Just engaged? Congratulations! If you’ve just about come back down to earth after a whirlwind of happy tears, celebrations and lots of champagne, you’re probably starting to think about the big day and what your dream wedding might look like.

If you’re looking to plan the perfect barn wedding, you’re in good company. Barn weddings are quickly becoming the go-to choice for couples who want to put their own stamp on their day. The flexibility a barn wedding venue offers means it’s easy to create your ultimate big day – something that’s really important to the whole team at The Barns at Delbury Hall.

We love the rustic-chic vibe of a barn wedding and think our venue is something rather special. The Barns at Delbury Hall is a picturesque and romantic setting for any big day, surrounded by acres of idyllic Shropshire countryside. If you’re searching for a barn wedding venue in Shropshire, take a look at our blogs and our Instagram to get an idea of the many different kinds of real weddings we’ve hosted over the years.

Ready to get started? Here’s our guide to planning the ultimate barn wedding.

Choosing the right barn wedding venue

First things first, you need to find the right wedding venue that suits you and the kind of day you have in mind.

Capacity: It’s important to have a rough guest list drawn up before you start the venue hunt. After all, you need a venue which can accommodate all your guests for the day. Capacity is crucial so make sure you check on your venue’s website that their numbers align with yours before you even book a viewing.
Location: One of the big draws of a barn wedding is that they usually come with a beautiful, rural backdrop. If you love the idea of a countryside celebration, a barn wedding is a great option, but you need to make sure it’s easy for guests to get to. You may feel as though you’re a million miles from anywhere at The Barns at Delbury Hall, but we’re easily accessible by car (with a large car park on-site) and just over 10 minutes from the nearest train station.
Facilities: Consider whether you want a barn wedding with on-site accommodation, for the night before, the day of the wedding or both. Check if your barn venue has plenty of toilets, parking, good heating, a quiet space where you can freshen up during the day, lots of outdoor space for photos and room for dancing in the evening.
Accessibility: Check whether your barn venue is accessible for wheelchair users or those with mobility issues. Look for ramp access, wide and even pathways and ground-level, spacious toilets.

Ultimately, finding the perfect barn wedding venue comes down to that gut feeling. We’ve had many couples say to us that they knew The Barns at Delbury Hall was the right venue from the moment they arrived, and it’s the greatest compliment they can give!

Think about the ceremony

Another big consideration before you book your barn venue is whether it’s licensed for ceremonies or not. If you want to stay in one place for the whole of your wedding day, look for a venue which is licensed – even better if it has a choice of ceremony spaces for saying ‘I do’. If you have your heart set on a religious ceremony, check to see if there is a nearby church you can use. The Barns at Delbury Halls has all of your ceremony needs covered, with the choice of a civil ceremony in our beautiful Coach House Barn, an alfresco ceremony under The Pergola in our Foxglove Garden, or a church service at St Peter’s Church, situated just at the end of Delbury Hall’s garden.

Pick your big day style

Now you’ve got the venue booked, you can decide on a style or theme for your day. With high ceilings and exposed brick walls, barn wedding venues are often a stylish blank canvas for you to add your own touches. Whether you opt for rustic chic, a boho vibe, vintage styling, or an elegant, natural feel, it’s really helpful to find a look you love and base your big day styling around it. If you’re struggling for inspiration, check out some of our real weddings or head to Pinterest for endless big day inspo.

Choose your décor

To DIY or not to DIY, that is the question! A barn wedding really gives you free rein when it comes to big day décor, so take time to think about what might work in the space and how far your skills and time can stretch if you want to do it yourself.

Some of the big trends for wedding décor in 2025 are:

Colourful flowers: We’re talking bold and beautiful blooms in a kaleidoscope of shades. Colour pop flowers are huge for 2025 and would look so cool against a rustic barn backdrop.
Greenery: 2025 is the year for embracing greenery as the main event. Think voluminous ferns, fragrant eucalyptus and trailing ivy framing the aisle, as table centrepieces or running along the top table.
Hanging installations: If you’re crafty, why not create your own hanging sign – maybe ‘Mr & Mrs/Mrs & Mrs/Mr & Mr’, ‘We decided on forever’, or something quirky like ‘Till death do us party’?

The corkage question

Do you want to use your venue’s bar, or would you prefer to bring your own drinks for the post-ceremony reception and meal? If it’s the latter, you need a barn venue with no corkage fee. The Barns at Delbury Hall doesn’t charge corkage, as we want to give you the freedom to have your day, your way. It’s important to check ahead of booking if you really want to provide your own champagne, wine or whatever else for your wedding breakfast drinks.

Plan the food

Food is such a big part of any wedding, so ask to hear about your barn venue’s wedding breakfast menus at the viewing stage. The great thing about a barn wedding is that most venues offer some flexibility when it comes to food. Whether you fancy a traditional sit-down three-course meal, an on-trend grazing platter, laid-back BBQ buffet or elegant Afternoon Tea, it’s your call. If you want to have a look at some of the menu options available at The Barns at Delbury Hall, click here.

Arrange accommodation

If your barn venue offers accommodation it’s worth booking it up for your close family and friends who make up the immediate wedding party, before offering it out to other guests. If your venue doesn’t have enough rooms on-site for all your guests, put together a list of local hotels, B&Bs, and pubs with rooms and send these out with your invites.

Plan for the weather

Barn weddings are the dream when it comes to romantic outdoor ceremonies and relaxed alfresco drinks in the sunshine. But, annoyingly, the one thing you can’t control on your wedding day is the weather. If you’re planning a barn wedding with lots of outdoor aspects, you need to have a Plan B. Check your venue has a contingency plan, plenty of indoor space and an alternative indoor ceremony room, just in case. One thing we can promise is that rain has never stopped our couples from having the most incredible wedding at The Barns at Delbury Hall.

Book your suppliers ASAP

As soon as you have your wedding date booked in you need to book your suppliers. These are your wedding A-Team who – along with your venue’s event team – are going to help you bring your dream day to life. Photographers and florists get booked up very quickly, so get these sorted first. Don’t forget to book a registrar to conduct your civil ceremony, too.

Think about the evening party

We love how a barn wedding venue comes to life at night, whether that’s with outdoor festoon lighting, warming fire pits or fun sparkler send-offs. The evening party is such a great opportunity to show off your couple style and personality, and a barn venue often has the space for you to really go to town. Some of the big trends for wedding evening entertainment in 2025 are:

Live wedding illustrators: According to Hitched, 2025 is the year of the illustrator. Book a local artist to paint portraits of you and your guests or to paint scenes from your big day.
Mirror photo booths: These are the next-gen of photo booths and we love how cool they look against the exposed brick of a barn venue. Instead of a traditional photo booth, opt for a touchscreen selfie mirror, which can take photos of up to 20 guests at a time. So cool!
Audio guestbooks: A fun alternative to a written guestbook, an audio guestbook leaves you with voice messages to listen to again and again after your big day. We love the retro rotary telephone styles available to hire.
Live music: More and more couples are opting for live bands in the evening. The acoustics in our Coach House Barn are absolutely made for live music.

Barn weddings at The Barns at Delbury Hall

With a choice of indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces, on-site accommodation, acres of beautiful countryside grounds to explore, and a dedicated wedding events team, our Shropshire barn wedding venue has it all. We’d love the chance to show you around The Barns at Delbury Hall so you can really get a feel for our rustic barn venue. Click here to arrange a viewing or to ask any questions you may have, and a member of our team will get straight back to you.

Just engaged? Here’s how to plan your barn wedding