How to decorate a barn or blank-canvas venue for your wedding

Planning a wedding in a blank-canvas space is exciting, but it also takes a lot of planning! We've gathered up some of the things you need to know before getting started, including what you might need to supply yourself and some decor ideas. 

What is a barn venue?

Barn venues can include any renovated barns, farms, steadings, byres and stables that are now used for celebrations. They'll often include original features, repurposed rooms, have outdoor space and be a blank canvas for you to personalise.

What is a blank-canvas venue?

While some venues will have lots of furniture, furnishings, and decor, which may or may not suit your tastes, a blank-canvas venue might not have any of these things, so you've got more freedom to customise it to suit your event.

It really is a blank canvas for you to style as you please. 

What does a blank-canvas barn, byre, stable or steading venue include for weddings?

You'll need to check with the individual venue exactly what is included when booking your wedding, but often a blank-canvas barn will include just the venue space. 

Some places will have the option to supply or hire furniture, crockery and some decor items, but many venues will require you to book other suppliers to cover this. 

What does a blank-canvas barn or farm venue not include for decorating weddings?

You might have to book everything to fill the space including chairs for the ceremony and reception, lounge furniture, tables, tablecloths, crockery and cutlery, all of the decor and flowers. 

Check with your venue whether things like lighting and toilets are included and what its rules are if you'd like to hire out its items. 

See our list of top barn, farm and steading wedding venues

How to decorate a barn venue for your wedding

Once you know everything that is and isn't included with your venue hire, you can start thinking about how to decorate the barn to bring your wedding vision to life. 

Keep reading for ideas for rustic, cosy and colourful weddings...

Make use of the venue's features

Chances are you fell in love with your chosen barn or farm for its charming stone walls, rustic wooden beams or scenic gardens and rural setting. So aim for enhancing the space without overwhelming it or adding in a decor scheme that doesn't quite go. 

Rustic barn wedding decor

Table runners

Long wooden tables are quite common in a barn venue to fit the dimensions and the aesthetic of the space.

Draping fabric along the centre of the table adds colour, texture and dimension to a tablescape while allowing the wood of the table to show, in keeping with the rustic theme. 

Hanging flowers and greenery

It's not just about what you can see at eye-level that adds to the atmosphere of a space; having some kind of greenery hanging down from the ceiling can add to the rustic and natural feeling of being in a barn. 

A flower canopy, or cloud, like this one made by The Greenshed Flower Studio enhances a dining space without taking up any room on the table. 

Check out how to find the right centrepieces for your reception space

Handwritten signage 

It doesn't necessarily have to be you that writes out your wedding details, but a handwritten welcome sign adds to the rustic feeling and sets the tone for the day. There are plenty of stationery suppliers with amazing calligraphy skills to check out. 

We love the look of an order of the day on a chalkboard or a repurposed pallet. 

Naked wedding cakes 

Topped with flowers or fruit, this 'bare' style of cake feels a good match for summer farm weddings. 

Metal or wooden lanterns 

Large floor-standing lanterns look great at the entrance to the venue or as part of your aisle decor, and can add a warm glow as day turns to night.

Wooden ladders and crates

Perfect for displaying photos or holding other sentimental pieces of decor, a rustic wooden ladder or wooden crate boxes can add some interest to your space. 

Add in some painted wooden initials, flowers, candles, photos from your grandparents' weddings or vintage books to complete the look. 

Milk churns as vases

For a farm wedding, why not display your flowers in large metal milk churns?

Other ideas for displaying flowers with the barn aesthetic in mind include wellies, watering cans and terracotta plant pots. 

Decor for a cosy barn wedding

A big open barn can be made to feel warm and cosy with the right touches...

Fairy lights or festoon lighting

A must for outdoor (and sometimes indoor) spaces for your evening reception, fairy lights or festoon lighting add a touch of magic to any room. Check if this is something your venue already has available or if you'll need to hire it in.

Greenery, branches and flowers 

Seek out a florist whose work you think fits your vibe and check out how they've decorated steadings or stables before.

For example, branches with a scattering of flowers and fairy lights can help fill empty spaces and add levels and dimension to your set up. 

Bunting

There's no shortage of ideas for colours and patterns of wedding bunting. If you're a keen crafter you could even have a go at making it yourself.

Pro tip: pastel colours look great against wooden beams!

Brass or gold details 

From candlesticks to table number displays, if you're adding some metal pieces into your decor, brass or gold ties in well to a cosy farm theme. 

Mismatched furniture 

If you do need to hire your own furniture, why not have fun with it? Take a look at venue decor hire companies, and pick out some of their cool armchairs and couches or wicker seats to create a playful photo area or space to relax. 

Candles 

Candles add a beautiful warm glow to your ceremony aisle and to your reception as centrepieces. There will likely be plenty of spaces in your barn venue to place groupings of pillar candles of various heights, so keep this in mind when viewing it. 

Check with your venue if real candles are allowed, as many places will only allow artificial flames. 

Drapery 

Incorporate your wedding colour scheme into the space with elegantly draped fabric over an arch, covering a section of wall, on chairs, or framing a doorway or window. 

How to have a colourful barn wedding 

Don't be afraid to add colour throughout the venue in the form of flowers and decor for amazing photographs.

Neon signs

Whether it says your new married name or something fun to encourage everyone to dance, drink and be merry, a neon sign looks great as a part of a backdrop for your top table or to welcome guests into the reception.

Assorted flower vases 

Displaying a few flowers in different size (and colour if you like) vases creates interesting heights and texture in your decor. You can use these along your aisle as well as for your centrepieces – they work particularly well for long tables. 

Colourful flowers 

Typically farms, stables and byres are fairly neutral in their design, so don't be afraid to add in pops of colour with bright bouquets throughout the venue. 

Ceremony arch 

To decorate what is most likely a plain ceremony space, an arch or other ceremony backdrop is a must for a barn wedding. 

Choose from a rounded arch, rectangular arch or a moon gate and then start adding flowers and fabric to brighten up the space. 

You can also move the arch to sit behind you at the top table to make the most of it and avoid paying twice for your floral decor. 

If you've still to choose your colour scheme, we've got some gorgeous wedding palettes to inspire you!

Dried flower confetti 

To be in keeping with the natural barn vibe, as well as add a bit of colour to your confetti photos, forget white paper confetti and instead opt for dried petals. 

With some patience and green fingers you can make this yourself, or buy it from a confetti supplier. 

Colourful lanterns 

For an airy yet bright splash of colour, why not source some round lanterns in various colours and sizes to hang from the ceiling? 

Looking for more inspirtion for your farm wedding? You can see even more barn wedding decor ideas on our Pinterest.