Wisconsin, you’re doing it right. I don’t know what’s in the water up there, but every wedding I see from American’s Dairyland is as pretty as pretty can be. Take this particularly happy one from La De Da Photography. Ridiculously beautiful decor, which just so happened to be pretty much all DIY, donuts and macarons for dessert, horses and a stunning barn… and a couple that is straight out of a magazine. All in all, as perfect as a wedding can be.
From the beautiful bride… When Peter and I made our first visit to The Enchanted Barn we knew immediately that it was the perfect place for us. An 1800’s barn that had it’s original rustic charm, but with updates to accommodate our modern day needs. I spent a year on Pinterest getting inspired and really discovering what our wedding vibe would be; a rustic romantic soiree with delicious eats and drinks in a relaxed social setting – and the best dance party our guests had ever been to.
The ceremony was short and sweet with lots of laughs and smiles. Neither of us are particularly religious, so to keep our ceremony meaningful and special we had Peter’s dad marry us. Close family did witty readings that we had chose for them focusing on long lasting love and the realness of marriage. My dad read Corinthians 1: Love is Patient, which he chose himself and spoke to our beliefs.
Peter was very adamant that we serve good comfort food and I didn’t want a traditional sit down dinner. So we decided to serve a variety of heavy appetizers including turkey legs and bacon skewers. We kept our bar list simple with beer, wine, prosecco, and two signature drinks (that spoke true to us). Our dessert table was a wide spread of all delicious sweets including a crowd favorite, donuts from Baker’s wife and my must, french macarons from Patisserie 46.
The grounds at the barn naturally had a beautiful ambiance that involved horses in the grass fields, a bonfire with benches set around it, and three patios with bistro tables and outdoor furniture. We also set up some lawn games for those who wanted to avoid the blaring music inside. The dance began with our DJ playing music from our play list and to our surprise his skills were a 10. He mixed all of our favorite dance tunes, which exceeded our expectations of the standard wedding DJ. I also brought hula hoops which were a big hit on the dance floor the entire night.
The decor was DIY, DIY, DIY. Let’s just say I was a Joann Fabrics regular. Being a Pinterest addict, I found so many great links and ideas for all my decor. My most proud creation was my lighted signs ( “A + P” and “CHEERS” hung above the bar)– made with paper mache letters, spray paint, hot glue gun, and string lights.
Peter’s personal touch (and surprise gift to me) was a hand made wood bench he built. We brought it to the barn and set it up with Sharpies to have our guests sign their names and personal messages to us (our version of a guest book).
All and all the day was 100% true to us and we wouldn’t have done it any different. I can’t express the level of happiness I felt on that day, and I now completely understand the wedding hype. Growing up I never thought that I’d be a traditional bride with a 200 person wedding, but it was truly the best day of my life. I’d happily do it a hundred times over again.
Photography: la de da photography | Floral Designer: Bahia Floral Studio | Wedding Dress: Cymbeline Paris | Stationery: Paper Rock Scissor | Hair: Bespoke Hair Artisans | Venue: The Enchanted Barn | Bridesmaid Dress: J.Crew | Bridesmaid Dress: BHLDN | Bridesmaid Dress: Donna Morgan | Caterers: The Enchanted Barn | Desserts: Bakers Wife, Patisserie 46, Sweet Retreat, and Restaurant Alma | Groom's Appearal: Calvin Klein | Groomsmen Appearal: Calvin Klein | Ring Designer: JB Hudson | Wedding Day Coordinator: Maven | Wedding Dress Boutique: Mestad's Bridal