Barns are having a moment and it’s not just for horses, cows, and pigs. Rustic barns have become hugely popular sites for weddings. Whether you want a summer wedding full of soft florals or a fall wedding to showcase the gorgeous fall foliage, barns provide a unique backdrop.
The great thing about a barn setting is that it can be more casual or more formal, depending on what you want. Start with a blank (barn) slate and incorporate our barn wedding ideas to plan the wedding of your dreams.
Use the Inside and Outside
If the area outside the barn is usable, consider utilizing the indoor and outdoor spaces. You could do the ceremony outside and then throw open the barn doors to invite your guests inside for the reception.
Or, you could utilize the outside for cocktails and during dinner and dancing as a place to relax or get away from the crowd inside. Make use of all the gorgeous spaces around your barn, both inside and out!
DIY Your Lighting
If you are having an evening reception, you might be responsible for the lighting. Don’t fear, though, as barn lighting is easy to DIY. Christmas lights, cafe lights, and LED rope lights are easy to string around the barn for soft, warm lighting. Combined with greenery, you can easily light up the barn on a budget.
You can also use tons of candles to set the mood in the barn as well (or opt for LED candles for safety). Lanterns with LED lights are another fun option.
Barrels of Fun
Used wine barrels are multi-functional for weddings. Use them as cocktail tables for setting drinks and small plates, set up frames or other decor on them, or use a line of them as a bar or drink station.
The best part about them is that your venue might have them available to use or rent and they aren’t something you’ll have to store or find a place for later.
Rustic Dessert Table
Instead of a huge, towering wedding cake, opt for a dessert table instead. You can still have a small cake for cutting, but instead of serving that as your main dessert, you can have a whole dessert buffet.
Use wooden cake stands, pieces of wood, and vintage serving trays to serve cupcakes, mini-pies, cake pops, cookies, and your favorite desserts. The dessert table is easy to DIY and you can ask friends and family to help out if you want to keep the costs down. You can use elegant tablecloth linens to make it look more presentable.
Simple Flowers
The laid-back casual atmosphere of a barn wedding means that large (and expensive) floral centerpieces aren’t really necessary. Instead, DIY your flowers with baby’s breath or wildflowers in a mason jar and tied with a piece of burlap or raffia. You can easily DIY your floral decorations (and even the bride and her attendant’s bouquets if you want).
Start Planning Your Dream Wedding With These Barn Wedding Ideas
If you want a unique experience on your big day, use these barn wedding ideas to do something a little different than the traditional banquet hall wedding. Barns are a great way to show off your rustic style and keep things casual and laidback at your wedding.
If you liked these ideas, be sure to check out more of our wedding and lifestyle articles before you go.
