Weddingbee Blog

The search for a reception venue was frustrating, to say the least. Looking back on it, I spent a week or so sending out emails and looking through magazines. I narrowed it down to a few sites around locations we were interested in, but nothing that suited us seemed to fit in our budget. And then one Sunday morning I picked up a magazine and thought to myself, “I’ve got some time to kill. Might as well look through this thing before I toss it.” And that’s how I stumbled across this venue.

Meet Saltwater Farm Vineyard:

View of the exterior

View of the vines in winter

Wine display in the entryway

Fermenting tanks in the main room

View of the second-floor balcony (You can the exposed wood that was left intact from the airplane hangar.)

I had to visit this place. One weekend when Mr. Marmalade was home for a visit, we got up early and drove two hours from home to take a look for ourselves. We were floored by the beautiful site; it was peaceful, the views were just stunning, and the building was a gorgeous balance of vintage and modern.

In their words:

Saltwater Farm Vineyard is set on more than 100 panoramic acres - 15 of which are planted with six varieties of grapes, and bordered by tidal marshes, a cove and vistas of Long Island Sound, near the historic New England coastal village of Stonington, Connecticut. The centerpiece of the bucolic property, which has a small private airport dating to the late 1930s, is a World War II - vintage hangar, designed by the late architect John W. Lincoln, a colleague of Walter Gropius. The hangar, opening onto terraces and the vineyard, has been preserved and converted into a winery. The seamlessly renovated building showcases a vaulting roof, silvery milled aluminum exterior, the original interior wood sheathing and, dominating the airy room and gathering places, handsome and massive timber trusses. - From the Saltwater Farm Vineyard site.

Perfection. For a wine geek who grew up in coastal Connecticut, a seaside vineyard is a dream! Add the history of the airplane hangar and we were both sold.

We were so happy to meet with the owners of Saltwater Farm. They were so kind and warm. They are wonderful, friendly, down-to-earth people. We were so excited to work with them! (I believe the first thing I said to Mr. M when I saw them was, “Oh my gosh, they’re so cool!”) Working with them was by far the easiest decision I had made about anything related to our wedding, up to that point.

We put down a deposit and started planning an intimate, semi-destination wedding at a seaside vineyard. But it wasn’t meant to be. (It still hurts to look at these images.)

Did you find a dream venue? Was it just a dream, or did it become a reality?

**All photos of Saltwater Farm Vineyard are my personal photos.