Barns and marquees are the two most popular venues for outdoor events, rustic-themed weddings, and gatherings. Both of these venues tend to be blank canvases that you can style and decorate to create a specific mood and ambiance for your day, which is why they attract a creative couple.
However, what are the benefits and drawbacks of each style, and do any of them favor a particular wedding style?
Here are key factors to consider when choosing between the two.
Decide your Favorite Style for your Big Day to Choose the Perfect Venue
Are you seeking a traditional English vintage tea party, a festival atmosphere, or a whimsical, romantic, gritty, quirky event? Both venues can be customized to reflect the desired day. But marquees are ideal for a whimsical, romantic, traditional, or tea party-esque style. The white draped background in marquees beautifully complements pink roses, vintage tea cups, bunting, and chevalier chairs.
A barn wedding venue can be helpful if you want something quirky and vibrant or rustic and grungy. In this venue, the earthy tones, hessian, and coarser textures—such as hay bales, tractor wedding trucks, old iron lanterns, or a hog roast—are beautifully complemented by the background of authentic wood, old brick, and towering ceilings.
Consider How Much Your Family & Friends are willing to Contribute.
A marquee takes more effort! Although it is a unique and impressive feature, it requires a complete blank canvas for the event. It just has a floor and white draped walls. You should consider all the amenities you need, such as a dance floor, lighting, a bar, a food space, etc. Once more, it means you have complete control over each element. For example, if you want a vintage bar constructed out of two old beer barrels and a train sleeper, you can have it! You can include a beanbag area and low seats to give the place a nightclub vibe!
In contrast to a blank marquee, which looks sorry for itself until you work your magic on it, a barn’s architecture—giant real wood beans, gorgeous rust-red brickwork, wooden floors, and enormous windows—will make it seem lovely even with the most basic adornment.
Set a Budget
A marquee is typically more expensive due to additional costs such as toilets, bars, flooring, and lighting. Barn weddings often offer package deals that include food, drink, and canapes, allowing you to pay for most of your wedding in one price. However, the first venue offers flexibility in design, allowing for customization of canapes, drinks, and meal options, though costs may increase for extras.
You can choose a single provider for the canapés, a cocktail bar for the beverages, a Michelin-starred chef for the food, or fish and chips for the dinner. Your friends can make and purchase sandwiches and cakes for your tea party. No one needs to pay for drinks all night long because you can buy all the alcohol yourself. Barn locations often do not offer these flexibilities.
Choosing b/w Barn and Marquee Based on weather Conditions
It is reciprocal. Gorgeously adorned marquees on a good, sunny day are the perfect choice. You can envision the scene: croquet is played on the grass, champagne is provided, an acoustic guitar is playing beneath the trees, kids are running beneath your feet, and the mood is ideal and instantly established. But what if it starts to rain? Before they eat, do you have anything planned for the next few hours? Are there any dry, warm places for folks to go?
While a barn venue provides the amenities needed to enjoy pleasant weather? Many establishments have cozy leather couches, wood-burning stoves, and autumnal colors, making them ideal for the colder, darker months. However, if the weather is pleasant, you want to be able to invite visitors outside. Is there a sizable outdoor space there? Can you design it well? You don’t want your decorating hidden inside if people spend most of the day outside.
