Chic Dairy Farm Wedding in Pink and Gray

Stacy Able Photography

From the moment Eric took Audra to his grandparent's old dairy farm she knew the big barn would be the perfect place to have a wedding reception if they were to ever get married — even though they were still quite a ways from getting engaged. When they did get engaged this couple immediately began planning for their big day at the location, using colorful DIY projects to transform the rustic setting into a chic venue. Be sure to view the full gallery here for more details from this chic dairy farm wedding, all magnificently captured by the amazing Stacy Able Photography.

pink and gray cow wedding invites

bridal shoes from American Eagle Outfitters

pink rose bouquet by Fifty Flowers

From the Bride:My dress was simple, light, beautiful, and fit like a glove. I loved every inch of it, but I think I would've either shortened it or bought a dress that was already short if I could do it all over again. I fell in love with the gorgeous buttons down the back and train, so it didn't cross my mind to cut that off when it came to the wedding. But now that the bottom layers of tulle are covered in sawdust, I would change to a short dress in a second.

gray and red bridesmaid dresses

The farm was full of family memories and because that aspect of life is important to us, we started planning the event there immediately after getting engaged. Picking the barn was easy, but the rest was full of hard work and months of cleaning/power washing, leveling dirt and sawdust, painting, and anything else that needed to be done in order for the barn and milking parlor to spring back to life. That is exactly what happened.

bride and groom looks

groom looks from Banana Republic, Aldo & Me and Matilda

On Sunday, the details were coming together in the early morning and I couldn't have asked for better weather: sunny and 75° F. For the ceremony area just north of the barn, Eric, Keith (his dad), and I had built a pergola out of an old tool shed (built by Eric's grandfather, Earl) that had fallen over due to a storm years ago. We were married next to it and when we buy a house in the future, the pergola will be transferred to the backyard as a reminder of his grandpa and the significance of where we were married. My mom is an incredible gardener, so she helped with all the landscaping, which none of that was there before.

wooden guest book by Lorgie

simple outdoor ceremony decoration ideas

farm wedding ceremony

rope braiding ceremony

per•go•la |ˈpərgələ| [noun]: an archway in a garden or park consisting of a framework covered with trained climbing or trailing plants.

barnwood wedding pergola

farm wedding ceremony

When it came to the decorations, I didn't want a lot, because I wanted to make sure the barn was the star. Keeping its integrity was important because of its history and all of the hard work we ended up doing all summer long. I knew I wanted to highlight the beams with pom poms, but I should've calculated how many I wanted because now I'm left with a huge bag full of ready-to-poof-out pom poms! I also used cupcake liners for garland and bought close to 400 of them, in bulk through Etsy. I was using a certain tutorial for the garland, which used 120 liners per strand, but I changed my mind once I started making them, so I have plenty of cupcake liners for baking projects! :)

reception chalk board sign

please seat yourselves sign

barn reception decor ideas

table decoration ideas

sweetheart table ideas

I am a DIY-er. My friends and family will tell you that I am crafty and like to do/make things myself. This is very true, because I tried to DIY my whole wedding by myself, with the exception of cleaning the barn and milking parlor, some of the desserts, landscaping, and other large decorating feats. This was wrong. haha. I asked friends and family for help with the DIY decor in the final weeks until the wedding, when I should've asked the moment I started planning. Do not make this mistake! If you are planning to DIY a lot of things for your wedding, then ask for help. That doesn't mean your friends or family should change the ideas you have for your wedding. It means they help with what you want for your big day!

old farm equipment used as cake table