views of iconic stone walls and the Connecticut River, this award-winning wedding venue is perfect for an outdoor ceremony and wedding receptions.
The outdoor spaces can hold up to 200 guests or 300 guests dependent on which direction you go. The venue is a short drive from New York City and offers onsight accommodations for your closest of close. With close proximity to New Haven, there are plenty of hotels in the area for all of your guests.
A unique property in Hamden CT, welcome your guests to a one-of-a-kind experience outside of the city. Centrally located to many major hotels and airports, a short drive from an Amtrak station, Hamden CT is perfect for a destination wedding or for guests that are coming from all over. Close by you’ll find Getaway Cabins in Moodus CT, the Inn at Middletown in Middletown CT, and more.
The Ins and Outs of Garden Weddings at Smith Farm Gardens
With the gorgeous property and sailcloth tent, Smith Farm Gardens offers a beautiful blank slate that doesn’t really need anything at all. If you want to make the wedding truly your own companies like Peak, and Ryan Designs can bring in the perfect rentals and decor items. The 5,000 square foot historic 1778 farmhouse includes accommodations for up to 11 and a getting-ready suite for the couple.
For micro weddings or weekday elopements, the property can offer an indoor wedding ceremony and reception for up to 50 guests. This wedding venue in central Connecticut also provides for farmhouse table and chair rentals, and custom outdoor restroom facilities.
Although Smith Farm offers a list of preferred vendors, they do allow outside vendors, including catering. There are fire pits for smores, a vintage Chevy truck, and the property is available for your rehearsal dinner or other weekend-long events.
On property, you’ll find a 150-year-old Sycamore tree, a butterfly garden, a creek trail, wood lot, organic garden, and an orchard all perfect for photos, and spending time with guests. The property is an oasis, and natural playground for your wedding guests.
Timeline Options for Smith Farm Garden Weddings
We’ve put together a few timeline options for your wedding at Smith Garden Farms. We’ve together an option with a first look, getting ready together and not seeing each other at all before the ceremony.
Getting Ready Together
This option is rarely talked about but y’all — you CAN get ready together. The value, to me, is there — most wedding days you don’t get to see your person until what 4PM? The day is almost done! Getting ready together offers an opportunity to spend more quality time together as you prepare for your wedding day. Snag coffee and take a walk around the property before helping each other get ready for your wedding day.
10-2PM Getting Ready together; take the last half hour for reveals with family and wedding party members.
2-2:30PM Couples Photos
2:30PM – 3:30PM Family + Wedding Party Portraits
4PM Ceremony
4:30PM Cocktail Hour Start; Golden Hour couples photos for 10-5 minutes.
5:30PM End Cocktail Hour
5:30PM Start Introductions
5:45PM First Dance, followed by parent dances
6PM Dinner Served, Speeches during dinner
7PM Sunset photos, cake cutting after
7:30PM Dancing starts
10PM Last Dance/Exit
First Look
First looks have become quite the rage — and rightfully so. Having an intimate moment to first see each other gives you the opportunity to share your thought and emotions before the wedding ceremony. When you go to see each other, if you’re anxious that it’ll impact your walk down the aisle, take your suit jacket or your veil off — or wear different shoes, don’t bring your bouquet, etc. Find ways to look just a little bit different.
10-1:30PM Getting Ready; take the last half hour for reveals with family and wedding party members.
1:30-2PM First Look
2-2:30PM Couples Photos
2:30PM – 3:30PM Family + Wedding Party Portraits
4PM Ceremony
4:30PM Cocktail Hour Start; Golden Hour couples photos for 10-5 minutes.
5:30PM End Cocktail Hour
5:30PM Start Introductions
5:45PM First Dance, followed by parent dances
6PM Dinner Served, Speeches during dinner
7PM Sunset photos, cake cutting after
7:30PM Dancing starts
10PM Last Dance/Exit
Not Seeing Each Other Before the Wedding
If traditional is in your blood, go for it. Your wedding day can be whatever you want it to. If this is the direct you’re going though, make sure to budget some time for just the two of you, whether that be during the last few minutes of the cocktail hour, or sneak out during the wedding reception to chitchat somewhere private.
10-2PM Getting Ready; take the last half hour for reveals with family and wedding party members.
2-2:20PM Wedding Party Photos with one party
2:20PM-2:40PM Family photos with one party
2:40-3PM Wedding Party Photos with one party
3-3:20PM Family photos with one party
4PM Ceremony
4:30PM Cocktail Hour Start
4:30-4:45PM Wedding Party altogether photos
4:45PM-5PM Family altogether photos
5-5:15PM Couples photos
5:30PM End Cocktail Hour
5:30PM Start Introductions
5:45PM First Dance, followed by parent dances
6PM Dinner Served, Speeches during dinner
7PM Sunset photos, cake cutting after
7:30PM Dancing starts
10PM Last Dance/Exit
Connecticut Wedding Vendors for a Smith Farm Wedding
The venue offers a preferred vendor list that’s pretty rock solid. I wanted to give another few suggestions that we absolutely love working with.
Favorite CT Area Wedding Planners: Madden Made, Northup Events, Unique Melody Events
Although I haven’t worked with two-thirds of this list yet, I’m super psyched to be working with Kay this year, and hopefully, Madden Made either this or next year. All three are thoughtful planners and focus on listening to what clients want and using their experience and skills to match.
CT Wedding Hair and Makeup Artists: Resurge Beauty, Makeup by Jenna, Transcendent Makeup
Probably my favorite part of working with all three hair and makeup artists is that they have finished hair and makeup early every time we’ve worked together. In doing so, it’s made my life so super easy and provided for a rad break before taking folks down to see their partner or head off for portraits.
Top CT Wedding DJs and Bands: Silver Arrow Band, DJ Dan Moran, Luke Renchan Events
Probably have never partied harder in my life than with any of these three: Silver Arrow Band had a newlywed doing splits on the dance floor. DJ Dan turned a terminally ill newlywed’s favorite TV show theme songs into beautiful instrumental cocktail hour music. Luke has turned empty dance floors into ragers in seconds.
Best CT Wedding Attire Shops: Lovebird Bridal, Bindle and Keep, The Tailory
I was a little specific about these three. All three are inclusive and can offer a custom experience. Lovebird is in Mystic CT and while she offers traditional wedding gowns, Lovebird also has her own line and offers sustainable custom wedding gowns.
Bindle and Keep has a shop in NYC and offers custom suits for LGBTQ+ folks. Their breadth of fabrics and attention to offering a positive experience makes them a favorite place to go for suits. You’ll also find the Tailory in NYC — a custom suit option for folks looking for a different experience from Men’s Warehouse.
Other Top Wedding Venues in Connecticut
If you loved getting to know Smith Farm Gardens, here are a few more wedding venues in Connecticut worth checking out:
Saltwater Farm Vineyard
A beautiful vineyard wedding venue just outside Stonington CT. The vineyard offers weddings year round, indoors and outside, with a getting-ready space onsite.
Wadsworth Mansion
In Middletown CT, you’ll find Wadsworth Mansion, an estate wedding venue. A historic property with options for indoor or outdoor wedding ceremonies and receptions.
Society Room of Hartford
A historic wedding venue in Hartford CT, the estate offers in-house catering and indoor wedding ceremonies year-round. This wedding venue is located in the heart of Hartford, close to many hotels, airports, and train stations.
Lord Thompson Manor
In Killingly, you’ll find Lord Thompson Manor. A historic property with an English garden, the venue offers year-round accommodations, and indoor/outdoor ceremonies and receptions.
If you enjoyed getting to know Smith Farm Gardens check out some of the other wedding venues in Connecticut that we love by clicking here.
