Affordable Rustic Barn Wedding in NJ?

A wonderful barn wedding I attended in Ithaca, NY.

UPDATE: Since writing this post, we managed to locate a great spot for a rustic NJ barn wedding. Check out Jack's Barn in White Township, Warren County. Does anyone know of any great, rustic settings for a barn wedding in NJ? Particularly ones where you aren't paying out the wazoo? If you rent out a wedding barn in this area, please contact me at info@njweddingonabudget.com and I will be happy to do a write-up on your venue.

Cocktails in the barn,
rustic and romantic!

I attended a barn wedding in Ithaca, NY that was most memorable indeed. My friend and her husband rented out a pristinely kept country barn, had family show up early to hang paper lanterns and twinkling lights, light tons of little candles, and otherwise bedeck the place. 

Creative DIY wedding
deco: string white lights
and paper lanterns.

The wedding ceremony was held outdoors on the premises, and was immediately followed by cocktail hour and a generous outpouring of Pimm's with cucumber, the drink of choice for the day. Guests gathered about and chatted at little tables inside the barn, kept the bartenders busy, or explored the pristinely kept grounds. Before long, the bluegrass band struck up some lively tunes which made for some nice background music and really added to the overall rustic atmosphere.

Live bluegrass makes for the perfect dinner music
 at your rustic barn wedding.

Following cocktail hour, we all gathered under a big tent where they had set up long dining tables, farmhouse style, and enjoyed a delicious buffet meal of pit barbecue with tasty sides. The band played their full number of sets, and after the meal we returned to the barn where the bride's brother had set up a DJ station/hooked up speakers, and we set to boogeying and dancing the night away.

Boogeying in the barn.

The next day, my husband and I enjoyed a day out in Ithaca where we hiked along some of the area's waterfalls, kayaked on Cayuga Lake, and partook in a delicious meal in one of the downtown area's great restaurants.

What a great party and wedding weekend! This was truly one of the most original and ambiance-filled weddings I've ever attended – all wonderful ideas for any bride who is trying to avoid all the cliche aspects of your typical NJ wedding.

I've never been to a barn wedding in NJ, but I would imagine there are some choice spots for this type of event. For those not familiar with the Garden State, we still have plenty of preserved farmland left on which to appreciate the fruits of the earth!

Again – to talk about your awesome barn wedding or to advertise your rustic barn wedding venue, please contact info@njweddingonabudget.com.

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How to Plan a Wedding When You Already Have a Kid or Kids

Planning a wedding when you already have a little child to deal with... sounds like the worst thing in the world, right? Actually, it isn't.

As a parent, you know what it's like to have someone who is More Important Than You Are. Your kid eats food and wears clothes (diapers?) and will be attending preschool and college, so on and so forth. All of this adds up to EXPENSES. So: you already have a priority that's far greater than throwing the wedding bash of the century: you're just trying to save up some money for your kid's life. Right?

This perspective will give you an entirely different take on the wedding than someone who is childless. It means that you'll be planning this wedding from the mindset of the frugal and practical. You'd rather spend money on your child than on silly stuff that no one will ever remember. Am I right? Of course I am.

The other thing is: if you already have a child, then having fun on your wedding day will be extremely important to you. I mean, sure, everyone wants to enjoy themselves at their own wedding. But this is a little different. Once you become a mom, the urge to have fun grows from fairly strong to DESPERATE. You have one shot at making this day the most fun ever. You know this going in.

Both of these mindsets – frugal and fun – will be the driving force behind your wedding plans. And, because you have a kid or kids, you've got  limited time to screw around with wedding-plan BS. Instead, all the extraneous crap will fall by the wayside. Your mother in law wants to spend the night before the wedding tying up little bags of almonds? Nope, sorry! No time, got this kid here that I have to pay attention to. Don't want to wear 3-inch heels? No problem... you can't anyway, because you won't be able to lug Junior around the party if you do!

I'm telling you, having kids before you get married is actually a blessing as you plan your wedding day. You will really have your priorities in order, and you'll also have a great perspective on what it really means to get married. This day is not about looking model-skinny, having the dress of the year or the cutest wedding favors ever. Rather, it's about spending a day with family and friends, celebrating your love for each other.

To anyone who already has a child or children and is now stressing about making wedding plans... let the non-essentials go! Your wedding, with all its imperfections, is going to be fantastic. Enjoy yourselves! God Bless. Bookmark this blog for tons of tips.

Why have your wedding ceremony and reception in one place?

Simple: it's easier for everyone all around. For some religious folks, it may be a priority to have their wedding at whatever church they attend. This is not only "for pictures," but to add an element of family and community to the day. In Catholicism for example, marriage is not just a legal union, but a sacrament, a "til death do us part" that is taken very seriously – and that's the case with many other faiths as well. So with that in mind, many people from religious families would not think of having a wedding outside the church, temple, mosque or synagogue where they attend services each week.

However, for the rest of us, religious or not, the simplicity of telling guests, "Be at X place at X time to watch us get married and then celebrate together," is really quite appealing. Wedding guests often travel from many miles away – we had couples who came in from Las Vegas and Rhode Island, for example. For folks like these especially, it's nice to be able to offer them a place to land and settle in once they get into town, without having to drive all over creation.

If "less complications, more joy" sounds like a welcome fact of your wedding day, then look into this option. First, talk to the manager of your wedding venue. For an additional $500 to set up a few hundred white chairs, roll out the runner, and decorate a wedding arch, we were able to transition smoothly from the ceremony to the party at the Somerville Elks Club. Next, ask the wedding officiator if this is possible. For most, travel time is included in the fee.

We were also given the option to have the ceremony outside on the patio, weather permitting. We did not end up doing this when all was said and done, but you may be able to.