Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you will have undoubtedly noticed a spike in the popularity of barn weddings. Frankly, it seems avid Pinterest-ers everywhere just can’t get enough of them, and it’s easy to see why! Barns are brilliantly photogenic settings for weddings which typically offer plenty of space, and with more and more converted barns popping up around the country, it’s definitely worth you considering one for your big day!
Not convinced yet? Well, that’s why the team at The Wedding Secret have put together their top five reasons why converted barns make for great wedding venues, and why you should be considering one for your own nuptials. Check out The Wedding Secret for a directory of barn venues – as well as other wedding suppliers – around the UK.
1) They’re bursting with rustic charm
In an age when every wedding magazine, Instagram page, and Pinterest board showcases photos of rustic weddings complete with mason jars and metres upon metres of hessian, many couples are on the lookout for venues that will match that shabby-chic aesthetic. For obvious reasons, no venue type is quite as suitable as barns, especially as converted barns will often still retain many of their original features.
These can include exposed beams from which to hang bunting or fairy lights, old brick walls that will perfectly offset your flower arrangements, and high vaulted ceilings that will add a light and airy feel to your celebrations. The older the barn, the more charm it’s bound to have.
2) They’re stylish and versatile at the same time
For couples looking for a ‘blank canvas’ venue that doesn’t completely lack character, a barn is the perfect solution. Not only do they retain all of the charm mentioned above, but they’re also extremely versatile, allowing you to put your own unique mark on the space. Barns often offer one large, high-ceilinged room and don’t usually come along with any limiting features such as fixtures or artwork you can’t remove, or furniture that can’t be taken out.
This allows you to decorate the space however you like, whether that’s with bunting and balloons or plenty of olive trees and floral arches. You can also make use of nooks and crannies by adding extras like a bar or a photo booth. The space is yours to do with what you wish!
3) They’re BIG
Plain and simple. If you’re looking for a venue that can accommodate a large number of people so that you don’t have to exclude anyone from your guest list, barns are great options for you. The one-room layout of a typical converted barn means you get to make the most of the space and can fit in plenty of guests with a good-sized dancefloor to boot. Depending on the size of the barn you hire, you could fit anywhere from 100 to 500 people in a typical converted barn. This gives you freedom to invite all of your friends and guaranteeing a great party atmosphere.
4) They offer great acoustics
For those of you who aren’t necessarily music buffs and don’t know what a venue ‘offering great acoustics’ means, it’s basically just a fancy way of saying that your ceremony, speeches, and music are all likely to sound pretty good. With their super-high ceilings, thick walls and foundations, barns offer the perfect setting for ensuring the sound quality of your wedding day is as good as possible.
Although this aspect of the wedding day isn’t something that many brides and grooms take into account, you’ll be grateful of this perk when you watch your wedding video back. Your guests will also be pleased that they’ll be able to hear your vows and speeches without straining their ears.
5) You’ll get to choose your own suppliers
Unlike many hotel wedding venues, barns tend not to have affiliated suppliers that they insist you use, and they don’t come with fully-staffed kitchens that make it impossible for you to outsource catering. This means that barns aren’t just versatile in terms of how you can decorate them, but also in terms of whom you can hire.
Some couples may be looking for an all-inclusive venue that will do this legwork for them, and that’s fine, too! But for those who want to have absolute control over every aspect of their wedding day, hiring a barn venue means you’ll more than likely have the freedom to choose whatever florist, photographer, and caterer you want so that every last detail of your day is perfect for you.
We hope we’ve made a good enough case to convince you to consider looking at converted barn venues in which to host your special day! And remember, you don’t have to be obsessed with rustic wooden tables and chalk boards in order to turn a barn into your dream wedding venue; you just need a clear vision of what you want for your day so that you can transform your chosen barn into your dream venue.