Hey there! So it's been awhile since I have posted, we've been crazy busy trying (notice the use of the word trying) to get some wedding decisions made. Including meeting with photographers and venue tours! Sounds fun right? Should be, but the whole making a decision on a wedding venue seems to be really challenging for the queen of indecisiveness, yours truly! We recently toured The Enchanted Barn in Hillsdale, WI. I have some pros and cons;
Lets start with the positives! The Enchanted Barn is a BEAUTIFUL rustic barn, perfect for a shabby-chic wedding! The coordinator (Kimberly) is very sweet and seems like a great person to work with! The venue also provides an all-inclusive package which I think is awesome!
As for the negatives, it's in the middle of absolute nowhere! A 2-hour drive from the Twin Cities which in reality isn't bad/almost necessary for someone looking for a venue away from it all but the nearest hotels are 30 miles away! This posses some problems, DWI's might put a damper on the whole celebration thing! Also, for being so "away from it all" it is located on a residential street with a trailer house directly across the road from it... I wasn't a fan. It is also literally almost on the road, much to my dismay there wasn't the beautiful winding drive to the entrance that I had been hoping for! Ugh! My biggest issue was the lack of plumbing, I really never pictured myself on my wedding day going to the bathroom in a porta-pottie with a big wedding gown on! No thanks! Lastly, there is not a bridal suite or grooms suite for the bride, groom, and wedding party to get ready in which I feel is a necessity!
Side note: There are future plans to install plumbing, possibly for the 2012 season but for sure for the 2013 wedding season.
Overall, the venue is totally gorgeous and fits the description for any shabby-chic inspired wedding. If you are looking for a barn venue, I do recommend checking this one out! It just may be your perfect fit! As for my day in particular, it unfortunately doesn't meet all our needs... I guess my search for the perfect venue continues!
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| Road The Enchanted Barn is located on. |
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| The Enchanted Barn. |
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| Basement of The Enchanted Barn. (Location for cocktail hour) |
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| Sitting area as well as location for bride to dress. |
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| Bar area. |
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| The Enchanted Barn interior. |
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| Ceiling and candle votives. (Lighting fee is $25.00) |
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| Smile! Daniel on the walkway. |
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| The view. |
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| The neighborhood. |
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Entrance to The Enchanted Barn.
The new addition on the left (used for storage by owner as of now). Also, the enclosure for the porta-potties is visible, right under the walkway.
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Our daughter had her wedding here in July. The new bathrooms are completed (and really nice). I was surprised to read about the trailer across the road because when the leaves are on the trees, you can't see the road or the trailer. We did use shuttle buses from hotels in Menomonie and that worked out great. All in all, I was skeptical of this venue, but I cannot tell you how wonderful and magical it was--horses on the hillside, fireflies, children playing on the lawn, and a variety of seating areas (indoor and outdoor) for guests. It was truly magical. Our guests can't stop raving about what a beautiful wedding it was...
ReplyDeleteThank-you for your reviews of the venue!!! For my own wedding, I was originally deterred because of some of those reasons! It is wonderful to hear that the bathrooms have been completed and that guest accommodations and shuttle system worked great! This venue definitely encompasses everything I had pictured for my dream wedding and your daughter's day sounds like a fairy tale! I have yet to decide on a venue so your input really has me wanting to look back into the venue! Thank-you!
ReplyDeletehave you picked a venue? We are interested in The Enchanted Barn but haven't seen it in person yet - would be interested in other "unique" venues that you may have found, if you don't mind sharing
DeleteThanks.... I haven't read your entire blog so don't know if you are still planning or if your wedding day is over already