by Events • November 22, 2024 • Wedding Planning Guides
They’ve popped the question, you’ve said yes, and now you’re eager to plan the perfect barn wedding.
It’s all super exciting, bringing your long-held dreams to life, exploring all those rustic theme ideas and imagining how you’ll personalise that picture-perfect wedding barn… but there’s a lot to organise.
Where do you get started?
The beauty of choosing a barn wedding is the flexibility and freedom to plan your big day exactly how’d you like, whether it’s by embracing natural elements and countryside charm or using the space as a backdrop for an extravagant and elegant celebration.
So a good first step is to decide exactly what kind of barn wedding you’d like, and the best way to do that is to get inspiration from others. Our real wedding stories give you the perfect insight into what a wedding in a barn at Heaton House Farm is like, and should leave you with plenty of ideas for your own plans – from decor and dresses to entertainment and flowers.
Once your mind is full of inspiration, it’s time to get down to some serious planning.
The first task on your rustic barn wedding checklist is to find the perfect barn wedding venue.
If you’re planning a barn themed wedding, finding the perfect setting has to be at the top of your priority list.
Your venue is going to set the tone for your entire day, so make sure you find a barn that matches your vision and gives you the flexibility to bring your theme to life.
You’ll probably want to balance rustic charm and modern amenities with a barn set in an idyllic venue that’s equipped with all the facilities you need to enjoy a seamless celebration.
When you’re visiting barn venues, be sure to consider:
While you’re weighing up your venue choices, factor in how you’ll take care of your guests. Barn wedding venues – by their nature – can often be in remote rural areas where amenities might be limited.
Think about how to make the barn comfortable for all your guests. You might need to double check the heating options, or add blankets and fire pits into your plans.
You’ll need to be sure there’s suitable lighting throughout the barn, and outside if you plan on extending your party outdoors.
And you should also take the time to check out seating arrangements. Although this is your big day, you’ll want to make sure older relatives can sit comfortably through your ceremony and wedding breakfast.
At Heaton House Farm, we’ve got all the modern (and luxury) amenities you could possibly need, including underfloor heating, fully customisable lighting and sound set-up, and award-winning toilets!
3. Make sure your wedding barn venue is easily accessible
One final task during the venue planning stage is to make sure that your wedding barn’s location is easy to reach and easy to get around.
If your guests have to park a mile away and hike across a field to get to the barn, you might need to factor in additional transport arrangements (or at least be sure your guests know what to expect in advance).
Reminding guests to bring wellies isn’t necessary at Heaton House Farm. Our large, fully paved car park is easy to access, and we have flat, paved walkways throughout our venue – making disabled access both indoors and outdoors effortless.
4. Define your wedding style
While barn weddings naturally lend themselves to rustic themes, don’t feel constrained by any type of tradition. A barn is a blank slate, especially at Heaton House Farm, so you can do with it what you like. You could opt for:
Deciding on a theme is an important early step in your planning, because it will influence all your other plans, including decor, flowers, attire and food and drink.
5. Start structuring the flow of your day
Timings, planned activities and barn space will all factor into the plan for your wedding day, so it’s important to think about how everything will fit together as early as you can.
You’ll need to decide exactly where you want to tie the knot (we’ve got several stunning ceremony areas at Heaton House Farm) and then map out how your day will flow – from pre-ceremony drinks and pamper room preparations, to food, activities and evening entertainment.
Talk to your venue about how you can make the space work best for your plans, focusing on:
6. Factor in the British weather
There are two important facts to bear in mind with your barn wedding checklist.
Whatever your plans for your big day, it’s essential you have a backup in case of poor weather. A great barn wedding venue like Heaton House Farm will have all the contingencies in place so you don’t need to worry about the rain
7. Plan your food and drink options
Barn weddings pair beautifully with creative catering, giving you the freedom to dine in whatever style you love, from food trucks to elegant plated meals. You don’t need to be constrained by expectations of a traditional sit-down, three-course wedding breakfast.
But you will want to plan your food and drink options well in advance, taking the time to get it spot-on for you and your guests.
At some barn venues, you might need to bring in your own catering options, adding an extra layer to your plans. At Heaton House Farm, our in-house caterers – Stable Yard Catering – have years of experience supplying sensational food for barn weddings.
They know the venue inside out and make sure all the logistics are taken care of. All you need to do is sit down with their catering coordinators, discuss the type and style of food you want – from sharing plates to food stations, outdoor appetisers to extravagant desserts – and they’ll bring your vision to life…
… After a delicious tasting session of course!
8. Secure your suppliers early
Alongside your food and drink plans, you’ll also want to start exploring other suppliers from your big day. The quicker you choose suppliers, the more time you’ll have to tailor your plans.
There are hundreds of options, but you’ll most likely need:
Many wedding barn venues have preferred supplier lists who can help you make the most of the space. We don’t just have a list at Heaton House Farm. We go one step further and invite you to an exclusive Experience Event – where you can meet and plan with a range of suppliers in person.
9. Plan your decor strategy
Once you’ve got your venue chosen, your theme nailed and your supplier preferences in place, you can jump into the most enjoyable part of your barn wedding checklist – bringing your vision to life.
Wedding barns offer fantastic scope for room dressing and decoration, but it does take time to get everything planned, organised and arranged the way you want.
There’s no right or wrong way here, it all depends on your theme, your ideas and your venue. But a few things to remember are:
At some barns, you’ll need to think about how you’ll install and remove all your decor, but at Heaton House Farm, your wedding coordinator can take care of all the logistics for you.
10. Find a venue that can help with every step
Finally, as the big day approaches you’re ready to get stuck into all the final preparations. If you’ve chosen a barn wedding venue wisely, this should be stress-free and enjoyable.
A barn venue like Heaton House Farm gives you your own wedding coordinator and a team of staff who make sure every detail is taken care of, every logistic covered and all parts of your day set-up flawlessly.
That means timelines and tasks like:
are all done for you.
It means your day is guaranteed to run smoothly, and you can just enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Short answer: whenever you like. Every season offers a unique charm and magical experience for a barn wedding. It all comes down to personal preference and the vision you have for your big day.
Spring blossoms, summer shines, autumn brings colourful warmth and winter is a wonder of snow and cosiness. All dependent on the British weather of course.
You can get married in a barn any time of year, so the decision will likely come down to the colours, the style and the vibe you want to create:
Most barn weddings are going to be in at least a semi-rural location with countryside views (and access), so factor that into your wedding plans. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a barn in the middle of a town or city!
But, a rural location doesn’t mean you need to compromise on convenience or modern amenities. It’s all about choosing the right location for your wedding barn.
You’ll also want to think about accommodation too; sometimes it can be tricky to come by in rural locations, and you might need to put on extra transport for guests.
At Heaton House Farm, we have luxury on-site accommodation for the wedding party, with 15 gorgeous guest rooms in one of our converted barns. Just roll off the dance floor and into bed.
We also have plenty of space to pitch caravans, and a full list of nearby B&Bs and other places to stay – one less thing to worry about when planning your perfect barn wedding.
There are so many benefits of a barn wedding, you’re spoiled for choice as to how you want to celebrate your big day.
For however long you’ve dreamt of getting married in a barn, with this checklist in hand you should have all the wedding ideas you need to bring your vision to life.
All that’s left to do is start making your shortlist for your perfect barn wedding venue – somewhere with a gorgeous rustic barn, idyllic countryside views and a space you can make your own.
Somewhere like Heaton House Farm, where our experienced team of dedicated coordinators would love nothing more than to help you both plan – and deliver – your perfect barn wedding.
Download a brochure today, and let’s start planning.
