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Ultimate Barn Wedding Planning Checklist

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How do you plan a barn wedding?

  1. Plan Barn Logistics and Budgeting
  2. Consider Weather and Outdoor Concerns
  3. Hire Vendors
  4. Design the Venue
  5. Send Out Invitations

 

Are you and your future spouse into rustic, old-fashioned, and casual get-togethers? A country-style barn wedding should best suit your interests. Barn weddings are unlike any other wedding. From planning all logistical aspects down to the nitty-gritty of sending out invitations, take a look at this comprehensive barn wedding planning checklist to ensure a hassle-free celebration.

 

Plan Barn Logistics and Budgeting

An outdoor wedding reception

A barn is an intimate and unique place to hold a wedding. Nowadays, more and more people are looking to find a venue like no other where they can take breathtaking photos. Barn weddings are an incredible choice in terms of wedding venues. They offer amenities unlike any banquet hall or traditional events space.

When it comes to budgeting a barn wedding, you must be flexible and open to extra costs. Be ready for the price of lighting, backup tents, and commercial cleaning. In addition to that, make sure you are equipped with industrial extension cords to accommodate the needs of the vendors. You may coordinate all of your logistics planning with the manager of the barn venue and align all your requirements to ensure a worry-free celebration.

 

Consider Weather and Outdoor Concerns

Barn wedding venues like the Old Grove Farmstead are located in the midst of lush greens and tall trees to mimic the feeling of being in an actual barn. Given the location, you must consider the weather conditions of the country depending on the season. If you are celebrating mid-May to November, expect rainy days ahead. On the other hand, a summer barn wedding presents a flawless celebration. Choose a barn that provides climate-control through AC units to combat inclement or sunny outdoor weather.

Having industrial fans in the venue can provide air circulation during the summer. Otherwise, include functional yet stylish paper fans for your guests. These fans can also serve as giveaways. On a final note, you must consider the weather and outdoor conditions when choosing the guest dress code. For the summer season, avoid requesting the gents to wear suits and ties as this can be extremely uncomfortable.

 

Hire Vendors

Served wedding catering

After considering the logistics and the weather conditions, move on to one of the exciting parts of barn wedding planning: hiring catering services. For barn weddings, farmstead cuisine presents the most suitable and tasteful dishes. Whether you wish to have food served buffet-style or cocktail-style, a barn that can accommodate a total of 300 people will surely be able to hold plenty of food station vendors. Compared to a buffet-style, a traditional plated-style menu eliminates waiting time in lines and reduces waste. Normally, a traditional plated menu will consist of appetizers, the main course, dessert, and drinks.

Choosing between the two styles of food serving can be quite tricky. There are plenty of factors to consider, including serving amounts and the preferences of guests. In addition to that, you must pay attention to food with allergens.

 

Design the Venue

When you hear the word barn, you initially think of random and leftover farming accouterments such as hay, boots, and pieces of logs. While all of this makes for an operational barn, faux barns created for weddings provide a decent venue for formal celebrations. It may not have the same amenities as traditional events facilities, but it is more conducive for wedding receptions. Create your own designs or find a local vintage rental shop to find the must-have rustic decorations for all barn weddings. Here are some prime examples:

  • Tarnished brass lamps
  • Wooden water or whiskey barrels
  • Wooden benches and mason jars
  • Chalkboard signs
  • Distressed furniture and faded couches

 

Send Out Invitations

Rustic wedding invitations

Invitations are deemed one of the most essential parts of planning a wedding. Set the tone for guest expectations and prepare them for the occasion. Take note, your invitation is the first impression your guests will have. With that, make sure to use the right template, colors, as well as materials. Stick to lace hessian or burlaps and paper twines for a vintage and rustic look. For gifts to your bridesmaids and groomsmen, wrap them in newspapers or put them in crafty boxes to achieve the shabby chic look.

 

Key Takeaway

A barn wedding holds plenty of opportunities for breathtaking photos. Although barns are unique venues to hold a wedding reception in, barn wedding planning can be quite tricky in terms of logistics and budgeting. You will have to consider the needs of your vendors, guests, as well as the outdoor weather conditions. Nevertheless, taking planning seriously and letting the barn venue management know your plans should create the best experience for you and your future spouse.

6 Ideas For a Rustic Farmstead Wedding

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What are some rustic farmstead wedding ideas?

  1. Comfort Food Menu
  2. Retro Soda Pop Bottles
  3. Lace Draperies
  4. Table Lantern Centerpiece
  5. Rolling Bar Cart for Charcuterie
  6. Use Plenty of Wooden Decorations

 

Beach and rooftop weddings are some of the most popular venues for wedding commemorations. But celebrating at a farmstead provides a one-of-a-kind breathtaking experience for the couple and their guests. Barns weddings are perfect for couples who love to be enveloped in nature and who find solemnity in the rustic vibe that farmsteads exhibit. From table decorations to buffet setups, here are some rustic and fashionable farmstead wedding ideas you can incorporate into your theme.

 

Comfort Food Menu

Sumptuous meals and great desserts are the secret ingredients of any memorable wedding. There is nothing that makes guests happier than piling their plates with classic comfort food and going back to the buffet table for some more. To serve the best menu for your barn wedding, make sure you obtain catering from professional services. They should be able to help you come up with the best dishes, regardless of whether you wish to serve Filipino comfort food or other international culinary dishes. Here are some of the dishes that no Filipino can ever say no to.

Lechon

Is it really a Filipino celebration if there is no lechon (roast pig) on the table? Labeled as the National Dish of the Philippines, lechon is essentially a barbecued pig served on top of decorative banana leaves. They are roasted in a rotisseries movement over a pit of charcoal. Request your caterer to cut the lechon into pieces as the buffet opens so that it is easier for guests to get a portion.

Adobo

A true Filipino party is incomplete without the presence of chicken and pork adobo. The term adobo is a method that refers to simmering pork and vegetables in a marinated sauce.

Sinigang

Another popular comfort food in the Philippines that you can definitely find in every restaurant and carinderia is sinigang. There are three popular versions of sinigang: beef, pork, and fish. A medley of vegetables like tomatoes, garlic, and onions are also included in the mix. Broth is added to enhance the sour taste of the dish.

Kare-kare

Kare-kare is best enjoyed with spicy bagoong. It is a thick peanut stew made of oxtail, tripe, and pork leg. Some vegetables such as eggplant and string beans are tossed into the stew to complete the entire taste of the dish.

Halo-halo

In Filipino culture, sweets and desserts are not less important than meat, fish, and rice dishes. One of the most popular desserts is halo-halo. There is nothing more refreshing than halo-halo, especially if the wedding celebration is held in the afternoon.

 

Retro Soda Pop Bottles

Retro Soda Pop Bottle

Choose to serve drinks in soda pop bottles or anything that looks like a milk bottle to relive the days when farmers would drink milk fresh from their cows. Put the drinks in a wooden tray and use funky paper straws. Serve fizzing refreshments for your guests in soda pop bottles for a rustic and vintage feel. If you are looking for more, print out a couple of your pictures and paste them onto the surface of the bottles. Make sure the type of sticker paper you use is waterproof.

 

Lace Draperies

For table skirting, use tulle or lace draperies for a vintage effect. Usually, it is the responsibility of the caterer to provide the tables, chairs, utensils, as well as table napkins and skirting. To ensure everything goes as planned, make sure to tell the caterer about your table skirting requests. For the buffet table, instead of using table skirting, opt for a burlap or runner to differentiate it from the rest of the tables in the venue.

 

Table Lantern Centerpiece

Table Lantern Centerpiece

Lanterns look lovely and romantic during both the day and the evening. They make great centerpieces that go well with vintage lace table draperies. You can either look for rustic-looking lanterns that will match well with the farmstead or use the color of the wedding theme. To make the table decoration extra dainty, put in flowers, leaves, and a couple more candles around the lantern. Lanterns are versatile decorations. You can even hang them in entryways.

 

Rolling Bar Cart for Charcuterie

Make the after-party more fun by setting up a charcuterie bar together with the drinks. Use a rolling bar cart as a grazing table where you can display bite-sized munchies as you allow the drinks to flow. Serve a variety of cheese, meat, bread, and fruits as well as pizza or candy. Place the charcuterie boards on rolling bar carts and station them near the buffet table.

 

Use Wooden Tables and Chairs

Wooden chairs and tables for an outdoor wedding reception

You can either use normal wooden tables and chairs or get creative with wine barrels and wooden round chairs or benches for a rustic and shabby chic wedding reception. If you wish to put large groups in one table, you can use two large barrels to hold a rectangular piece of wood to fashion a make-shift dining table. Otherwise, a single barrel can hold a circular piece of wood for smaller groups.

 

Key Takeaway

If you have already decided to have a farmstead wedding, use these ideas to pull off a shabby chic and vintage theme. Mix and match modern with rustic through decorations. Lastly, make sure to plan the event well with your wedding planner and caterer to align the decorations and design with the theme of the celebration.