A couple of months ago, my younger sister got married in a beautiful ceremony at her church. Our father has pastored this rural, evangelical church for the past twenty-nine years. Therefore, this special place to both of us was the obvious right venue to have her wedding at. After the wedding ceremony, my parents hosted a reception in the church’s activity building. My sister even decorated this large building herself. Have you picked a venue for your wedding, but don’t know where to have your reception at? When looking for the right place to have this special event, consider your personality and the personality of your future mate. For instance, if you’re cowboy or a cowgirl, you probably wouldn’t enjoy a wedding reception at an upscale country club in town. On this blog, you will discover the best places to host a wedding reception at.
Whether they're quaint and small or large and sprawling, barns make charming wedding reception venues. If you're planning a rustic-chic wedding reception during warmer months, consider holding it in a barn. Even if you don't have a friend or family member with a barn, you can find one that is available for event rentals. Once you've secured the space, it's time to personalize it with decor.
Here are some ideas to consider when decorating a barn for a wedding reception:
1. Seasonal Decor
The time of year that you hold the barn reception can be used as inspiration when decorating the venue. For summer weddings, farms are lush and in full-bloom, so bring some of that lively color and vegetation into the barn. Fill in empty corners with large potted plants, which you can either bring from home or keep after the wedding is over, and hang dangling ivies from barn rafters.
Create sweet, garden-inspired table decor by filling mason jars with handfuls of fresh-cut wildflowers, which guests can also take home as favors. Choose a variety of colorful blooms, such as black-eyed susans, cornflowers, daises, and purple coneflowers. As another option, display the flowers in vintage milk glass vases as a romantic touch.
For autumn nuptials, stick with the natural hues and items that define the season, such as gold, orange and red leaves and brown pine cones. Use pine cones as creative guest name placeholders at the tables, and scatter just-fallen leaves over the tables as free yet eye-catching decor.
You can also decorate the plain barn walls with rustic banner signs that read "falling in love." Fill in empty spaces with hay bales topped with white and orange pumpkins.
2. Warm, Rustic Textiles
Since barns are known for comfort, use a mix of rustic textiles to add warmth and softness to the country-inspired space. Drape antique lace cloths over rough-hewn tables, and provide guests with chairs topped with plush faux fur cushions or pillows covered with a mix of floral-patterned fabric for a shabby chic look.
Hang airy, billowing, light-colored fabric from the barn entrances to create a cozy feeling inside the barn, and to separate the indoor and outdoor spaces.
3. Glowing Lights
If the wedding reception is at night, use soft, strategically placed lights to give the entire venue a warm, romantic glow. As one idea, scatter tea lights in clear glass holders all over the tables to provide light and ambiance.
Wrap strings of small, white, twinkling lights around the barn rafters and poles, and hang one large vintage chandelier, which will become an instant focal piece, from the center of the barn ceiling if it's not too high.
For a wedding venue, contact a business such as Mohawk River Country Club & Chateaux.
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