The Place

(Click the pictures to make 'em bigger.)

The barn, stage and reception area. Oh, and a hot lumberjack.

View from the other side of the barn.

And, saving the best for last... Where we'll say "I DO!"

Living in the boonies, we have a lot of friends with farmland. Which is perfect, because I knew I wanted an outdoor wedding and reception. After all, we went hiking on our first date, and Johnny proposed on top of the same mountain. We don't go to church, so that was not an option, and having it in a country club or fellowship hall or some sterile event facility just didn't seem... us. When you rent a place, you have all these tiresome rules and expenses -- like a rental fee, a list of approved caterers, a far-too-early time for the party to end, etc...

Now, the naive Laid-Back Bride thought having an outdoor wedding would be super cheap-o... It IS cheaper in a lot of ways, because we don't have to pay a rental fee (thank you, kind farm-owning friends!), we can bring in outside food, and we don't need many decorations, because nothing can top Mother Nature's leaf-splosion. But then you have to factor in the cost of a tent ($800 and well-worth it, because no effing way am I tempting Fate like that); renting tables and chairs and tablecloths (close to $1,200... yeesh...); a golf cart to carry the old folks; plus fancy-schmancy port-a-johns with sinks to appease my mother. As for lighting, I'm going to hit up Kmart the day after Christmas and buy a shit-ton of 75%-off white string lights.

So, I still feel like we're saving cash versus formally renting a venue, but the main benefits are non-quantifiable. Like being able to have a bonfire. (I like fire.) And keeping the party going past 11 p.m. Plus, there's plenty of room for our young, broke and rowdy friends to camp at the bottom of the hill, thereby saving them money on hotel rooms AND greatly minimizing the chances some drunk dumbass will get behind the wheel of a car.