| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Forrester Farm |
Posted - Apr 12 2007 : 08:39:55 AM
Just curious if anyone here rents out their barns for weddings. I just had a quick conversation with my neighbor who was leaving for her home in Tenn. We will talk further when she returns to MI, but...she has the beautiful barn and setting, I do the flowers and more. Both of our wheels were spinning. Just so happens that there is a quaint country church on 4 acres right next to her barn that is on the market. The asking price is high, but the ideas are rolling thru my head. The church has been used for screen printing for the past several years. All great things begin with a dream.
Ann
http://annforrester.tohe.com
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| 21 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Forrester Farm |
Posted - May 07 2007 : 05:32:39 AM
I was flipping thru a magazine last night and the barn that Emily had sent me a website for was featured in the magazine as one of the "Very Important Places" to host an event in the Lake Michigan area. The magazine covered venues from Chicago to Sutton's Bay, MI. I think that I might have to take a road trip! The site for that particular location is www.bluedressbarn.com
Ann
http://annforrester.tohe.com |
| Alee |
Posted - May 03 2007 : 12:35:39 PM
Ann-
It sounds like you have been crazy busy! Let us know how things are going when you get a chance to catch your breath!
Alee |
| Forrester Farm |
Posted - May 03 2007 : 09:56:01 AM
Sorry that it took me so long to reply again. What a whirlwind this has been! I really appreciate all of the links that you all have forwarded on. They are all helpful! The owner was home from TN this past weekend. We spent hours together working on details. The baby is growing! Between getting my own garden ready for the local farmer's market, working with brides that were already scheduled with flowers, TOHE - the bridal registry opens later this week, 2 expo's in 2 weeks, and making sure that my family is properly taken care of - I've not spent much time touching base on MJF.
I really appreciate the feedback that you have all given!
Blessings,
Ann
http://annforrester.tohe.com |
| westernhorse51 |
Posted - Apr 26 2007 : 05:58:21 AM
everytime I see this Barn Wedding post it sounds better & better. You can do this. People will love it.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
| Cindy Lee |
Posted - Apr 25 2007 : 8:30:53 PM
I didn't read through all of this thread so if I'm repeating....sorry. I just got my Country Women magazine and it show several "barn" weddings and they are WONDERFUL! Check it out if you get a chance. Cindy |
| Marybeth |
Posted - Apr 25 2007 : 5:39:57 PM
Ann, hows it going with the barn ideas? Here is another website in a small town south of us.
www.countrysidemeadows.com It is beautiful and it shows prices and what all that covers. MB
www.strawberryhillsfarm.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com www.holyhouses-day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
| elah |
Posted - Apr 20 2007 : 05:38:17 AM
Ann-
I just emailed you the info for the barn reception hall here in SW Michigan. Please keep us posted! |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 17 2007 : 09:31:25 AM
Ann-
It sounds like you would have tons of fun and be great at hosting these types of weddings and events.
How did the house look? Would it need a lot of remodeling to be a B&B or Event center?
Excited for you-
Alee |
| elah |
Posted - Apr 17 2007 : 05:08:52 AM
Very good idea! My husband and I just moved to SW Michigan and when we were looking for houses in the country we drove by the most beautiful barn with a sign in front saying that it was a reception hall. I just checked in the phone book and I couldn't find it but I'll see if I can remember where it's at and drive out there sometime this week or next to get you their info. It might be worth a field trip!
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| Past Blessings |
Posted - Apr 16 2007 : 11:08:55 PM
I love the idea of a barn wedding! I hope one day one of my boys decide upon something like that. And, you can save money in other ways, as the decor is so simple. The pews can be bales straw if there are no chairs, the flowers should be simple wild flowers . . . anything else would look out of place . . . a pretty bouquet of daisies, cosmos, black-eyed susans, etc. Even the wedding attire can be simpler and therefore less costly. I saw one wedding (we were up at the lake and it was a barn wedding at a lake!) that I couldn't help but to snoop at from a distance. The bride and her father rode in on a wagon pulled by big work horses. Then she got off right at the barn entrance. At the end of the wedding, the couple rode off together in the wagon. For the reception, if you could hire fiddlers and have a "hoe down" it would be fabulous.
Best of luck! If this materializes we all want to see lots of pics!
Hugs & blessings!
Brenda
Past Blessings . . . Celebrating Life as it used to be . . . when people loved God, loved their families and loved their country. |
| Forrester Farm |
Posted - Apr 16 2007 : 7:18:48 PM
Marybeth and Alee,
Thank you so much for those links! I just went thru the house and walked around the property tonight. This weekend was a blur with a Healthy Lifestyle expo that I was a vendor at, a women's retreat for our church, my husband throwing a surprise birthday party for me, and playing catch up with house and kids. I'll be able to spend some more time on all of this tomorrow.
To answer your question Alee, I've been working with flowers for years, and have been involved with weddings for about 3 years. Including family, 5 years. I've planned and been involved with a variety of large events. In some ways this seems like a very natural progression based on all that I've done in the past. There is a lot to consider though....including children and husbands :)!
Shelle, what part of OK are you from? I went to college in Tulsa. Loved it there!
Little side note: While at the Healthy Lifestyle Event, I passed out some of the new "farmgirl" cards that Carol designed for our chapter events. There may be some new Michigan "farmgirls at heart" joining the discussion boards soon. The cards are great!
I'll spend more time on those links tomorrow and welcome any more. Thank you again for the encouragement and support!
Ann
http://annforrester.tohe.com |
| Marybeth |
Posted - Apr 13 2007 : 6:37:12 PM
Ann, I couldn't get hold of the people down the road with the older fixed up barn but I did get a website for a really neat place in Stanwood that is fairly new. It is beautiful. I pass it all the time. www.tazervalleyfarm.com try it. OK? MB
www.strawberryhillsfarm.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com www.holyhouses-day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 13 2007 : 6:13:38 PM
This is such a wonderful idea! I hope that you are able to make it work. Do either of you have wedding planning experience? Weddings can take a lot of work behind the scenes but it sure is worth it for the finished product.
I did some googling. Here are some links to look at:
http://www.robquist.com/lodgeatsweetwater/weddings.html
http://www.beaumontranch.com/services/listings/l0001.html
http://www.fearrington.com/house/weddingbarn.asp
http://www.elmsbarnweddings.co.uk/
Alee
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| shelle |
Posted - Apr 13 2007 : 2:55:32 PM
Wow what a interesting idea! I really like it. I can imagine all the cool ideas going around in your head on this. There are so many possibilities that you could do that I bet your head is spinning!!
Shelle
http://janzenfamilyjournal.blogspot.com/ |
| Forrester Farm |
Posted - Apr 13 2007 : 11:28:38 AM
I will keep you posted. Thanks for the encouragement. I found the link for the barn that you mentioned, Shannon. It is www.greenvilla.us. I sat at my son's band concert last night just jotting all the ideas down and thanking God for opportunities!
Ann
http://annforrester.tohe.com |
| westernhorse51 |
Posted - Apr 13 2007 : 05:17:34 AM
Ann, it sopunds perfect, what a great idea. It's at your fingertips. Keep us informed.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
| Buttercup |
Posted - Apr 12 2007 : 7:52:23 PM
Ann,
So exciting! It sounds like a lovely setting for a beautiful country wedding! If you could make the house seem private from the barn and church you might be able to do the B&B and weddings and events all on the same land/area and do very well! If you bought the church maybe you could combine events/weddings and a decorating for special occassions business and partner with her barn for receptions and events and maybe figure out together how to make the B&B work? Do keep us posted...am so excited for you if you make it work!!! I wish you the very best!
Hugz!
Talitha
"If we could maintain the wonder of childhood and at the same time grasp the wisdom of age, what wonder,what wisdom,what life would be ours" |
| Forrester Farm |
Posted - Apr 12 2007 : 09:46:05 AM
My neighbor just called me from her drive to talk more. Wheels are spinning - for the house, barn and whole property. She has 10 acres. Beautiful house that has recently been doubled in size. Eventually, she and her husband were going to make it into a B&B, but health and work issues took them to Tenn.
I'd love to see links for any locations that you can think of. The barn does need a new floor, but the house is amazing and the possibilities are endless.
Marybeth and Shannon, if you find links to either of those locations that you mentioned I'd love to see them. Thank you!
Ann
http://annforrester.tohe.com |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Apr 12 2007 : 09:14:04 AM
A friend of ours got married last summer at a horsefarm in Burlington, Kentucky. They kindof renovated a barn into a reception hall center. It was a really lovely wedding all the way around. I tried to find a link for you, but I couldn't. Sorry.
Sounds like you've got your wheels spinning! Good luck--in this market, it never hurts to make an offer that's lower, you know.
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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| Love-in-a-Mist |
Posted - Apr 12 2007 : 08:59:26 AM
There is a barn rental in our town, that the people charge $2,500 for 4 hours. Even so it's always booked. THis sounds like a wonderful idea, it would probably pay for itself. I would definitly research it. |
| Marybeth |
Posted - Apr 12 2007 : 08:44:45 AM
It sounds wonderful AND...if the price is right .......You just never know. Down the road from us is a huge barn the owners have turned into a event barn. Keep those wheels turning. MB
www.strawberryhillsfarm.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com www.holyhouses-day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
