Van Horne Estate on Ministers Island

A wedding on Ministers Island begins with a crossing few couples ever make: at low tide, guests drive or walk along a gravel road laid across the ocean floor to reach the Van Horne Estate.

The 500-acre island lies just off St. Andrews in Passamaquoddy Bay. It was the summer home of Sir William Van Horne, and long before that a summer camp of the Passamaquoddy people. Its forests, ocean headlands and trails surround a remarkable collection of historic buildings.

At the heart of the estate is Covenhoven, the summer house that grew over many changes into a 50-room residence where Van Horne pursued his passions for art and science. The grounds include a great lawn, a gardener's cottage and the stone house built around 1790 by the minister who gave the island its name.

The most romantic spot may be the Bathhouse, a round tower of red sandstone blasted from the beach below, set above the ocean. The view from its windows inspired many of Van Horne's own paintings, and today groups can dine there with the sea all around.

The great barn, designed by Edward Maxwell and raised in 1898 by shipwrights, adds rustic grandeur with its three storeys of remarkable timber framing.

The estate offers wedding and special event options from casual to exclusive, and the island team can also arrange group dining with views over the water.