A barn is a unique event space—whether you want a wedding venue or a space for a birthday party or reunion, a barn offers rustic charm in spades. Keep reading for tips on choosing a barn wedding venue and planning a successful event.
Often set amongst rolling hills, barns offer special settings for a variety of events. Some of the best options include:
Weddings
A barn wedding venue offers a beautiful setting for your wedding ceremony or reception. Historic barns will let you host your wedding in an area that will guarantee plenty of gorgeous wedding photos, with shots able to be captured in the romantic barn or outside to make the most of the area's natural beauty.
Birthday Parties
Gather your nearest and dearest together in a rustic barn to celebrate your birthday with a feast and some live music. And if the barn is in a remote rural location, you might even be able to make as much noise as you want all night long.
Family Reunions
Reuniting with your long-lost cousins, aunts, and uncles you haven't seen in years? A barn provides a spacious event venue where you can easily mingle and catch up with your distant relations.
Baby Showers
Barn venues let you host a baby shower with a difference. They provide a rustic setting where you can spoil the mom-to-be rotten, and offer the perfect backdrop for a celebration she'll remember fondly for years to come.
When you're comparing barn wedding venues, make sure you consider these key factors.
Appearance and Ambiance
Why are barn weddings so popular? It's because they offer historic charm in a peaceful setting that feels like it's a million miles removed from city life. Look for a barn wedding venue that offers the right ambiance you want for your event, and that has that perfect style that you know will produce absolutely unforgettable wedding photos.
Location
Barns are often located in picturesque countryside settings, so you'll want to find a venue that makes the most of its beautiful natural surroundings. You'll also want to consider how your guests will get to and from the event—if they're coming from the city, how long will it take them to get to a remote rural location?
Amenities and Facilities
Check the listing and consult the venue owner for full details of property features. Think about the key features you need in an event venue—such as the number of bathrooms, electricity supply, food prep areas, and more—and make sure the barn venue you're considering ticks all the boxes.
Helpful Venue Owner
No matter whether you're searching for a barn wedding venue or a space to host some other type of event, having a venue owner who is happy to help can make a big difference. Check how quickly the owner responds to your requests for more info, and gauge whether they would be willing to work with you to help plan your perfect event. Check online reviews from other renters to find out if they'd be happy to hire the same venue again.
The Right Price
Don't blow your entire event budget on venue hire alone. Search for affordable barn wedding venues and event spaces to ensure that your hip pocket doesn't take a hit.
There are lots of simple things you can do to turn a humble barn event into something much more spectacular. Check out these tips for some inspiration on getting your celebration just right.
Work With an Event or Wedding Planner
This won't be an option for everyone, but if your budget allows, hiring a professional planner can make things much less stressful for you. A planner can help you find the perfect wedding venue, organize catering, book experienced entertainment pros, and so much more.
Customize a Menu
The best caterers don't just serve up delicious cuisine; they'll also be happy to work with you to customize a menu to suit your event. Compare caterers to find a professional team who can make the food at your barn wedding memorable for all the right reasons.
Get Creative With Decorations
Rustic barn wedding venues already offer a charming atmosphere for your special day, but you can make the space even better by adding your own decorative touches. This could mean adding linens, colorful floral displays, authentic artworks, and table centerpieces—basically anything you need to make the barn feel more welcoming.
Book the Best Entertainment
A barn is the perfect setting for a country band or maybe an acoustic performer to play your favorite tunes. Search around to find musical entertainment that will seem right at home in your picturesque wedding venue.
Take Advantage of Indoor and Outdoor Settings
One of the benefits of choosing a barn as your event or wedding venue is that you not only get a charming indoor space to use, but you also get access to beautiful outdoor spaces. With clever use of lighting, some rustic furniture, and maybe some heating on those cold country nights, you can let your guests move between indoors and out during your celebration.
You've compared a host of barn wedding venues and found your perfect space, so now it's time to put together an elite team to help you plan and host your event.
Event Planner
An experienced event planner can help make sure your wedding day or special event is a success from start to finish. They can help you choose a suitable barn wedding venue, book catering, organize entertainment, and stay on top of scheduling everything for your barn wedding.
Photographer
A professional photographer can capture the special moments you share with your partner, friends, family, and bridal party at your ceremony and reception. They'll also help showcase your wedding venue in the best possible light.
Musician
Musical entertainment can create a fun party atmosphere or something more intimate in your barn space. Consider folk or country performers who can help create the sort of ambiance you want for your event.
Caterer
Compare local catering services that can provide food your taste buds love at a price your bank balance will love too. Some wedding venues will also provide you with a list of recommended caterers, which can help make choosing a catering service a little easier.
Florist
Don't forget about the big impact that flowers can have on the look and feel of a space. Compare experienced florists near you to find someone who can create beautiful bouquets for your special day.
It makes good practical and financial sense to get in early when booking wedding venues or event spaces. Here's why.
Get the Venue For Your Chosen Date
Making an early booking means you have a higher chance of getting the barn wedding venue or special event space you want. The early bird gets the worm, so get started early to beat your competition.
Leave Plenty of Time to Organize Other Aspects
Choosing a venue is just one of dozens of important jobs you'll need to complete. So when you secure your wedding venue early, that leaves you with ample time to organize catering, entertainment, decorations, and everything else.
You Know How Much Room is Left in Your Budget
Venue hire might be one of the biggest expenses you have to cover for your event. Once you've locked in the venue you want, you'll have a clear idea of how much funds you have left over to organize the rest of your event.
Have Your Pick of Event Vendors
Getting in early also means you can be organized when it comes to securing the best event vendors for your celebration. The best caterers, photographers, and the like all book out well in advance, so make a move early so you don't miss out.
Planning a barn wedding or special event on a limited budget? Keep these tips in mind to ensure that you're not left with a nasty financial hangover.
Be Realistic
Set a budget you know will be enough to give you the type of celebration you want, but that also won't cause lasting damage to your bank balance. The best way to ensure that you stick to a budget is to start with a realistic figure.
Break it Down
Break down key expenses into individual categories and work out how much spend you will allocate to each category. This detailed approach will give you a clear picture of where you're spending most of your money, and it'll help ensure that you don't forget to budget for any important costs.
Work Out Where You Can Cut Costs
Think about the expenses that are critical for a successful wedding or event, and those things that may be nice to have but that certainly aren't essential. While you might be willing to pay a little extra to secure your dream barn wedding venue, for example, you might not care much about what sort of transport you and your wedding party have to the venue on the big day.
Shop Around
Compare a long list of barn wedding venues before deciding where to book. Compare prices and packages from event vendors as well to find the best value for money.
The venue you choose can have a huge impact on the success (or otherwise) of your event. Compare barn wedding venues and event spaces on Giggster to find your perfect space.