A Family Wedding In A Barn

A Family Wedding In A Barn

So you may have grasped that my sister got married and it all happened at the parish church we attend. Then we had the reception back at my parents' in one of the empty barns. My family aren't farmers but the plot where they and my grandparents live came with barns that were previously used as workshops. This was the chosen venue for a "cheap" wedding. But of course it's not a "cheap" wedding; the venue is just free! 

Being a barn, it has already got huge potential as a venue for a party and having been given the job as decorator and organiser by my sister; my head has been full of ideas for it for the last 9 months. Now though, all the ideas have materialised and we had the perfect set up.

My sister has married a Scot and we wanted to include a bit of highland heritage in the decor. We also knew fairy lights were going to play a huge role and of course, the amount of flowers was going to be quite phenominal.

I wanted to share with you all that we did in the barn to inspire you and show you what can be made to really make wedding decor personal.

The Stags' Heads

Stags featured a lot. Not only did we have little figures dotted around the place, but we made these huge wooden boards with Stags' heads stencilled onto them. These were inspired by realising that we didn't have the money to buy 15 ceramic stags heads as they were about £40 each! I came up with the idea and bought a stencil from ebay for £20. The wood was free and the grey paint was made from black poster paint and a tub of cheap white emulsion. I finished them with a tartan bow that I made from fabric from Boyes. The overall effect of these is absolutely amazing. They look fantastic and are real key pieces in the wedding decor.

Old Sash Windows

I have a little collection of old windows at home. I just really love them and have them on the wall as part of the decoration. All the frames we used in the barns were free and reclaimed from my parents' shed and from a building site. We gave them a fresh coat of white paint, then sanded them back to give them a rustic look. We then suspended fresh flower heart wreaths in the middle that we made. They fill up space on the vast brick walls but also bring lovely rustic features into the barn.

A Ceiling Of Fairy Lights

600 metres. Magical, enough said!!

White Flowers

We went for just white flowers at the venue. I knew these would look really classic and stand out against all the red brick. We used Garden Trading enamel jugs in a clay colour and put bunches of stocks in them. These smelled amazing and were perfectly seasonal. We then made window boxes and filled them with white roses and greenery.

Along the tables we also had little tubs of rosemary which were a great way to bring another fresh feature to the tables. The beautiful greens added to the rustic side of things and against the hessian table runners, jugs of stocks and gorgeous candle vases really made the tables suit the barn/rustic feeling.

Tables

We used white sheets with hessian runners to create the perfect country rustic combination. hessian and white are a match made in heaven!

Cake Table

Using more old frames and actual stags heads that my sister had bought for her house, we made a lovely area where the traditional wedding cake went and also where a cheese cake went.

Top Table

This is the area that was most looked at through the day as it was where the bride and groom were. It is also the biggest table in the venue so we had a large space to fill. We had done a traditional long and low flower arrangement that covered a lot of it and placed stags' heads, that are mine, along the table.

Blanket Rack

As the barn had no heating and it is only April we were quite conscious of keeping people warm. The fact that there were 150 people in there is a massive bonus but as the temperature dropped in the evening we hung up tartan blankets ready for people to snuggle up in.

Finishing Touches

As there are always more little bits, I thought I would just share some photos of all other little bits around the venue.

With clean crisp vessels and a big use of white, the wedding was a perfect homemade country wedding. There were all the usual costs for things but small details like bows on water bottles and kebab skewers with bells on were such a small cost for a very big effect!

Post By Emily