Handmade Barn Wedding
Giving a romantic edge to a rustic barn is no small feat. What makes this wedding such a design success is how the couple integrated clean, white details to soften the space and turned those light fixtures into true art pieces. Aren’t they stunning? What’s more, the details all have a purpose: a new crafting skill, a sweet love story, and a family coming together to make this lovefest a total hit. Have a peek at all the juicy details in the gallery and get ready to swoon over Mary Dougherty‘s gorgeous photos.
From the bride, Caitlin: We knew right away that we wanted to have our reception in a barn. Our wedding was in mid-November, and something about the decayed feeling of the hay, wood, and stone paired with pretty details like white curtains and lace was so appealing to our aesthetics. We wanted our guests to celebrate with us, share in our commitment, and have a really good time.
One of the first projects I knew I wanted to undertake (and yet the last to be finished) was knitting the ties worn by my father, who married us, Matthew, and our two groomsmen. I had no idea how to knit when we got engaged, so it was a slow process, but totally worth it in the end!
Another project that was truly a collaboration between Matthew and I was the guestbook. I took a bookmaking course in my final semester and so we knew that it should be handmade. We also knew that we wanted to incorporate letter-writing, since it was a big part of our relationship. While I was studying in Tanzania for a semester, we wrote letters back and forth in these retro-feeling airmail envelopes. Many of the letters were lost, but the ones that came allowed us to say some of our deepest thoughts and truly express our love. We love the letters we have gotten from guests, they are so much more special than just a signature!
This wedding was truly a collaboration. While I was making the programs, tea bags, headbands, and hanging leaves, the rest of the family was busy working on the favors, dessert stands, wreaths, doily chandeliers, candle stands, and more! It was truly a handmade endeavor as well as a group effort and we absolutely loved the results!
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Wedding Vendors (Rochester, NY):
Reception Venue: Freedom Run Winery / Church: First Baptist Church of Newfane / Wedding Photography: Mary Dougherty Photography/ Wedding Flowers: Sassafras / Wedding Dress: Etsy / Shoes: Seychelles / Sweater: Anthropologie / Bridesmaids Dresses: Anthropologie / Groomsmen vests: Uniqlo / Desserts: The Little Bakery (Rochester, NY)
The groomsmen look so handsome in the waistcoats with no jackets! I really like the style of this wedding!
All the paper details are so simple yet so wonderful! The setting is perfect!!
I love the little sachets of cocoa and the herbal teas – what gorgeous detailing.
She looked so cute with her hairpiece & cardigan! I love that there was a lot of collaboration with all the DIY… And the guest book story-so sweet!
Aaaaaah! They are so cute, I can’t stand it!
Beautiful wedding! I absolutely love the doily chandeliers- they are so perfect in the barn! Were these handmade too?? I would love to know how!!
adorable wedding!
you had me at those beverage dispensers!!! tell me more about those please! i am looking for some right now (although for cold drinks for my spring wedding) and those are the cutest ever… if there were cold versions i must find them! 🙂
I can;t believe this is in NY! It looks so Irish Countryside to me. What a delightful wedding!
so cute! i love the bride’s look with the sweater and the oh-so-cute ruffly dress!
Amy-the doily chandeliers are super easy and cheap. I found a tutorial at marthastewartweddings.com. Look under the paper decorations section.
Jamie–I found those vintage percolators on Etsy and Ebay, and while those particular ones are meant to be hot and brew coffee, I’m sure you could use them for cold drinks as well, just take out the plug!
Thanks everyone for your kind comments!
–the bride.
love her sweater and amazing short dress! so cute
Wow, what a cute couple, and I love all of the hand-made touches!
Effortless is better!!!!
Absolutely LOVE the handmade personal touches!
those hanging sheer leaves at the ceremony that you made are beautiful. You mentioned you made them-post a tutorial! They are stunning
ding ding ding!! “percolator” was the key word – that has revolutionized my ebay search!! thank you! 🙂
I agree… please post a tutorial on the leaves. Did you make your own stencil? I love love love the details from this wedding.
Thank you, thank you, thank you… My fiance and I found a place that had a vintage barn and I had no idea what to do with it. I Googled barn weddings but those barns were elegant and renovated with a ton of money. I wanted simplicity and your photos are exactly what I am going for gorgeous…