Summer Sips for your Texas Barn Wedding

It’s wedding season! We love summer weddings and are so excited you’ve decided to have yours on our seventeen acres of southern charm. The Establishment Barn is happy to schedule your tour, just 45 minutes outside of Dallas, here.

As we spring into summer, we have summer sips on our minds. We’ve seen some refreshing drinks take center stage at our wedding venue and happily share them with you here. Perfect for kick-off and poolside parties, during your rehearsal dinner, or at your reception, your guests are sure to love summer’s splendid sips!

Frosé

Frosé is the grownup slush. It’s boozy, yet light and refreshing. And who can resist its blush and ballet slipper hues? Consider serving guests frosés in sugar-rimmed, stemmed glasses. Add a garnish with rosemary or lavender for an over-the-top touch we can’t resist!

Mini Margaritas

Grab some tiny Patron bottles and fill them with top-shelf margaritas. Your guests will love sipping through colorful straws, bottle in-hand, as they mingle during cocktail hour.

Popsicle Prosecco

Freeze popsicles with edible flowers and serve them in prosecco. They’re sure to be Pinterest-worthy with little flowers dancing amid the bubbles. And, as the popsicle melts, the prosecco will sweeten your guests’ drinks with whatever your favorite flavors may be! Summer in a bubbly glass—perfectly sublime!

Signature Mocktails

Create signature mocktails with refreshing ingredients like cucumber, mint, or berries! Add to sparkling water in a tall glass, and guests of all ages will stay cool during your festivities. Want to add some fun? Try a mocktail bar, and let guests add accouterments to fizzy water. Bubbles for the win!

Bourbon and Peach Smash

Pair boozy bourbon with macerated peaches for a match made in cocktail heaven. Your guests will dance happily ever after with this not-too-sweet, super refreshing drink. Add one cube of ice and a sprig of mint, and you’ve found a smash hit that’ll have everyone talking.

Need more tips? We’re full of helpful advice to make your Establishment Barn wedding a dream-come-true. 

Take a Texas Staycation for your Wedding

Staycation Honeymoon? Check out three of our favorite honeymoon spots that are less than three hours away.

Miraval Austin

Austin

This 220-acre, award-winning resort is just about half an hour from Austin. It’s located inside the beautiful Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and is touted as an experiential resort with its natural oasis on Lake Travis. Everything about Miraval is upscale—from your suite, to your linens, to the five-star cuisine. With two infinity pools and an endless list of spa selections, yoga, meditation and outdoor recreation, you’re sure to fall in love . . . with Miraval.

Sage Hill Inn Above Onion Creek

Hill Country

This romantic getaway in the Texas Hill Country offers 15 guest accommodations and a new spa. You’ll want your own private cottage with fireplace, porch and entertainment center. Enjoy the Garden Spa and plush lounge with relaxed seating on their spacious outdoor deck. The Restaurant at Sage Hill serves a prix fixe menu with locally sourced ingredients—including vegetables grown at the inn garden. With a fire pit, hot tub and outdoor pool, this cozy hideaway is a perfect option for a honeymoon staycation.

NYLO Dallas Southside

Dallas

You’ll love the NYLO Dallas Southside for its trendy vibes and young clientele. This eco-friendly lifestyle hotel shows off Dallas’ passion for music, art and the environment. Polished concrete floors, exposed brick walls, and large windows with city views make this exceptional hotel a swanky honeymoon option for couples who want to enjoy the city without breaking the bank.

Still unsure? We are confident, with so many wonderful local options, you’ll find the perfect place to begin your lives together as a couple. And it all starts, right here, at The Establishment Barn. Click here to learn more about our unparalleled wedding experience offerings.

Your Wedding and the Pandemic Pivot

In the wake of our global pandemic, many of you feel like your dream wedding will be just that—a dream. We’ve had client discussions about microweddings, minimonies, and sequel weddings as we’ve all attempted the pandemic pivot. (It almost sounds like a line dance.) Our industry is suffering right alongside you as couples decide to postpone their big day until we return to our new normal. We understand the dilemma; the struggle to move forward with uncertainties in place is real.

But for some couples, postponement isn’t the right option. Many of you have work changes, moves, leases and other commitments that preclude you from putting your life on hold until who-knows-when. It’s time to move forward . . . but how?

Make it a Micro! Slash your guest list to 50 or fewer and you’ll find freedom in moving forward with the wedding of your dreams.  Microweddings are intimate and personal, affording couples the opportunity to add macro-bucks back in the bank account.

Savor the Splurge! With a lighter guest list, you’ll be able to cut back on a lot of expenses. We love seeing couples use this opportunity to splurge. Offer your guests a three-course-dinner in lieu of a buffet or treat guests to top-shelf libations. Swap out your DJ for a local band or splurge on centerpieces. Looking for a clever way to let guests know where to sit? Treat them to sip to their seat with a glass of champagne that features table numbers or place cards. With fewer guests in attendance, you’ll be able to afford those special splurges you pinned to Pinterest years ago.

Play with Personality! There’s never been a better time make it your own. The more you lean into wedding elements that may feel out-of-place during coronavirus, the more you’ll normalize them. We encourage wedding couples to play with personality—offer guests personalized hand sanitizer, arrange for guests to wear masks that match your wedding aesthetic, or create a satellite station with personalized gloves to keep the fun moving along.

If you’d like to chat about moving forward with your summer wedding, contact us to learn how together, we’ll bring your dream wedding to life! Click here to connect with us.

Microweddings with a Macro Experience

It’s been an emotional season. We understand things haven’t gone the way you’d hoped; and if you need a small pity party, we’ll pop the prosecco for you.  But before we get too discouraged about how COVID-19 has turned your wedding celebration upside down, can we talk about the macro experience you can still have with a microwedding?

Microweddings are a fresh, new trend in the wedding industry, offering intimate celebrations with 50 or fewer guests in attendance.  As extraordinary as your original wedding plans, microweddings boast a smaller guest list with richer benefits. They’re inherently more intimate and leave room for creativity; they’re thoughtful, detailed and oh-so-dreamy.

Take all of your big wedding dreams and scale them to a microwedding. You won’t forsake a single detail or any of those special touches you dreamed up. In fact, you may be able to do more because your budget will go further. If you’ve been financially impacted by coronavirus, a microwedding is a great way to save macro bucks. It offers a budget-friendly, simple celebration with every detail in place. Or, for some couples, fewer guests may mean a more lavish wedding—think open bar with top shelf drinks and more peonies than Rachel Parcell could ever dream.

A few of our favorite benefits of a microwedding include:

• They’re small enough for each guest to play an important role
• They offer more time with your guests
• They’re intimate but roomy
• They’re budget-friendly—or allow you to splurge

Your special day doesn’t have to be postponed, and that dream you envisioned is still possible. Microweddings accommodate socially-distanced guests, whose health and safety are your highest priority. Your day will be as unique as this era we’re living in, and as extraordinary as you are.

Click here to learn more about having your microwedding at The Establishment Barn.

Proactive Wedding Planning Amid Pandemic

The pandemic has impacted the wedding industry dramatically, and we’re all shifting with the uncertainties of the season. We know you are too. As the coronavirus continues to cause delays in social gatherings, your wedding date may feel a tad out of reach. You may be wondering when—if—your special day will ever come? It will, we promise. Here are a few ways you can be proactive during the pandemic to ensure fewer surprises for you and your guests along the way.

Rebook now.

The Establishment Barn is rebooking postponed weddings now, with backup options available. With half a million global weddings originally planned for this summer, wedding couples are vying for venues. Contact us to see the available wedding dates.

Send a Change the Date.

Notify your guests of your changes to your wedding. Wedding etiquette experts agree you can send your Change the Date electronically (via text, email or social shares); or you can send a printed Change the Date with the same iconography as your wedding invitation.

We suggest the following copy for your announcement,

Due to the ongoing health emergency of COVID-19, the wedding of Brea Daniels to Will Walker will regrettably not take place on July 11th as originally planned. Please save our new wedding date of November 21^st.

We are grateful for your love, support, and understanding.

Formal invitation to follow

Update your wedding site.

Your wedding site is a quick, efficient way to keep your guests in the loop. Announce changes like date, time, and location; or, post updates regarding travel and accommodations. Use your site to express your gratitude for the ongoing support of your family and friends during this unprecedented time.

Rely on your wedding planner.

Your wedding planner pivoted before we heard the word pandemic. Rely on her to guide you as you stay proactive. She’ll have lots of information about stringent safety measures, social-distancing, customized masks, postponement tips, and why a microwedding may be the right choice for you. She is your wedding expert and is always within reach.

At The Establishment Barn we are thinking of you during this difficult season. We are here to help … and we are booking up quickly. Click here to inquire about available dates for your dream wedding.

Mini Weddings During COVID19

The Skinny on the Mini

We love seeing wedding couples embrace fresh, new trends like minimonies. This complex era we find ourselves in is giving way to creativity and freedom for couples just like you. Eschew the formalities and expectations long held with traditional ceremonies and opt for a minimony for your special day!

So, what exactly is a minimony?

We’re glad you asked.

A minimony is a wedding ceremony with about ten people. It’s an option that has really taken off in light of the pandemic. Minimonies include an officiant and a small group of family and friends. A minimony offers all the most important elements of your wedding, but in a more relaxed setting. You can read your uncut vows, giggle while you kiss, or practice that first dance. Rarely spontaneous, minimonies are celebrations to capture your special day—while still allowing for a sequel wedding down the road.

Minimonies are incredibly meaningful and intimate. Whether they’re simple or lavish, their sweetest gift is togetherness.

If you’d like, minimonies can reflect your original wedding aesthetic and selections. Your pastry chef can whip up a mini wedding cake; your florist can design flowers for your new setting; and your photographer can snap pics of your special ceremony from a safe distance. Many of our wedding clients choose minimonies for their original wedding date. It’s a special way to honor the day you worked so hard to plan. Then, wedding couples often opt for a sequel wedding at The Establishment Barn to celebrate BIG when permitted to do so. (We can’t wait!)

As you look for alternative ways to celebrate your lifetime love, we are happy to provide you information about Mini Weddings During COVID19. Please click here with us to learn more about our minimony wedding options or to check available dates for sequel weddings.

The Establishment Barn

What should you expect on a venue tour of The Establishment Barn? We’re here to tell you what you should be prepared to do and what you should be prepared to feel as you come on a tour at our wedding venue.

Before you come on a tour, you should have a few things prepared. First, know a few details about your upcoming wedding like a day (or a few!) that you would like and your approximate guest count. This will help us and you as you are on a tour. Don’t forget to come with a list of questions, too!

While on the tour, get ready to ask any and all questions! No question is a dumb question, so don’t be afraid to ask anything. We are here to answer all of your questions so that you are prepared when making your final decisions on venues.

You should also be prepared to take notes during your tour. This will help you to remember all of the little details of each venue that you take a look at so that you don’t get them all confused. Not only that, but a venue tour can be an information overload. Taking notes will help you take the information one grain at a time and make the information more manageable.

Lastly, be ready to be so excited about your big day! During and after a venue tour, you will realize how real your upcoming marriage is and you’ll feel all of the emotions about it. Don’t be afraid to talk to us about these emotions during the tour, we love hearing about your excitement!

We would love to give you a tour of our venue and talk about your upcoming big day. Please contact us to get the conversation started.

Terrell Barn Wedding

Your wedding is special down to the last minute, so what should you do for that last minute? Here’s some ideas for your perfect and unique grand exit from our Terrell barn wedding venue.

If you’re a couple that likes things big, go out with fireworks to end out your big day! There can be beautiful pictures from this of you and your now spouse watching these fireworks, as well as, pictures of your guests, too! This will definitely be a wedding exit that none of your guests will be forgetting any time soon.

This option is becoming a classic but is so worth the pictures that you get from it: sparklers! Sparklers will create a fun and beautiful ambiance to end your night on. You’ll get great pictures and your guests will have a fun time with them sparklers!

If you’re looking for something a little different, go for glow sticks! For this, you should make a much smaller tunnel of people to go down so that more color and glow sticks will be in your shot. This is a fun and unique option for the couple that loves color and having unique pictures.

Do you love traveling? Consider paper airplanes as your send off! For this, you can either hand out paper and ask people to make their best airplane or have the paper pre-folded for your guests. This will be a fun send off that is not used too much.

The Establishment Barn is so excited to have you at our barn wedding venue! We can’t wait to see what you plan on for your grand exit because these moments are so special and fun. Feel free to contact us to ask us what is allowed at our venue or to ask any other questions!

DFW Wedding Venue

Getting geared up for your DFW wedding at our barn venue is always fun, but can definitely be a task. We wanted to give you a list of vendors that you should be prepared to have for your wedding day!

First up, you need an officiant! Whether you hire someone or have someone close to you – parent, friend, pastor – this is a vendor that you cannot forget! They will be signing your marriage license to make it official.

Whether you want a live band or a DJ, you can’t forget your music services, either! They will typically be doing the music that you walk down the aisle to, as well as, the music for your reception. They will be in charge of creating the mood through music for your wedding, so you’ll want to go with someone you like and trust.

Next, you’ll need a photographer for your big day! Don’t be afraid to shop around, compare prices, and compare styles. If you have a specific photography style in mind, try going with someone that has done that style before! This will ensure that you get what you want out of your pictures.

Another vendor that you may want is a videographer. You by no means need one, but it is becoming more and more popular to have one for your big day. Having a videographer will allow you to look back on your day with movement and words included rather than only images.

You’ll need a day-of coordinator, too! A day-of coordinator will make sure that everything goes smoothly on your big day and allows you to not have any stress on you.

These are just some of the vendors that you’ll need and want on your big day! Contact us to learn more about our preffered vendors.