9 Things to Consider When Planning a Barn Wedding
Are you planning a barn wedding? Barn weddings are still very popular and rightly so. Many of them are in stunning locations and give you lots of flexibility to style your own day.
But there are some additional practical considerations for those venues where you literally hire the barn and need to bring in everything else. 
Power
Often barn venues will have a power supply. But you will need to check if it is sufficient for your needs. For example, if your caterer has electric ovens, will the system cope with them or will you need to bring in an additional generator.
Bathrooms
Many rural barns have no toilet facilities within the barn. So they might have a toilet block nearby which means your guests need to go outside to use the loo. But some might not even have this, so you will need to hire in some portaloos.
Heating
It can get quite chilly in a barn, especially if it’s quite large. So you may need to hire in some heaters.
Usually gas heaters are best as electric ones can overload the system but your venue will be able to advise you on this. You can also provide some blankets for your guests to ensure they are comfortable.
Furniture Hire
This does vary a lot by venue but the more basic hire options don’t usually include any furniture. So you’ll need to think about chairs for your ceremony, tables and chairs for your meal and maybe some sofas for a more chilled out space.
You may also need to bring in a bar structure. Many bar companies have a choice of bar structures which they will set up if you hire them to run your bar. Again, check with your venue as they may ask you to use a particular company for this.
Rules
If your barn is on a working farm, there will be some rules about which areas of the farm you and your guests can use. Do make sure you and your guests are fully aware of this as breaching this sort of rule can cause significant distress to animals on the farm.
There will also be a sound limit as well as a cut off time for music and noise – the majority of venues have these but again make sure you’re clear on what it its and that your band or DJ are aware of it.
Access
When you visit the venue, take note of the access route. Could it be challenging in bad weather or for larger vehicles?
Caterers
There is unlikely to be a full working kitchen in a barn so make sure your caterers have all the equipment they will need that they can bring with them. Outside caterers are used to this so as long as you choose an established reputable company they should be fine.
Usually they will also need to remove all their own rubbish so double check with them that they have this in plan. You don’t want to be fined for leaving rubbish behind.
Lighting
When you view your venue, it’s likely to be in the day. So make sure you check the lighting available and what your options are for bringing more in.
So ask if you can put up fairy lights or uplighters to create some atmosphere in the evening. And consider lighting outside too if there isn’t any. Guests going out to the toilets or to head home at the end of the evening need to be able to see where they’re going.
Décor
Most barns give you pretty much free rein to decorate the barn how you wish. Again make sure you’re aware of any restrictions – for example, can you have lit candles?
And double check that you will have enough time, ideally the day before, to set up your décor. You really don’t want to be doing this on the morning of your wedding.
The Big Clean Up
Make sure you understand the process for cleaning up the following day. You may be required to clean up the venue or pay an additional fee to cover this.
Planning a barn wedding undeniably needs more planning, it’s very similar to planning a dry hire wedding. As a result many couples will ask a wedding planner to run their wedding day for them due to the additional suppliers needed and the various activities which need coordinating. My wedding day management service is perfect for this type of wedding and you can see more details here.
Please get in touch if you’d like to chat about this type of wedding and how I can help you. I offer a free, no obligation consultation to all couples so we can chat about your plans and what help you need.
Louise
