Some places have a way of capturing your imagination and staying with you. For us, Hardy Farm has always been one of those places. And for nearly 25 years, we’ve felt a special connection between our historic Maine property and the beloved world of Anne of Green Gables.
When we purchased Hardy Farm in 2002, becoming only the second owners outside the original Hardy family, we were immediately drawn to the romantic character of the old farmhouse, barn, gardens, and surrounding woodlands. There was something about the property that reminded us of the setting Lucy Maud Montgomery so beautifully described in her Anne of Green Gables novels—a certain simplicity, charm, and timeless New England feeling.
That connection inspired us years ago to host a beautiful Anne of Green Gables wedding-themed photo shoot at Hardy Farm. The result was a celebration of simple elegance, with vintage details, romantic florals, delicate lace, and a setting that felt as though Anne Shirley herself might have wandered through the gardens. We shared those images in our 2017 blog, Simple Elegance: Anne of Green Gables Wedding Inspiration, and the story has remained one of our favorites.
This summer, that longtime connection became even more meaningful.
Three generations of our family set off on a Canadian adventure to Prince Edward Island, where we visited Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish—the historic setting that inspired Montgomery’s beloved stories. Having imagined this place for so many years, we were excited to finally experience it firsthand.
And what a wonderful surprise to discover just how much it reminded us of Hardy Farm!
The historic farmhouse, the gardens, the wooded paths, and the peaceful beauty of the surrounding landscape all felt remarkably familiar. We explored the inspirations for the Haunted Wood and Lover’s Lane, including the wooden boardwalk, and couldn’t help drawing comparisons to the natural beauty and quiet corners of our own property in western Maine.
Our literary journey continued to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we had the special opportunity to stay in the very home where Lucy Maud Montgomery lived during her year at Dalhousie University. It was another lovely connection to an author whose stories have meant so much to generations of readers.
Returning home, we found ourselves looking at Hardy Farm with a renewed appreciation for the very things that first drew us here—the history, the gardens, the woodlands, and the feeling that this is a place where memories are meant to be made.
Since opening Hardy Farm as a wedding venue in 2013, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming nearly 450 couples, along with their families and friends, to celebrate here. Every wedding has been different, yet the same sense of romance, natural beauty, and togetherness that inspired us all those years ago remains at the heart of the Hardy Farm experience.
Our visit to Prince Edward Island was a wonderful reminder that sometimes the places we dream about are not so different from the places we already love.
And perhaps that’s a little of the magic of Hardy Farm.
A Look Back: Revisit our original Anne of Green Gables-inspired wedding shoot at Hardy Farm, featuring romantic florals, vintage styling, and photography by Rodeo & Co.
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