How to Decorate a Rustic Wedding Barn
By CAROLINE LANGHAM
How to Decorate a Rustic Wedding Barn
In today’s blog I thought it would be fun to share my version of barn dressing here at Cote How and how to decorate a rustic wedding barn. This will include my top tips on maintaining a subtle, natural and dainty look that doesn’t overwhelm the natural beauty of the barn itself and is keeping with the natural surroundings. Afterall this is the reason why people fall in love with the barn right!
First up, here’s what you need:
- A sturdy ladder
- Some Cable Ties – I used 300mm and 100mm ones
- Cutters for the cable ties
- Fairylights – Outdoor variety that twinkle
- Silk Flower Blossom branches – I used 127cm long ones
The Window
Next – You will need a head for heights!
Not great for me, who wobbles on the step ladders – So make sure you have safety in mind first and you are happy with a little height!
I did get Steve to assist with the base parts of attaching the branches in place first.
Here we used coppiced hazel from the paddock here at Cote How.
I dovetailed them together on the barn floor beneath where they were going to be hung so I could roughly get them sized right first. These were held together with cable ties, and I added a few more twigs if it looked a little thin in places.
I know it looks like a dawnting job, but believe me – Just get stuck in, you will soon get the feel for it.
The Doorway
This is a really important focal point to our barn as it is the place where we can conduct offical marriage cermeonies while still having an outdoor wedding!
The law at present restricts wedding ceremonies to licensed rooms. To get a license the room needs to have a footing and a roof and be a permanent structure. So to comply we conduct our cermeonies with the happy couple beneath the eaves of the barn while their freinds and family sit in the barn courtyard enjoying the amazing mountain views. Perfect for our outdoor weddings
Once I was happy with the basics I got Steve to attatch them in place.
We used brass cup hooks in the rafters and beams to allow a good fixing point, then used the longer 300mm cable ties to attach them securely.
Next I added extra loose bits of twigs in the thinner places
The Fairylights
I then unpacked my fairylights. We always use Festive Lights and their professional connectable lights for outdoor use. The barn can be humid at times so this is really important.
I attached the ends first and then the middle so I could gauge the amount in each section, then looped them on and attached in some places with the smaller 100mm cable ties.
To check the overall effect, I always switch the lights on then squint with my eyes nearly shut to see if the glows are even! Top Tip! 🙂
The Blossom
Next its time to add the blossom. I always use a mixture of pale pink and cream and I get these from Floral Silks. This is a trade supplier and may not be available to everyone but it may be worth reasearching other suppliers and other materials too. The cherry blossoms I use are 127cm long and have about 4 seperate branches on each of with a wire centre, so I can wrap these around the twigs and get a really natural effect.
Once happy with the amount of blossom it’s time to take a step back and admire your handy work! You can always add more single flowers for different weddings to change the theme a little. This is a lovely touch. I sometimes use silk peonies and roses, and florists have added fresh hydrangeas in the past.
I hope you have enjoyed reading all about how to decorate your rustic barn wedding. But for those that like to have a giggle, I recorded this timelapse video of me actually doing it. It’s all part of the service! 🙂
It’s just two minutes long so do stay to the end and I will give you all the links for my suppliers too!
For those wanting to vist the barn for a show around we are offering either a virtual Tour via pre recorded videos that you can find by subscribing to our YouTube channel here
OR you can arrange a show round via video link with Caroline for a personal tour here
Or you can visit us in person once lock down restrictions are lifted. To arrange a show round please download our brochure here
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