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Havre de Grace Wedding Venues

Swan Harbor Farms

Historic Waterfront Wedding Venue
4.6 out of 5 stars and 40 reviews
·
Havre De Grace, MD
Holds ceremonies and receptions
4.6
Praised by couples for:
Amenities
Guests comfort
Unique aesthetic style
Swan Harbor Farm has everything you need for the wedding day of your dreams! Special shoutout to Brieanna, who has been helping us every step of the way. Selecting a venue can either feel daunting or like the beginning of your special day, and Brieanna goes the extra mile to make sure that it’s the latter. Every aspect of communication and planning so far has felt seamless, exciting, and filled with good energy. Can’t wait for our 2028 wedding!
Alexa V.
5.0
We could not image a more perfect setting for our garden wedding than Swan Harbor Farm! From the moment we toured the property, we fell in love with the sprawling and perfectly manicured lawn and breathtaking view of the Chesapeake Bay. The historic manor house provided a wonderful, vintage charm for our cocktail hour and the reception tent with its chandelier lighting was completely magical. A massive thank you to Diane and Brieanna and the onsite team-they were incredibly responsive, kind and helpful throughout the entire planning process. Highly recommend this venue to any couple looking for a magical garden or waterfront wedding.
Kildia S.
5.0

About this venue

Vendor
Brieanna Simpson
VENUE COORDINATOR
Typically responds within 24h
Swan Harbor Farms is a beautiful waterfront wedding venue in historic Havre de Grace, MD. Owned and operated by the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation, it offers a breathtaking backdrop for romantic weddings in nature.  Swan Harbor Farms is set on 531 acres of land against the serenity of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. Offering indoor and outdoor celebration spaces, it boasts a long, proud history dating back to the 1700s. Several generations of the Giles family owned the farm until it was purchased by John Adlum in 1797. Adlum pioneered wine-making in Maryland, and in 1809, he sent a bottle of his fine burgundy to his friend Thomas Jefferson. Thoroughly impressed, Jefferson ordered 165 cuttings of Adlum’s vines to be planted at Monticello. The house itself has undergone several periods of growth and restorations. The property changed hands many times in the mid-1900s and was finally purchased by Harford County in 1994 as part of the State of Maryland’s Program Open Space.  The venue welcomes both indoor and outdoor celebrations within its spacious grounds. The charmingly restored 1740s farmhouse accommodates up to 125 guests, with an attached patio ideal for hosting lively cocktail receptions. Larger events are hosted within Swan Harbor Farms’ outdoor tent. Up to 250 guests are welcome to celebrate here. The tent has a stage, a dance floor, and entertainment facilities. Couples are invited to seal their love on the grounds, making use of the manicured lawns, gazebo, and 300-foot fishing pier for their wedding ceremony. The beautiful property provides plenty of stunning photo opportunities within the historic farmhouse and throughout the immaculately kept gardens. The Swan Harbor team offers couples and their photographers a golf cart ride to the waterfront, ensuring the perfect backdrop for their wedding portraits. The venue welcomes external catering and suppliers, allowing you to choose the services that best suit the theme and style of your day. On-site staff will oversee your event from start to finish, ensuring each portion of the celebration is perfectly executed. What You'll Love About Swan Harbor Farms Past clients have described this venue as a hidden gem, tucked away in the tranquil countryside, perfect for romantic garden celebrations. The expert events team makes the wedding planning process easy and enjoyable, taking care of all the details to ensure a delightful day. Read through the venue's reviews to learn more about its wedding services.
19+ years in business
Speaks English
Small team (2-10 members)
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Barn
Farm & Ranch
Beach
Waterfront
Garden
Historic Venue
Park
Tented
Venue Service Offerings
Rentals & Equipment
Service Staff
Circle Message
Any questions?
Meet the team
  • Vendor
    Brieanna Simpson
    Venue Coordinator
    Having worked weddings and events for 12 years, from serving and bartending to coordinating and management, I have found a deep appreciation for people and a passion for making life-long memories - and I look forward to helping you make yours!
Reviews
4.6
out of 5.0
40 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review photos
AvatarK
Highlighted review.
5/28/2026
We could not image a more perfect setting for our garden wedding than Swan Harbor Farm! From the moment we toured the property, we fell in love with the sprawling and perfectly ma...
nicured lawn and breathtaking view of the Chesapeake Bay. The historic manor house provided a wonderful, vintage charm for our cocktail hour and the reception tent with its chandelier lighting was completely magical. A massive thank you to Diane and Brieanna and the onsite team-they were incredibly responsive, kind and helpful throughout the entire planning process. Highly recommend this venue to any couple looking for a magical garden or waterfront wedding.
Response from Swan Harbor Farms on 05/28/2026
Kildia, it was a pleasure to work with you, and I am so glad you went for the Timberlane p...
hotos! Congratulations, and we wish you the absolute best in your future together - come back and see us sometime!
AvatarA
9/09/2026
Swan Harbor Farm has everything you need for the wedding day of your dreams! Special shoutout to Brieanna, who has been helping us every step of the way. Selecting a venue can eith...
er feel daunting or like the beginning of your special day, and Brieanna goes the extra mile to make sure that it’s the latter. Every aspect of communication and planning so far has felt seamless, exciting, and filled with good energy. Can’t wait for our 2028 wedding!
Circle Message
Any questions?
AvatarA
6/08/2024
Swan Harbor Farm is a hidden gem for those brides looking for a beautiful, tucked away wedding venue in MD. The pictures do not do this venue justice. It was the perfect setting fo...
r our garden, floral themed wedding. I will say make sure to reach out about a rehearsal when leaving your deposit. We were not informed they must be scheduled separately and by the time we realized it, we could not schedule a rehearsal for the day before. However, they did adjust our timeline to allow us to rehearse before our set up time began on the day of the wedding. All in all, the team was fantastic. They were so friendly and helpful throughout our event.
AvatarR
7/22/2023
This venue was absolutely beautiful place for my husband and I to get married. They had everything that checked all of our boxes plus some, including a house with air conditioning,...
spacious tent, water views, willow trees, a gazebo, a pineapple fountain, and a patio area in the back. Since they are owned by the county they had some rules that most wedding venues didn't have such as no flower petals for the flower girl to drop (real or fake) or no sparklers for send off. There were also 2 things on my wedding day that irked me, which was the fact that there were millions of gnats in the grass both out front and in the back which made picture taking difficult and the guests had to sit and deal with them during our ceremony since the chairs were in the grass. The second thing is that the staff kept turning on the lights in the tent for our events like the bouquet toss, and the garter removal, but they would leave before it finished and I had to have someone hunt them down to turn them back off again since no one wants to dance with the lights turned all the way up. Teri was very easy to work with though and always replied to emails in a timely manner and was very nice.
AvatarK
5/30/2023
Beautiful venue! Terri and Diane are so great to work with! Being able to get ready on-site in the farmhouse and having the ceremony and reception all in one location was amazing.
AvatarG
5/05/2023
Terri and Diane at Swan Harbor helped make the planning process so easy! The views for our wedding were spectacular, from the house to the pier, the willow trees, and the reception...
tent. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to get married. The day-of staff were incredibly helpful with changes needing to be made to the tent and offering the golf cart for pictures. They are highly recommended!
Response from Swan Harbor Farms on 05/05/2023
Thank you so much! It was a pleasure working with you! Wishing both of you all the best ...
in your future together!
AvatarM
5/09/2022
My husband and I found Swan Harbor Farm through one of his coworkers who had gotten married there a few years prior, and we immediately fell in love! The venue was exactly what I ...
was looking for--outdoor ceremony, water views, beautiful landscaping, tented reception, etc. The property is owned by Harford county, which is probably the only drawback, as scheduling tours and other visits can be a little difficult as hours are 9-5 Mon-Fri. However, Terri and Diane , were extremely responsive and helpful in finding us times to view the property and answering any questions throughout the planning process. We received SO many compliments from our guests on just how "perfect" the venue was, some even saying it was the nicest they've ever been to! And everyone took advantage of snagging some new profile pictures down by the water :) Although the property is public, we did not have any issues with any "wedding crashers" and the staff that were on-site on our wedding day were so sweet and helpful (even when not one, but 2 of the toilets got clogged). The only thing that Swan Harbor should change is to market themselves more! This venue is so lovely and I am not sure I would have found it without the referral. I hope this review helps!
AvatarS
11/03/2020
Swan Harbor was excellent. Very accomodating and breathtaking views. All of our guests and vendors enjoyed this venue. We had 126 people and it was beautiful! Highly recommend!
AvatarM
6/03/2019
We hosted our Anniversary Celebration at Swan Harbor Farm. We worked with Teri there and she was great, very knowledgeable about the venue and easy to work with. Swan Harbor has ...
a gorgeous setting with water views and was the perfect venue for our garden party theme! We would love to host future events there!
AvatarE
11/06/2018
My husband and I knew we wanted to have our wedding somewhere in Havre De Grace since it was a happy medium for both of our families and friends. When we went for our walk thru, to...
our surprise we discovered that my husband’s grandparents were the caretakers of the house in the eighties. The house is very nice and has vintage charm (which I loved), includes views of the Susquehanna (perfect for pictures and ceremony) and the tent for the reception was just enough for our simple yet elegant reception. Due to the sentimental value that this location held as well as its gorgeous landscape, we knew it was the perfect fit for our special day. Terri as well as the other staff were very friendly and kept us in the loop throughout the whole year of planning. Since we decided on a Friday date, the cost of the venue was much lower than expected. They do have very strict rules regarding the dos and don’ts and during our wedding, the staff helpers were hard to locate. We received many compliments about this beautiful gem in HARCO.
AvatarR
7/19/2018
Swan Harbor Farm is an incredibly beautiful venue. We wanted to be outside and near the water. They literally have everything: a cute/old farm house for cocktail hour, a gorgeous...
outdoor tent with a great stone patio floor, a cute pineapple fountain and hedge garden, lawn space, and a beautiful walk down to the water. Everyone was amazed with the space and complimented the venue. Due to being a Harford County property, there are so rules/regulation about what you can/cannot use or have. Some of the scheduling and coordination with rentals and Swan Harbor was frustrating. But overall, neither of these things impacted our day! Even with the rules and regulations the Swan Harbor staff ended up being quite flexible. I highly recommend Swan Harbor because it is a beyond beautiful venue!
AvatarS
6/23/2018
Beautiful venue!!!! The staff was great and easy to work with. I definitely would recommend this venue to anyone looking to have their reception right by the water. All of the open...
space also allows your guests to spread out as much as they want. Enjoy!
AvatarL
9/19/2017
I recently had my wedding reception at Swan Harbor Farm this past August and did not have a good experience with the staff and venue. They had a strict contract which they did not ...
even follow on their end and lied to myself and family several times leading up to the wedding day. There was a strict time on what time the caterers could arrive/enter the property and it was a complete mess when they arrived. There were tree branches and leaves all over the walkways and entire property with grass clippings everywhere. They did not clean up the property as contracted prior to my wedding and I was lucky enough to have the BEST caterers do the venues job as well as their own. They had to clean the entire place to make it look presentable before even beginning to set up (not to mention the small timeline they had to do this). The staff at the property STILL continued to be incredibly rude throughout the entire night to the caterers to the point that they will never cater an event at this property again. The caterer is highly reputable and refuses to ever go to that location again. Aside from being extremely rude, the staff was nowhere to be found when they were needed that night. This night would have been very different if it weren't for our caterers and this venue is at a huge loss without having them as an option. It is a pretty location but there are plenty of other great locations that will not have the problems that are associated with this venue.
AvatarT
9/09/2017
Beautiful location.. attended a wedding of our best friends and loved the location. The caterers were great, entertainment and setting, however the onsite staff were not friendly s...
orta rude and hard to find when needed. But all and all it was the perfect venue and outdoor feel matched the Hawaiian themed wedding.
AvatarM
7/01/2017
The venue is so beautiful! It's by the water, they maintain the upkeep of the flowers so they're always in bloom, the tent has been updated with chandeliers and draping inside.
AvatarA
5/02/2017
Even in the rain it was a beautiful location. The staff was prepared for everything and took care of us all day. If I had to do it over, I would definitely book here again.
AvatarR
10/17/2016
Beautiful experience. I am the Father of the Bride. The staff made this an overall wonderful experience for my Daughter...her new husband and all our guests. Harford County should ...
be proud of such a wonderful wedding venue on the waters edge of Havre de Grace.
AvatarJ
6/18/2014
The location was absolutely gorgeous!! We were blessed with perfect weather and everyone raved about how beautiful it was. Karen was wonderful to work with. They do have a lot of...
rules but all in all, totally worth it!
AvatarM
5/26/2014
Swan Harbor is beautiful with its lush gardens, long brick walkway, and breathtaking view of the water. My son and his wife could not have asked for a prettier day or location for...
their wedding. The wedding was just as the bride envisioned with the guest meandering to the water, or playing outdoor Corn Hole, or enjoying drinks while sitting on benches or standing around a tall table. Just perfect!!!! Susan and Allen Klaschus, parents of the groom
AvatarT
10/16/2013
I loved Swan Harbor. The people are easy to work with and very helpful. It is a great place to get married if you love the outside feel. There is a breathtaking view. There are als...
o options available if it rains.
AvatarG
9/16/2013
Highly recommend using Swan Harbor for any wedding or event.
AvatarS
6/14/2013
this is a beautiful venue... unfortunately the staff was not as nice. My mother walked in on the on site staff refering to me (the bride) as "stupid", she was overheard making fun ...
of my family and friends, and told the mother of the groom that she belonged in the back because she assumed that because she was of spanish decent that she was "the help" Asside from the horrible treatment by the staff the location really is beautiful and we got some fabulous photos. everyone said that it was one of the most beautiful weddings they had ever been to.
AvatarL
6/10/2013
Beautiful scenery and such a great staff to work with
AvatarS
5/23/2013
I had always dreamed of having my wedding at Swan Harbor, and it was perfect! My guests raved over the beauty of our wedding and I could not have asked for better weather or a bet...
ter day. My only concern is that there is not a site person available for the rehearsal and since I live out of state and could not make the walk-through, I was left to hope other people knew where everything should go. But the service the day of was exceptional and I would definitely recommend this site to anyone looking to get married on the water!
AvatarJ
9/04/2012
For anyone looking for a great casual venue for a wedding or reception, I wholeheartedly recommend Swan Harbor Farms in Havre de Grace, MD. My son and his new wife were married in...
a destination wedding in Hawaii (fabulous), and my husband and I threw them a reception/picnic at Swan Harbor Farms upon their return. What a gorgeous place! My guests raved about the location and facilities from the lovely old mansion to the breathtaking grounds and nice tent area. Everything is well run and beautifully maintained, and the staff are very helpful- thanks Karen and Amanda! This is a great facility, I was especially thankful for the all- weather tent when a vigourous storm rolled through! What a great place for a picnic!
AvatarN
7/05/2012
Swan Harbor was amazing! The staff was great, everything looked fantastic, we couldn't be happier!
AvatarL
6/21/2012
The house and the grounds of Swan Harbor are beautiful! We got married May 19, 2012 and had absolutely perfect weather! Karen Tegges helps coordinate everything leading up to the...
day and is very knowledgable and helpful. I highly recommend this venue.
AvatarI
6/14/2012
Swan Harbor was great to work with. They had everything set up and helped the day go very smoothly. you are paying for the scenery though; it is a beautiful location for a beauti...
ful day but I think that it is a little overpriced for what you get...considering that you pay separately for the caterer, DJ, Flowers, cake, etc.
AvatarB
6/13/2012
Our wedding at Swan Harbor Farm was absolutely beautiful - the best day of my life. It was a gorgeous day in late April 2012 - the flowers and scenery are just so beautiful and we...
had so many friends and family that our wedding was one of the most beautiful they had ever attended. We did get married at a church and then arrived at Swan Harbor which worked great - I think it might be more work for the catering staff to do it all there. It is also a bit pricey for it being a county park - but I cannot imagine having my wedding anywhere else. The farm-garden-bay location is beautiful and our pictures turned out amazing. Would definitely recommend it!
AvatarA
5/31/2012
The venue was amazing! It was overcast right before the ceremony began, and it was still beautiful. The coordinator with Swan Harbor was very professional and helpful to deal with...
, even though the workers at the event were a little rude before they knew we were the wedding party.
AvatarS
10/19/2011
Swan Harbor Farm is beautiful, organized, friendly, and very accommodating. They are located in Havre de Grace, MD, overlooking the water, and have sweeping lawns and a tent set u...
p for dining and dancing. The historic house has a charming place to get ready for the bridal party, and they really do think of everything. They were a pleasure to work with and I'm so glad we decided to get married there!
AvatarS
6/21/2011
My husband and I could not have been happier with Swan Harbor Farm! We had the best experience there. Everyone there is wonderful to work with and made the entire process so easy...
for us. The venue is absolutely beautiful and I highly recommend Swan Harbor to future brides! You will not be disappointed!
AvatarA
10/21/2010
Swan Harbor has a beautiful location on the Chesapeake Bay along with a huge lawn and beautiful garden. With a bonus historical home with a kitchen perfect for caterers. Karen tr...
ied her best working with us, but left a little to be desired. Also, day of...I was told the golf cart would be for anyone we needed - grandparents but when my 8 month prego MOH needed it she was told NO. We were SHOCKED. There were also fruit flies in the bathrooms....like a swarm....But once you are outside in the lawn...wow. We also didn't appreciate the grounds crew lingering by the bar watching our event...that was a little creepy.
AvatarK
10/05/2010
Swan Harbor is a beautiful place for a wedding and reception outside next to the bay. we got many compliments on the venue, & Karen the manager was great to work with!
AvatarM
8/21/2010
Wonderful location with friendly staff! Would highly recommend
AvatarM
5/10/2010
Swan Harbor Farm is situated on over 100 acres of peaceful fields, woods, and gardens along the Chesapeake Bay. A lovely water-side gazebo made for beautiful pictures. A stone path...
leading down to the pier was a favorite for guests. The landscaped flowers were vivid and the fountain was quaint. The semi-permanent tented reception area was lit with chandeliers and there was ample space to seat all our guests plus room for dancing. The bridal party enjoyed private suites to get ready in the air-conditioned farm house, complete with separate restrooms. This was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL place for our wedding and we loved every breath-taking moment of our big day.;We really wanted to use sparklers for our send-off, but there are many restrictions about sparklers, rice, etc. so we couldn't. Similiarly, our flower girls were not permitted to toss flower petals down the aisle outside. As far as decor goes, we were only allowed to hang lights and lanterns around the perimeter of the tent -- nothing could be strung along the inside of the tent. Also, any caterer you choose should be prepared for a laundry list of tasks they must do, including setting up all ceremony chairs. After the ceremony, they have to quickly move the same chairs over to the reception area and break all tables/chairs down at the conclusion of the reception. If you are concerned about prep time or clean-up time, be fore-warned that time frames are strict and you will need to purchase any extra time you require. (We purchased two additional hours.) Overall, none of these restrictions were difficult to work around, but the wise couple will want to be aware.
AvatarC
5/10/2010
The scenery was unbelievably beautiful whether spring, summer or fall. We loved the convenience of just walking to the tent for our reception after our ceremony overlooking the Che...
sapeake Bay.
AvatarB
5/10/2010
The house and grounds was beautiful and wonderful. We had our wedding exactly the way we wanted it.;The site cordinator for pre-wedding scheduling was fantastic but the staff that...
was actually there the day of could have been more accomidating (or not there at all during the reception).
AvatarH
5/10/2010
It was beautiful and it fit mine and my husbands personality more than any other place we looked. It had a relaxed feel. The place is so big that they offer a golf cart ride to t...
he water so that you can quickly get some pictures. They added a gazebo by the time we got married. That gazebo is where my favorite picture from our wedding was taken. You can tailor make your wedding the way you want it. It's great. I still hear from everyone about how beautiful our wedding was.;This place is a public park. That may make you rethink it but I'm telling you that I never noticed anyone beside my husband and our guests. And a perk with that is that you can go back as often as you want to reminse. Were having our first anniversary in a couple weeks and we plan to go back and have a picnic.
AvatarA
8/27/2007
Swan Harbor is beautiful, and beautifully maintained. There was a nice view of the water, and my guests walked down the winding pathway to the cedar gazebo by the water. The house ...
itself is very charming and the flowers and plantings were gorgeous.;In the case of rain a large wedding will be accomodated under the tent, the house itself would not be large enough to hold 150 guests in one area.

Service area & Contact info

401 Oakington Rd, Havre De Grace, MD
401 Oakington Rd, Havre De Grace, MD
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meet the owner
Swan Harbor Farms
Brieanna Simpson
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Venue Coordinator
Typically responds within 24h
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