A Modern Barn Love Affair

I'm in love with barns. Even the old ratty ones on the side of the road with the metal roof caved in. They look beautiful no matter what shape they're in during this time of year - I see them dotting the bright spring green fields, surrounded by rich yellow mustard flowers and I wonder what they once were and what purpose they served. It's not only the old barns that get me...there are also new barns, somewhat modern, where old movies are watched on wooden side walls in the heat of summer or barns with hay lofts and all the trouble that can be had there.

But the barn I really want to talk about is Barbara's Barn in Napa. I was once lucky enough to attend a party there. As my husband and I drove up to the festivities, a look of delighted shock came over my face. Barbara's Barn was drop dead gorgeous!! And for a barn lover like me, I was at a loss for words. In my wildest fantasies I never pictured something like this existed!

This fabulous barn can be rented for events and parties, but rumor is not weddings. My understanding is they did host a family wedding here once, but you might need to think engagement party or rehearsal dinner instead.

Contact Mint Locations to find out more about renting Barbara's Barn. Here is what I found out about the barn's designer from Key Events:

St. Helena based designer Erin Martin created a nouveau western-style entertaining space in a vintage barn in Napa Valley. In this unexpected environment, vast barn doors open into the chic Western interior where hay bales are topped with natural Belgian linen pillows for eco-friendly seating. The most unique element is the antique English Canoe skeleton hanging by jute rope from the ceiling with all the feeling of a modern chandelier.

Photo source: Sarah at Remodelista

Brian and Kacey - Calistoga Wedding

Brian and Kacey tied the knot back in June at a private estate in Calistoga. This couple, along with their families, were amazing to work with. I can't tell you how much fun I had planning with them the year leading up to the wedding. Take a peek at how the bright summer colors accented with the chocolate brown worked so well with the lush green vineyard backdrop.

One of my favorite elements was the photographer, Kate Nagle, who created an area during the reception where all of the guests could step into a "photobooth" -- a large cardboard cutout that acted as the frame for the photo. She provided the best dress up pieces - fedoras, sunglasses, wigs and boas to name a few, and had guests pose. The images came out fantastic! Brian and Kacey had great snapshots of all of their guests and Kate had a quick form to gather email addresses so that guests could order photos after the wedding.

We did welcome in quite the heat wave that week, and the day reached temperatures of about 102. The best part of the evening was the dance floor that was surrounded the crystal blue pool so at any moment guests could kick off their heels and cool off when needed.

What I loved most about this wedding was how family focused and truly fun the ceremony and reception were. From the bride's dog as the ring bearer to one of the best father daughter dances I have witnessed, this night was all about the guests being welcomed as part of the family.


The happy couple!

The Bride and her Maids - the tea length dresses had chocolate colored sashes.


The ceremony site - on the other side of the white fence are rows and rows of vineyards.

The dapper men head to the ceremony.


Kacey's golden retriever wore the rings tied to her back on the above fabric "saddle." In the processional, Kacey's mom walked the pup down the aisle to deliver the rings to the bride and groom.


On the other side of the wine bottle, the back label is a photo of Brian and Kacey. Each bottle or table number, had a different image from their engagement session.


One of my favorite shots of the day.

White lights make any party automatically festive and fun in my mind.


The bride and groom in the photobooth.

It was an incredibly perfect summer wedding. Thank you to Kacey, Brian and their families for letting me take part in their big day.

Trisha Dean Events
Private Estate, Calistoga, CA - contact Trisha Dean Events for details
Kate Nagle Photography
Claudia K Florist
Knickerbockers' Catering
Classic Party Rentals

Venue Higlight - The Harvest Inn

The Harvest Inn in St. Helena is one of the most beautiful wedding venues. Now, I may be a bit biased because 5 years ago tomorrow, at about this time, I was walking down the vineyard rows with my new husband taking in the Inn's romantic vibe and watching my guests clink wine glasses under the setting sun. So in honor of my anniversary, I am going to brag about how fabulous The Harvest Inn is for a wedding. My top five reasons for getting hitched there...

5) You "own" the venue for the entire day, no other weddings will be performed on site that day. And since it is an Inn, your guests can stay - no need to drive after the big event!

4) The stunning brickwork, lush landscaping and Tudor-like guest cottages make the Inn feel a little bit magical.

3) The service is amazing. Let's just say I had a snafu with my dress on the big day and their staff and my coordinator came together for the big rescue. I may have had to wear a white sheet if it weren't for them. (People, wedding planners/coordinators are a must have on your wedding day - another subject for another post).

2) The access to different locations throughout the wedding. This keeps your guests exploring and enjoying new locations throughout the night. The manor lawn, the library room, the patio over looking the vineyards, the fountain and bridge...I could go on and on.

1) You can get married literally in a vineyard. The patio opens up onto Whitehall Lane's impeccably kept vines. It was the only true vineyard backdrop I found on my search for a wine country wedding without the pain of getting married at an actual winery. The rules at winery can sometimes be tough for a bride to deal with.

I found these great photos over at Project Wedding of Marisa and Mike who also got married at The Harvest Inn. They show great area shots of the venue with the vineyard. You can also check out the galleries on Trisha Dean Events for another Harvest Inn Wedding.













The patio overlooking the vineyards for the ceremony.



















Transformed for the reception.

Photo source: Richard Wood Photographics