How to Plan the Perfect Rustic Barn Wedding Reception

Everyone loves a good ol’ fashioned barn wedding. 

A marriage ceremony in such a setting is both quaint and romantic; understated yet sophisticated, all at the same time. 

Especially since most people no longer live on farms or even in rural areas, this kind of atmosphere can also feel very exotic and even dreamy. 

And you know what lots of people love just as much? 

A rustic barn wedding reception. 

Yes, the wedding’s afterparty. 

It doesn’t usually get as much attention during planning as the actual ceremony, and that’s understandable. 

However, a well-planned reception is the (frequently underappreciated) key to a spectacular wedding event.

1. Select The Space(s)

Arguably, the most critical component of a wedding event (besides the choice of who you’re marrying and inviting) is the choice of the venue in which you get married. 

This is a space in which one of the most meaningful moments of both your lives is going to take place, and one that you’ll associate many of your sweetest memories with in the future. 

So don’t take it lightly. 

If you’re reading this article, you’ve almost certainly already chosen to have your ceremony and reception at a wedding barn. 

However, you’ll want to select the type of wedding barn you want (since they’re not all the same). 

You’ll also want to confirm that your venue has separate areas for ceremonies and receptions, so things don’t get criss-crossed or mixed up.

Ceremony Spaces Are Different From Reception Spaces

Unless you’re getting married in a very small venue or you’re just trying to save money (we completely understand), you’ll probably have different spaces for these two things. 

But if you want to have a rustic barn wedding reception that matches the same theme of your ceremony, you’ll want to observe a lot of the same rules and guidelines you did when selecting your ceremony space. 

Among other things, that means ensuring that there is enough physical space and seating for everyone, just like you hopefully had at your ceremony. 

You’ll also want to adhere to many of the same principles for creating the desired aesthetic, which brings us to…

2. Determine The Decor

You can’t very well have a rustic barn wedding reception without the corresponding decor. 

If you haven’t done up the decorations nicely, then what you’ll have is just a regular barn. 

Now, typical barns are iconic and lovely in their own right, but you most likely won’t want to host your reception in a dimly lit wooden structure with only some bales of hay and ropes hanging on the walls. 

Of course, you’re probably not renovating some old barn. 

You’re most likely renting a dedicated wedding barn. 

Even so, you’ll want to ensure you’ve had the place cleaned, set up all the tables and seating, and added all the appropriate pieces to fit your theme. 

By the way, since we mentioned dim lighting, …

Light It Up

Lighting is hugely important and often underrated. 

And if you don’t believe that, just ask any wedding photographer. 

They’ll tell you. 

The prettiest decor doesn’t count for as much if you can’t see it clearly. 

Even less-than-optimal decorations can get a visual boost from the right lighting. 

By the way, if you think that lighting won’t be an issue because you’re having your wedding during the day, remember that your reception happens after your wedding ceremony. 

So, it’s most likely going to begin either in the afternoon and last until the evening or begin in the evening and last until whenever. Either way, you’ll need good lighting.

3. Small Touches

This is where you can really make certain things stand out or draw special attention to a particular thing or aspect of your decor that is significant to you. 

Or it can just be where you lean hard into your theme, whether that’s “Old West cattle ranch” or “medieval fairytale.” 

Most of all, this is the part of your process when you potentially have the most freedom and opportunity to be creative and add your own personal flair to things. 

The venue itself, along with the large decorations, will initially capture the eye.

But it will be these more subtle elements that serve as the accents, holding that attention and sparking conversation. 

Make It Personal

We’ve talked about this before, but it’s best if these pieces we’re talking about here say something distinct about you. 

And by “you,” we mean both of you as individuals and as a couple. 

Ideally, you’ll find a way to symbolize the joining of your two lives into a single shared life in some way that is meaningful to you. 

For example, you might make custom floral arrangements for the tables featuring both of your birth flowers and the flower(s) traditionally associated with the month you’re getting married in (or the month you met each other). 

Additionally, you could have some horseshoes engraved with not your names but rather the name or coordinates of the spot where you first met.

Stop Holding Your Breath

Let it out. 

Just exhale, all the way, nice and slow. 

Ultimately, your rustic barn wedding reception is, like we mentioned earlier, the afterparty to your ceremony. 

So, keep that in mind as you plan it. 

Everyone has just seen you get married, and you’ve now all moved to this other space to celebrate what happened minutes earlier. 

You’re all over the moon, and coasting on the endorphins and relief that come from the fact that the most anxious and solemn part of the event is over. 

Now is the time to unwind, cut loose, and enjoy this beautiful shared experience together.