Weddings in Barns and Why We Love Them

I feel like I’m hitting a real hot button issue here.  We LOVE when people have barn weddings.  We just do. Weddings in barns are one of our favorite things.

Living in Minnesota, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of barn venues.   I hear things are pretty crazy in Texas and Georgia in that regard, but there’s a lot here too.

When we started shooting weddings back in 2010, barn weddings were all the rage.  I’m not sure when they really became a thing, but it seems there were a lot of them then.  Nowadays, I hear a lot of wedding vendors say they don’t like them, but we just love them.  Here’s a few reasons.

The Variety

Here’s the deal.  When some people picture barn weddings, they picture a certain type of people.  They assume the wedding is cheaper or super causal.  That simply isn’t true.  There are so many types of people and barn venues.  We have shot at barns that are very simple.  We have shot at ones that are extremely detailed.  The fact is though, that’s the couple.  The couple brings in the feel of the day.

The People

I’m just going to say it – people getting married in barns are like us.  Kyle and I both grew up going to the country and enjoying it.  We love going to a venue that is hidden away from everything else, which so many barn venues are.  About half the time, people getting married at barns are wearing denim or cowboy boots or both.  We love that.  Even if they aren’t, they are the type of people who don’t care if others are.  So that’s awesome.

Types of Barns

This is actually really key when it comes to these types of weddings.  We have shot on horse farms before, which is pretty awesome.  There is a always Mayowood Stone Barn, which we find rather unique. Often times when you look for barns for events, you’ll find a mix of what I just call “real barns”, rustic chic style, or the types that really aren’t barns, but are similar.  Some can be more difficult to shoot at than others, depending on a variety of factors which we have listed on our article about what to look for in a barn venue.

The Backup Plan

This is actually  a really big reason why we love these venues and why you should to.  Barns, by nature, are a great backup plan for weather.  The majority of barn weddings we have shot have had outdoor ceremonies.  However, having an indoor barn has helped when it has rained or been simply too hot to be outside.  Many venues do not have a backup plan for bad weather, so check that out.

Make sure to take a look at our archive of barn weddings HERE!