"There's a beautiful full moon rising Above the mansion on the hill" (Bruce Springsteen) We just came back from a wedding at this gorgeous mansion. It was built during the Roaring Twenties and its magnificence sure reminded me of the mansions I've seen in Newport, RI. There is a grand foyer at the main entrance where you'll see a gorgeous chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There is Italian marble flooring, oak and mahogany wood trim everywhere, artwork on the walls and on the furniture, a music room with a piano, and six bedrooms, There are gardens, a reflecting pool, even a gazebo, so the photo opportunities are endless. We started with a cocktail hour under a tent and enjoyed fruit and crudities and then passed hors d'oeuvres, such as Caprese skewers, goat cheese and honey filled strawberries, shrimp and more. The cocktail hour continued as we moved inside and even more hors d'oeuvres came parading out of the kitchen. Dinner was served in the Fountain View Room - its big enough to hold 275 guests in a sit-down dinner and their dance floor is 750 square feet big! The food was excellent, and so was the ice cream bar that offered every known accompaniment under the sun. The Harding Allen Estate is a great venue with a great staff, great food, and great everything. read more

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I loved getting married at this venue. It was everything I dreamed of and more! To start this is a family owned business. Jasmine and Suzy are so kind and make you feel right at home. On our wedding day they really tended to our every need. This venue really goes above and beyond. They offer so much more than other venues. When booking your wedding you also have the option to rent out rooms at the estate. The estate also has a bridal party hair and makeup house (called the rose cottage). At the estate it is set up with a grooms man wing and a bridal wing with the Spanish room meeting at the center. So you and your bridesmaids get ready at the rose cottage and then head over to the garden room in the bridal wing. This room has glass windows that can overlook when your guests arrive for your ceremony. I love it! Jasmine allowed us an early checking for hair and makeup at the rose cottage and from the second we arrived she was on it! Bringing up fruit plates and wine/champagne (which you order in advance but it is reasonable). This alone was so nice. No need to get ready at a hotel and shuttle the wedding party over. I brought quite a bit of decorations and the Harding Allen Estate team did a fantastic job at setting this all up, this included my own plates and cups which they washed and repackage. I was shocked to find all my decorations were wrapped the exact way I brought them. There was so much attention to detail. We also had a few food allergies and they were able to accommodate for both the wedding and the rehearsal dinner, and it was delicious! We used the in house catering because we had a smaller wedding. This is truly a family run establishment, some of the people on staff who weren't related to Jasmine and Suzy were also related. It truly felt like a family, the staff was so kind and respectful. For the wedding we used DJ fusion who has done many weddings at the Estate and he did a great job. For photographer we used Amanda Adams Photography (the pictures attached to this review are screen shots from our wedding video, just a family member with a camera. Amanda shot one of them which is pretty easy to tell which one). Jasmine does a fantastic job and two weeks before your wedding you're really a priority for her and she does respond pretty quickly but if its prior to 2 weeks before your wedding you may have to wait for a response. Honestly getting married at the Harding Allen Estate was the best decision we made. It was such a dream. I think this is going to be one of the top wedding venues in New England, especially with all the extras you get (bridal hair and makeup area, after party for you and the guests staying at the venue, vintage car, beautiful separate cocktail, ceremony and reception areas, the gardens, the breakfast the next morning). I highly recommend this venue. read more

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A family member had a wedding there over the weekend. I was so disappointed with how it was run . The drinks in the tent out side were over priced a beer was 10.00. :( Then you go inside and they were 6.00. We were supposed to eat at 7:30 and did not get our COLD dinner till 930pm. Then they had the balls to charge them extra for more time because they don't have there Sh$& together.. so bottom line is I would NEVER book another event with them VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS VENUE !!!! read more

We recently had my daughters wedding here. Thanks to Susie and Jasmine, it was truly a day we will never forget. From planning to the end of the reception, things could not have gone any smoother. Additionally, the Harding Allen Estate is absolutely beautiful. It being my first born's wedding, it was very stressful and the mother and daughter duo could not have been more kind, accommodating, and helpful! I can not say enough great things about this venue! read more

I strongly recommend NOT having your wedding at the Harding Allen Estate. We waited over an hour for our meals to be served after receiving salads. And then it was cold. Not room temp, but actually Cold. When we asked for more rolls (during our forever wait for main course) we were told No! Mind Blown!!! We were grossly overcharged for drinks during cocktail hour. They didn't do anything to try and compensate the bride and groom. Thankfully the band was Amazing. They truly saved the night. Do yourself a favor, get married somewhere else, anywhere else! read more

While it looked promising for a wedding venue the woman I worked with was pretty unprofessional. Texting me at 9pm while I was already in bed, making commitments and doing everything over text instead of a phone call was so strange and I didn't care for it. Also before our tour we got a message saying we were meeting someone completely different and they were running late. Not an apology just as they put it an "fyi". So we turned around and decided we did not feel comfortable with that kind of arrangement. read more

As the parents of the bride we were very impressed with pretty much every aspect of our daughter's wedding. Jasmine, her family, and everyone involved in the coordination, preparation and fulfillment of the tasks and events involved in the ceremony and reception were extremely pleasant and accommodating. The venue was clean, well kept, and had the ambience of a 19th century estate. We received positive feedback from the guests we have spoken with. We could not have asked for a more perfect venue or a more perfect day for the wedding. Thank you Jasmine for making this a truly special day for our daughter and new son in law. read more

Always a dangerous proposition reviewing the place where friends' have their weddings. I wonder if they were to read this and see that I didn't give their wedding venue five stars if they would be offended. Oh well. I'll take the chance. Four stars is nothing to sneeze at. Let's start with the facility itself. The Estate is actually on a fairly small plot of land, much smaller than something called an estate should be in my mind. I was expecting a huge white mansion on many acres of rolling green. I was right about the mansion part, but the Estate is nestled right in the thick of "downtown" Barre. That being said, it is quite beautiful. The grounds are very nice and made for some very nice photos. In the back of the house, there is a lovely courtyard area with a large coy pond and fountains. Continuing further beyond that, you walk under a purgola and into another small grassy area surrounded by tall bushes. This is where the wedding was held and was a lovely intimate setting. There was a threat of rain on this particular day, but thankfully it held off and the ceremony could be outside as planned. The reception was held in a large event room which I believe is actually a permanent tent structure put up next to the house, but it didn't feel tent-ish if that makes any sense. Everything was white white white--the tables, napkins, walls, ceiling, etc. If there was a speck of dirt in there I would have seen it and I tell you I saw none. Spotless, it was. There was one snafu in that the waitstaff came around and lit the taper candles in the center of the tables, but apparently they were for decoration only, as soon thereafter, they came around and put them all out, explaining that they could not be lit due to fire codes. Something about the fabric ceiling and open flames, I guess. Oops! No biggie. Dinner was just as elegant without candlelight. Speaking of dinner, let's discuss the food. Never before have I seen so many cocktail hour appetizer options. Most everything was served buffet style but there were a few passed appetizers. They had cheese and crackers, fresh fruit, some kind of soup, pasta stations, meatballs, kielbasa, little savory pastries, crab cakes, bacon-wrapped scallops. That's all I can remember but I feel like there were many more. I had the prime rib for dinner and it was phenomenal. I tried the chicken dish and it was standard wedding chicken, nothing to write home about, but tasty just the same. Why anyone orders the chicken is beyond me, but that's just me. On the whole, the food was excellent. I shudder to think what this feast must have cost the bride and groom, although I could probably look it up easily enough online if I get curious. Inside the mansion, upstairs there were several rooms where the bridal party was getting ready and not much else, other than a bathroom. The bathrooms here were my one big dissatisfaction. I could only find two, and each of them was a single-person bathroom. There's no giant men's or ladies room with several stalls, so the couple of times I ventured out to find relief, I had to wait awkwardly outside for the person in there to finish up. I know the house was probably not built with its future as an event space in mind, but they really should add some restrooms. Oh yeah, and label the ones you do have a little better. I was told to go upstairs to find the second bathroom and opened several linen closets and two guest rooms before finding it. The bar area felt very...Republican, like I should be sitting swirling a Scotch and smoking a cigar or something. Dark wood, low lighting, with a library-like atmosphere. They offered a full bar, but selections were limited; e.g., Absolut was the top name vodka if I recall correctly. Drinks were well-made, however, and more than reasonably priced. Service was pretty quick, too, although there were a few moments where I thought a second bartender would have been useful. Overall, they did a nice job, though. Final thought: a wonderful location for a wedding or any other function you might be hosting, as long as your guests aren't babies about driving to the middle of nowhere. I suggest hiring a "booze bus", like the bride and groom so generously provided for us, to take you from your hotel and back. It's a 30-40 minute drive from Worcester to here, a drive you may not be looking forward to after a long night of nuptial revelry. Oh yes, and according to the website, the legal address is 59 Allen Dr but that is some sort of tiny back entrance. If you're trying to drive here, put 27 West St into your GPS and that'll get you to the main gate. read more

I was at the same wedding as "m.f" as a guest, I saw them pouring the champagne. They had Prosecco, it doesn't usually get any better than that. I had a grey goose on the rocks, they had all top shelf available. Appetizers and chicken piccata was delicious, and my guest had the pork and loved that. They bake most of the desserts in their own bakery. I thought the staff was plesant and gave great service. Of course, only her point of view I thought my friends had an exceptional wedding at the Harding Allen estate. I hope the bride and groom don't see this review above, i think it would make them feel really bad. :( read more

Harding Allen Estate - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Barre, Massachusetts

The Harding Allen Estate is the only wedding venue we looked at. It immediately took our breath away and we knew it was the place. Grace, Carmine, and Chris are the best! Grace, who is also the chef, helped calm all of my nerves and assured me everything would go perfect, and it did. Carmine handled all of the logistics, and Chris answered daily emails from me. The pricing was upfront and more than reasonable for what we got. Spring for the fill Viennese dessert table! Our guests said it was the best wedding they have ever been to. The selection of appetizers and desserts is unbelievable and they are delicious. Everyone is still commenting on how excellent their meals were as well. The grounds are gorgeous and the pictures are beautiful. Harding Allen Estate was the perfect place to have our wedding! read more

I used Harding Allen for my wedding. They covered: ceremony, food, reception, flowers, and DJ. They did a really excellent job and worked magic to give us a great day within our modest budget on a short timeline. Our friends and family were very impressed with the event. Grace, Carmine and Gianna all did a great job. I'm really thankful for their wonderful hospitality, it was a beautiful day. Planning and Coordination: I chose Harding Allen because I was planning my wedding from across the country and needed a venue that could handle as many pieces as possible. Grace did a great job working with me from a far. I stressed how important our small budget was for our small wedding and Grace generously worked magic for us to make it work and give us a beautiful day. I will say, It's a family run business and it's not a hotel so there isn't someone always there which means communications could be delayed at times. While this concerned me initially, it was clearly communicated that most of the details and planning would happen about two weeks out. I decided to trust that they know their business and process - in the end it all went off without a hitch and they did a great job. Carmine was our 'day of' coordinator and he did a great job of checking in without making me feel rushed and seamlessly moved things along for us. I just had to show up, give him my place cards and favors and then get ready. Food: My guests were genuinely impressed with the food and appetizers. They even had wait staff make sure to find our bridal party during photos to keep us watered, and provide us our own snacks. My husband and I were super busy during photos so when he almost missed the passed appetizers, one of the servers actually went and made him a plate to make sure he got something :) For dessert we opted to use Harding Allen's fake cake for the cutting photos and then served sheet cake and a sundae bar. I was nervous about what a fake cake would look like but it actually looked great, fooled our guests and sheet cake they provided was delicious and the sundae bar was delightful. Deco and Flowers: The first time I laid eyes on the venue in person was on my wedding day and I was delighted, it was beautiful. We used the estate's on site florist -The potting shed. They did a fantastic job stretching our modest floral budget and giving us beautiful centerpieces, uplighting and decor. We used their lanterns as our centerpieces and they looked great. Our bouquets turned out lovely. They were even able to make me a flower crown which was a big highlight for me. DJ: We hired DJ Fusion J - Harding Allen's house DJ. They actually negotiated his rate and then I just had to contact him after to set up the contract. Jon was fantastic. I really cant say enough good things about him. We had 2 calls before the wedding and he even came to meet us a few days before the wedding to just make sure he had everything buttoned up. I gave him a suggested play list of over 100 songs - knowing full well that I am not skilled at party vibes, I asked Jon to work with it and then fill in and adjust as he felt out the vibe at the wedding. He played a lot of our music and filled in well with things that complimented our style and he managed to get people onto the dance floor - at our wedding that is a huge achievement. Also, because Jon works with harding Allen all the time he knew the venue well and was able to answer random questions we had about it too. In our meeting 3 days before the wedding we discussed projecting our names on the dance floor (which he just includes in his pricing, its free), I suddenly had the idea of projecting a house sigil from a popular Tv show onto the dance floor instead... it was a last minute request that was a bit more complicated then what they normally do and he managed to make it for me! It was a fantastic wedding day surprise, it made me so happy. After hours and staying over: We chose to stay over at the estate along with a lot of our friends. Accommodations are a room in an estate, so the TVs are old but it's not a hotel - i wouldn't expect the rooms to be filled with amenities. Some of our friends were in the cabin and some were in the house. We did opt for an after hours party where we had ordered the mini pizzas in advance and a cooler of beers. I was really surprised that they just gave us the run of the house and the end of the night, it was really wonderful. We got to stay up talking with our friends in the living rooms space, played music through their bluetooth speakers and just got to relax. It was really nice. read more

I love this place! They always go above and beyond and their food is delicious. It's really sad that they won't be able to have their Mother's Day brunch this year, it would be so nice to bring my mom there, especially now! read more

I had my wedding here and it was a perfect day. The food was great, the staff was very helpful and the owners went out of their way to make it a perfect day for my husband and I. read more

Pulled a classic bait and switch on our wedding and cancelled on us 3 weeks before our wedding after invitations were mailed out saying they couldn't get a staff together. They also tried to may us pay for thing they originally in writing said would be included in our package like sheet cake and champagne. When I showed them where they told us in writing these things were included they stopped answering our calls and sent a text cancelling our wedding 3 weeks away from our date. read more

Recently attended a wedding here. The venue itself is very pretty, versatile, and will result in lovely photos. The wine and champagne for the toasts were terrible and the selection extremely limited for other alcohol (yes, I recognize that each party can select what is available and there may be higher end options). The supposedly hot passed appetizers were all room temp and undercooked (think soggy pastry and egg rolls instead of crisp, and rubbery macaroni and cheese triangles). The soup of the day was a clam chowder on a hot summer day (WHY?!)and was overly salty. My dinner (chicken piccata, mashed potato, green beans) was ok. The chicken was bland and the sauce was greasy and broken. the vegetables weren't terrible. Servers were clueless and repeatedly tried to serve pork to a vegetarian at our table - this despite name cards that were color coded with dinner choices! huge assortment of desserts but they tasted like they were made in a commercial kitchen, frozen, and defrosted - and not a good commercial kitchen. I took a single bite of chocolate cake and abandoned hope. There were not enough bathrooms available and they were not easy to find. read more

My Son had his wedding there, and although the ceremony and wedding itself were beautiful, there were many indications that this "Estate" is failing. The grounds and walkways were un-kept. The path that the bride and bridal party, mothers, grandmothers, bridesmaids etc, walked down was such a disaster everyone had to stare at the path as they walked out of fear of tripping. The stones were too far apart and women were constantly getting their heels stuck in the cracks. The bushes were overgrown, and the bride and party were lead through them; resulting in branches poking into freshly done hair and beautiful dresses. The food was mediocore, and the staff was non-existant, and unpleasant if we managed to find them! The guests that stayed over were supposed to have a continental breakfast the next morning, but by 8:00 am there was nothing to be found. There were no signs or help available to ask. When the small tray of bagels and orange juice was finally located; the orange juice was moldy around the top of the container! Its a pretty setting, but has an overall look of being rundown and unkept. The parking lot area was messy with junky cars piled around. We had a wonderful event regardless, and like I said, the setting was beautiful and will look good in pics, but I wouldn't recommend it. read more

The owners of the estate advertise the venue as not a 'boxed wedding' option, however out of the 5+ venues my fiance and I visited they were by far the least flexible and most difficult to work with. If you are looking for a reasonably priced and basic wedding then this is a great option, however if you want your wedding to reflect your personality with your own personal touches the Harding Allen Estate is a nightmare. When asking about the removal of fake plants scattered around the estate, or asking to create a small bar within a closer proximity to the dance floor, or when we asked about about why we had to serve so many appetizers (preferring quality over quantity) we were told numerous times we could not change anything because they have done so many weddings and they know what people (aka our friends and family) like--insinuating that clearly we do not. Well I can tell you not many people like fake plants...or an overabundance of mediocre food... Through our tour it became apparent the owners have clearly figured out a wedding structure that is the most cost-effective for their business and will not adjust the menu, decor, or process in an effort to maintain their margins. read more

While the Harding Allen is a truly beautiful estate (or has the potential to be.......), it does not come within miles of its true potential. From the fake flowers everywhere to the substandard food, it is a shame that the Harding Allen isn't something more spectacular. I have had two experiences with the Harding Allen, neither of which positive. The first: I attended a bridal shower here where we were put off in this room and served packaged pastries. The second was not any better. I can see so much potential in the Harding Allen Estate, but unfortunately, it does not reach its potential. read more

I went to a wedding here recently and was completely surprised. My date and i were not too excited about driving to the middle of nowhere for a wedding, but the mansion is beautiful and still quaint, the grounds are exquisite and the service was really warm. the ceremony took place outside in a little shady glen with a white-pillared stage. it was so cute! the outside reception area was a flagstone and grass patio with a huge coy pond complete with lily pads, frogs and a small fountain. we were indoors for the dinner and dancing, and the space was small, but just right for the 60+ people that attended. the whole event felt really intimate. the bridal party was also staying at the mansion, so basically this is a one stop shop for all your wedding requirements! read more

Great Location, Bad Management My new husband and I recently got married at the estate. We had both the ceremony and reception there. The venue is gorgeous and absolutely perfect for a wedding, however, that is where the positive experience ends. Overall, I felt there was absolutely no communication between Grace and Carmine. I would talk to Grace about something and 2 days later Carmine would call me asking the same questions I had just answered for Grace. The greatest insult however came about one month before the wedding. When we initially met with Grace she explained that there is a certain minimum guest requirement and I told her right off the bat that we may not have the minimum. She told me not to worry and that we can simply use the money that would have gone to pay for those guests toward something else. 1 month before the wedding, Carmine tells me that that is not the case and that we would have to pay for the minimum number of people, even though that many were not attending. After a few upsetting emails, I was able to get the owners to stick to their original promise, however the interaction left a sour taste in my mouth and afterward I felt I had to triple check everything with both owners. The food was average; the concern was that we were able to attend the tasting of the entrees only after we gave them a check for a deposit. Additionally, not all entrees were available to taste and there were no desserts. I am a huge dessert person and Grace raved about their onsite pastry chef, so naturally I wanted to do a cake tasting, however was told that they do not do tastings for cakes. It took me several months of asking and stating that I would not hire them to do the cake without a tasting, for me to get a cake tasting. The day of the wedding, the wedding party did not receiving the requested and paid for beverages in the rooms and instead of the cake cutting set we bought, we found a completely different set near our cake. We decided to stay overnight at the Estate after the wedding. Our bed was rock hard, the bathtub in our room had no hot water valve and the bathroom right outside our room had no cold-water valve. My advise is that if you decide to have your wedding at the Estate, make sure to get everything in writing, get your cake at an outside bakery and the night of the wedding, do not stay at the Estate!!!! read more

I was a guest at a July wedding at the estate. Parking is somewhat limited. The outside wedding area is lovely. The old part of the estate is also lovely. Here is where the however comes in- The food was blah. The prime rib had been overcooked and then reheated. That is the only explanation forr its odd gray appearance. The carrots were undercooked and drenched in sweetness. The mashed potatos were ok. The salad service was plunking a bowl of undressed sald on the table. The appetizers were plentiful but most below average, a few good. Coffee and wedding cake were not served just set on the buffet table. The whole food part of the party was reminiscent of college food. and just as plain. The worse part was they had NO handicap facilities. Some of the doorways are too narrow for my husbands wheelchair to go through. The single nearby bathroom was up 6 stairs and then up 2 more stairs. This was a big problem for him but he was able to painfully pull himself up the stairs. The manager "explained" by saying they were "grandfathered in and didn't have to provide handicapped access. Seems unlikely as I thought all public facilities had to have handicap access. In any case they have a pavilion with a permanet roof over the tent where they could install some bathrooms. read more

As the bride going through this whole process, I can tell you the owners of this venue, Grace and Carmine made all those nit-picky little decisions we brides need to make SO MUCH EASIER. Let me start at the beginning: My first meeting at the venue was with Grace Gugliotti. We were ushered into this quaint little garden room that looked out over the coy pond. Waiting for us at the table was a small plate of fresh, warm white chocolate and Macadamia nut cookies. The smell alone was intoxicating, but when I took a bite of one...and tasted that homemade-ladened-with-butter decadence, I figured if they made cookies this good, they could certainly make my dinner anytime! I knew right then and there that I wanted this venue, not only for the cookies, but the atmosphere. And I was hoping that the owners didn't ruin the perfect wedding visions already dancing in my head! And they didn't! Grace is, in a word, amazing. At our first meeting, she wanted to hear our visions (and she took VERY detailed notes, I never once had to repeat myself) then she laid down any rules regarding centerpieces, candles, or anything that involved state laws. Then we covered the reception packages. She breaks things down exactly how you need to hear it. For example, with the hors d'oeuvres...the list is extensive and the amount we actually received was more than I anticipated. What sounds good on paper, sounds even better once Grace adds her take on it. She tells you what is popular, what works better in summer/winter, what tastes good but may not be visually appealing when served buffet style, etc. Same goes for the dinner menu. I am still trying to get her recipe for Chicken Veronique & Chicken Lillian. A-mazing. I know chicken is a very generic wedding dish, but not here...they make it like high-end gourmet food! And trust me, if you get the dessert table, you are getting a massive amount of goodies! We used their "fake cake" (looks amazingly real) and had a dessert table. No one left hungry that's for sure! The packages themselves are an excellent value, but Grace is so open to making your day perfect, that she will work with you to not only come in on budget, but to make each package work for your day. You can tell she's been doing this for years (and she's good at it), because she won't string you along and let you think a package is going to work for you if it's not. She's blunt, but what do you want, she's Italian. Grace was very clear, she is there to make your day everything it should be. She's going to worry about the food, the service, the grounds. Your only job is to listen to everything she tells you, take notes & then tell her what you want. The grounds speak for themselves. It's like walking around in a Bronte novel. Green everywhere, ivy on the stone walls, wrought-iron gates, coy pond surrounded by a stone patio, a beautiful pergola...I would live there if I could. Carmine showed us through the grounds, pointing out where the hydrangea bushes would fill in for our September wedding, where the ceremony would take place, the bedrooms upstairs that were available for the night, etc. All I can say is this couple takes great pride in not only their estate, but their business as well. The day before the wedding, I had dropped off all the centerpiece stuff to Grace & Carmine early in the day and then realized I forgot the name cards for each guest. By the time I finished hand writing them and labeling them for each person's meal, there was another wedding in progress at the Estate. Carmine gave me his direct number to call when I was close so he could run out and meet me so as not to disturb the other wedding. So considerate. For both me and that other bride! Everything was set...until midnight. I got a call from Grace, even before answering the phone, I think my heart stopped. She was calling to tell me that they were putting the centerpieces together that night and the sand that was to go in the bowls was too wet still and dark enough to make the centerpieces look terrible. She didn't want to upset me, she just wanted permission to make them pretty by tweaking some things. Now, in the two years that Grace and I have planned this wedding, I've come to trust her completely. I did not hesitate in saying "do whatever you need to do." I don't know where she got the extra little touches, but she made them beautiful. Now, another venue would have just made the centerpieces and let them be ugly, because that's what you gave them. But Grace & Carmine actually CARED and treated me like a daughter, as I'm sure they would do for you. Wedding day. They both stopped us at some point to make sure we were happy. Carmine found out my husband's back was hurt and ran around trying to find him Advil. They were so dedicated to us, you would have thought we were their first customers ever. I would recommend them highly to anyone who wants to feel like someone else cares about their wedding. I'm still looking for a reason to go back ther read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet, and I am even more surprised that it has less than 5 stars. We were married here 5 years ago. The venue is gorgeous. The owners were so helpful to us at every moment, and we had some kind of crazy requests. After going for the tasting (which remember, was 5 years ago, so I can't speak to their food now), it seemed very much like most weddings we'd been to. Then we had the following discussion: "How many weddings can you remember the entree? If anything, you remember the apps." And we were blown away by their cocktail hour offerings. So, we went with only apps. It worked out better than we could have expected - huge variety, great quality, everyone was very pleased. And they went over the top with our desserts - they must have made 10 kinds of whoopie pies (my request) plus cakes and pies and other treats. I think there was a chocolate fountain too. There is one... uncomfortable topic. DJ Bob. This was (not sure if still is) the "house DJ". He was cheap. During our initial meeting, he wrote down everything we requested, it seemed like we were on the same page. Day of the wedding, he went rogue. I don't even know where to begin, so I'll spare the details, but he didn't follow our requested songs, he played saxophone to accompany them (!), he came to chat with us during the cocktail hour as we were doing our pictures. Etc etc etc. Now, to be fair, DJ Bob is still one of our top memories and stories from our wedding day because it was so bizarre. I was blessed with a wife who is able to adjust and not freak out on such an important day - she would have been completely justified to lose it at many times (i.e. - when he sang to us - ugh, we were so uncomfortable), but instead, she was cool with me saying "The train has left the station - go with it." That said, you can have your own DJ or band - we just went with him, so I do not fault Harding-Allen for him. We also arranged buses to take our guests there, and that was a very very smart idea. We did not stay at the Estate. All in all, this place was fantastic. We had terrible weather the night before, and they adjusted our rehearsal instantly. They approached every little adjustment with ease and made us feel very comfortable, which was more than we could ask for. Oh yeah, and there is a beautiful garden that is the perfect spot for your pictures, and the spot for the ceremony is more picturesque than any wedding I can recall attending. read more

This is one of my favorite places in the area. We have attended multiple events here and every time thought the food and service was amazing. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I find if difficult to believe that anyone could have had any experience that would be less than stellar here read more

No one cooks better than the owner! Everything is so good! My favorite is the Chicken Lily and the stuffed eggplant! The potion sizes are great! The staff is very attentive, and the atmosphere is truly beautiful! Very unexpected in a small quaint town of Barre. I've been to 2 weddings there and my daughter had her prom there as well! It would be nice if she got married there someday too!! read more

I recently went to a families wedding here. I thought that the wedding was beautiful and elegant and great for a small wedding. The rooms are expensive and which is why the 3 stars. read more

I recently got married at the Harding Allen Estate and loved my experience working with the estate. The HAE is a family owned and operated business and the owners obviously take a lot of pride in the service they provide. On the day of my wedding (the only day that really matters anyway) everything went off without a hitch. Everyone was so wonderful and everything looked and tasted great. First, the grounds were gorgeous. My pictures are incredible. The ceremony took place outside, but the staff had a plan in case the weather didn't cooperate. The reception was incredibly beautiful as well. The ceiling of the reception pavilion is draped in beautiful fabric which looked amazing in the pictures. The appetizers were many of my guests' favorite part of the meal. My dessert table was incredible! One of the best I have ever seen. All in all, it was such a positive experience. I have no reservations recommending the Harding Allen Estate to any bride on the lookout for a breathtaking place to get married. I was very well taken care of! read more

I was very disappointed with this venue. I had my wedding here last weekend and the owner seemed very eager for us to have our wedding here at first but once he got our two deposits he seemed less than interested in helping. Then during our final meeting a month before the wedding he didn't have any idea what we wanted for our wedding and was very unorganized so we had to explain what we wanted for our wedding all over again and kept saying are you sure you want that for that small of a wedding? I felt he was very rude during this meeting and made us feel unimportant to him being that our wedding wasn't 100 people or more. He said he was fine with having us throw a small wedding at his venue but his actions said otherwise. It was still very expensive to have this wedding so he could have had better customer service. Then the day of our wedding they served shellfish snacks during cocktail hour even though I specifically told them not to have any shellfish that day because I'm the bride and am highly allergic to it and did not want to have to worry about my throats closing in on my big day. Also the owner never asked or sent me anything requesting food choices for people so the day of the wedding they went around asking for orders and people had changed their orders and that was stressful to deal with all because the venue was unorganized and left all the planning up to me as well as not booking my DJ I asked them to book last September. All in all it was a horrible experience trying to plan this all by myself because the owner assured me he was going to be a great help and they had great in house DJ's, florists, and photographer's and that wasn't the case. So if you choose this venue yes the food was good (if you have no allergies) and yes it's beautiful but the organization of the place is awful also you can only contact them through email they never answer their phone. I wish all you brides to be good luck if you choose this venue! Do yourself a favor and just hire a wedding planner to deal with the stress of these people so you can enjoy your special day without having to deal with the worry! read more