This September wedding was the stuff of rustic venue dreams. Brittney and Brent kept true to their theme and mood throughout the day. From the romantic hues of the wedding party dress to the sweet and fun family and friends they brought along with them, they embodied a farm wedding.

Photographs by the amazing Copper Antler Photography.

We loved the fall colors in this lovely bridal party and were head over heels for this gown.

Brittney and Brent's ceremony was short and sweet and focused on their family. Plus, can you not get enough of Brent's face as he sees his bride walk down the aisle? This sweet look is one of my favorite captures of all times. 

The barn was bright and beautiful, decorated with burlap (right down to the wedding party flowers, all handmade) and excellent lighting. The desserts were a highlight: Brittney and Brent made an amazing display piece for some seriously yummy cupcakes by Steph's Sweet Treats. 

It was so clear to all of us that these two share an amazing bond, a great sense of humor, and a true love. From the first look to the last dance, Brent couldn't keep his eyes off Brittney. Thank you both for letting us be a part of your day - we couldn't have been more honored to be there. Congratulations!

The bunny has been busy! The Easter Bunny visited us this week and helped us prepare for Breakfast. From sweeping the floors to stuffing the goody bags, the bunny helped us get all ready for Easter!

We'll be serving up our breakfast on Sunday, March 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. We hope to see you at the farm for our third Breakfast with the Easter Bunny! For more information, check out our event website.

Have a lovely Easter season, all!

Booking a venue is a huge step in your wedding planning. It's also a huge part of the look and feel of your day...and often the most significant portion of your budget. When looking for venues, you want to make sure you cover all your bases, so it's good to ask a lot of questions. In tours and throughout the planning process, I field a lot of questions and I'm happy to do so, because each one clarifies a little piece of the whole venue rental package.

From our own experience, we've put together a pretty long list of questions for you to consider when looking for a venue. Although by no means exhaustive, this list is a starter guide when talking with a site contact or venue coordinator. Check it out and ask away!

RENTAL FEES/AVAILABILITY

• Is my date available? What are the available dates?
• Is there a timeline for booking the date I'm interested in?
• What is the rental fee and what is included in that price? 
• Are any discounts available for off-season or Sunday-Friday dates? 
• What is required to book a date?
• How much is the deposit? Is it refundable?
• Is the deposit a booking fee separate from the rental fee or is it taken off the overall rental fee?
• ​What is the cancellation policy? 
• Are tables, chairs, linens, tables, silverware, and glassware provided or do I need to rent them myself?

SPACE/RULES

• How many people can this location accommodate? 
• Is there more seating available? What does it cost?
• Are there areas for bridal parties to get ready? 
• Is the site and venue handicap accessible?
• Is there a place for coats to be hung (for winter months)?
• ​Is the space heated? Does it have air conditioning? 
• Are there restrooms provided? Indoor or outdoor?
• Is there parking on-site?
• Is there a curfew on events? If so, what time?
• What happens if someone damages something?
• What are the guidelines for alcohol consumption?
• What expectations do you have of my bridal party and guests?
• When are all the remaining costs due?

CEREMONY

• Do you have ceremony spaces available?
• What is the package pricing for a ceremony? 
• Do you provide an officiant or do I need to? 
• Is the ceremony rental separate from the reception rental?
• How many hours do I get for my ceremony?
• What is your weather contingency plan for outdoor ceremonies?
• Is there an on-site coordinator available during my ceremony?
• When can I do my rehearsal?

DECORATING

• When can I decorate? When can my vendors set up? 
• What are your decorating guidelines/restrictions? 
• How much assistance can I get with the setup/décor?
• Do I need to take my decorations out the night of my wedding?
• Do you work with any decorators?
• Can I use a ladder to decorate?

CATERING/BEVERAGE

• Must I use in-house catering or can I hire my own cater?
• What facilities are available to off-site caterers?
• Is there a food and beverage tasting available? Is there an additional charge for this?
• Can I bring in my own dessert items?
• Is there a cake-cutting fee?
• Do you provide the utensils for dessert items or do I need to provide those?
• What are the food and beverage costs per person? What is the tax? Is there a service charge?
• Can I bring in my own beverages or does that need to be provided by the venue?
• Are you licensed to provide alcohol service? If so, is alcohol priced per person? By consumption? Are there additional charges for bar staff?
• Is there a bar minimum that must be met before the conclusion of the event?
• What is the average bar tab for the number of people attending my event?
• What type of dinner service is provided (buffet, family, plated)?
• ​Can you accommodate dietary restrictions? 
• Do you have children's meals available?
• Do you provide bartenders and servers or is there an additional cost for this?
• Can you accommodate a champagne toast and what is the charge for this? 
• Is there a basic beverage service provided with the meal?
• When do I need to have my menu decided and my final numbers to you? 
• Must I clean up after the meal or is staffing provided for that?

VENDORS 

• Do my baker and any other vendors need to be licensed?
• Can I hire my own vendors or must I select from a preferred vendors list?
• Do you have a preferred vendors list?
• Can you recommend vendors for me?

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

• Do you offer on-site coordination? If so, what services are included and is there an additional charge for them? Will the coordinator supervise do on the day of my wedding?
• Do you have signage that I can use to direct my guests or is this something I must provide?
• Can I bring my dog?
• Can you split my bill?
• Can we do my engagement pictures here or can my photographer visit prior to my wedding?
• Can I email you if I have questions, like for how many centerpieces I'll need?
• Will you send me a room design of the space?

INSURANCE/EXPERIENCE

• Does your venue have liability insurance? 
• Do I need to purchase my insurance?
• How many weddings do you do a year and how long have you been doing this?
• What things have gone wrong at past weddings and how have you handled them?
• What do you suggest I do for [insert special request or situation here]? 

If you have questions specific to our venue or if you're looking for more information, I'm always here to help! Visit our bridal site to fill out our information request or email me at [email protected]. Looking forward to talking with you!

A decade or so ago, the farm workshop was a pig farrowing barn. But today no swine smell lingers. Now when you walk through the doors, you catch whiffs of cut wood, Danish oil, sap, and wood glue. No oinks, but the whir of saw blades and the scratch of sandpaper. And instead of pigs, you'll meet Bruce, the farmer turned artist, working away on his latest wood project. 

"Well, I was bored," says Bruce with his big smile. "I retired and I needed something to do and to keep out of Judy's (his wife's) way."

What he found was a hobby that keeps him both busy and challenged. His shop is littered with scrap wood, printed versions of project ideas he's found on Pinterest, pieces of paper with scribbled dimensions and important notes, and a variety of stains and paints he's been experimenting with. His shop isn't messy, man - it's creative. 

Since he started, Bruce has become an expert in Pinterest, browsing the idea site for anything new and challenging, for things to make just for fun and for things that make practical sense for the farm.

Some of our favorite pieces are his mosaics, which are made from old pieces of scrap wood. He painstakingly cuts each small piece to size and shape, then glues them all together according to a preset pattern. These projects can take a few hours or a few days, and Bruce has created them in a variety of sizes and shapes, from the large barn quilts that hang in the barn to smaller pieces in a variety of designs, including a feather that hangs in my house. (And upon visiting his shop to write this blog, I found more feather pieces, which means I'm going to have quite a few Bruce originals in my house!)

And the practical projects he's worked on have been just as great. Bruce made napkin holders for the tables that we use for our public events, sanded and stained some beautiful old pieces of wood for our bar menu, and made all of our high chairs. So many of the pieces we use on a daily basis have come right from Bruce's shop.

In the past few months, Bruce has been working on smaller projects to sell during our fall season, and also spent about a week making a grand throne, which the Easter Bunny will have the honor of sitting in at our Breakfast at the end of the month!

For Bruce, tinkering away at projects and coming up with new ideas is a great way to stay busy and have fun. But like most of the Vespermans, this hobby is also about finding a way to contribute to the farm's business and history, and so many of his pieces reflect his attention to and care for the farm where he's spent his life. From re-purposing old barn wood that keeps this history of this place alive to making pieces that enhance the experience of people enjoying the farm now, Bruce isn't just one of the most useful guys on the farm, he's also one of the sweetest. 

Sometimes you meet a wedding party who just know how to have fun, and Cassie and Josh's closest friends and family knew how to have it in oodles. This group of people were a blast. From the minute they got to the farm to the last dance, they celebrated the love...and made sure we enjoyed ourselves, too!

Cassie and Josh embraced a lot of barn wedding essentials for their day: casual attire (we love the jeans on the groomsmen!); boots, especially for the bride; bright colors and florals; and an overall easy-going vibe that allowed everyone to cut loose and enjoy themselves to the fullest. 

Photos by Shannon Ready: Photographer.

The delicious cake and cupcakes were made by Mrs. B's Bakery in Boscobel. 

Yellow is always a favorite summer color, and this wedding party was bright and celebratory. 

Congratulations, Cassie and Josh. We hope you keep dancing the nights away!