Lane's Privateer Inn

Some places carry their history lightly. At Lane's Privateer Inn, it is built right into the walls, with original wooden beams from a home that has stood beside the Mersey River since 1798.

The inn sits in Liverpool, on the Mersey River. Its oldest section was the family home of politician and sea captain Joseph Barss Sr., and his son, Captain Joseph Barss Jr., became one of the best-known privateers of his day. The family-owned inn has welcomed guests as a hotel since 1962.

For weddings, the day moves easily between outdoors and in. Couples can exchange vows on the lawn by the Mersey River, then bring everyone inside for the reception or stay out in the fresh air on the riverside stone patio.

The pub accommodates up to approximately 80 guests for a sit-down dinner and around 100 for a cocktail reception, a size that keeps the celebration close and personal. The two-level stone patio offers a lovely fair-weather option for ceremonies and receptions alike.

Food is a genuine strength. A member of Taste of Nova Scotia since 1989, the kitchen buys from local producers, and fishermen visit several days each week so the seafood arrives fresh. The bar list leans proudly toward Nova Scotian craft beer, wine and spirits.

The team at Lane's helps with the details as well, from the menu and wine to flowers, music, decor and accommodation, so the planning can feel as relaxed as the setting.

Then there are the rooms. Guests can stay at the inn itself, with options that include a one-bedroom suite and a studio suite in the historic section, king and queen rooms, and Art Gallery rooms decorated with original work by Nova Scotian artists.

Family can arrive early, linger over breakfast the next morning and watch the river from the patio before heading home.

For couples who picture an intimate riverside wedding with local food, a sense of history and everyone staying under one roof, Lane's Privateer Inn offers a celebration that feels warm, personal and unmistakably Nova Scotian.