Fall Wedding Trend: Decorating a Barn Wedding

The months of August through November are very popular for weddings due to the weather starting to cool down from the summer heat and because of the beautiful colors caused by the leaves changing and the harvest time wrapping up. Many people choose to have an outdoor, more informal fall wedding rather than opting for a traditional indoor church wedding. Fall is the perfect time to take advantage of outdoor settings like rustic barns for weddings. The vibrant colors provided by the changing of leaves in many parts of the country will provide a spectacular backdrop for your ceremony and reception.

Barn weddings are a growing trend. Obviously these weddings and receptions are not taking place in barn that's currently being used for agricultural reasons. Check around to see if there are any local barn settings that are available for rental. Fearington Village near Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Vermont's White Rocks Inn are just two of many barn wedding venues available in the United States. Check the venue carefully to make sure that it suits your needs and that the grounds surrounding the barn are well-maintained. A beautifully decorated barn's appeal might be marred if the fields surrounding it are overgrown and littered. If the barn is too close to a cow pasture, the smell might waft over into the wedding, which would be unpleasant. Many people choose to take their vows just outside of the barn and hold the reception inside the barn. For the inside of the barn, using displays of hay bales, pumpkins, wildflowers, wagon wheels, and corn stalks that have been tied together with colorful ribbon will compliment the country theme. Hay bales could also double as extra seating or a table for favors. Use rustic signs to point guests to the right destination for extra rural flair. With all the flammable hay, candles may be prohibited in the barn, so opt for string lighting hung from the barn's rafters. Paper lanterns could also be incorporated into the décor for extra lighting in red, brown, yellow, or orange. Decorate tables with autumn colored floral centerpieces either in sophisticated clear glass vases or small galvanized buckets for a more country feel. Wildflowers or sunflowers potted in galvanized watering cans could also bring more greenery and color into the decorations.

A barn wedding can be as formal or as informal as you like. Dress it up with elegant details or go country with a cowboy/cowgirl theme. However you decide to decorate, have fun with your barnyard wedding!