Elegant Barn Wedding at a Private Estate in Illinois
Captured beautifully by Caitlin Lisa Photography, today's real wedding is the kind that will pull at your heart strings! Not only did the Kathleen and Brandon say, "I do," at their very own 85 acre farm, but there were so many personal details throughout. Plus the lovely florals from Rosebuds Floral and Gifts? Swoon.
From the bride, "Our wedding will always be especially memorable for Brandon and me because we got married at a place that will now be a part of our family for generations to come. Shortly before we got engaged, my parents bought the Miller Road Farm estate with plans to renovate the house and eventually move."
"The 85 acres of land had a number of pre-existing barns, stables and a really charming house, all of which needed work and maintenance.."
"...But when I walked through the space for the first time, I immediately knew there was something special about it and thought it would be the perfect setting for a one-of-a-kind wedding."
"So when Brandon and I got engaged and it came time for us to pick a venue, the choice was easy and we didn’t even look anywhere else."
"We wanted to take the barn wedding trend to a different level and do something unique, and this was the perfect place to do that. "
"But in order to take this beautiful rustic space and elevate it, we knew that a lot of work needed to go into the property to transform it and make our vision come to life."
"My dad and brother spearheaded the transformation, some of which included building the staircase and balcony for the ceremony barn..."
"...repainting every building on the property, putting blacktop on what were once all gravel roads, creating a parking lot, and executing a new landscaping plan to help make the reception space more intimate."
"A variety of other elements of the property played into our wedding day in subtle ways as well. My Dad cares for a number of unique animals on the land (like Joe the camel!), and it was fun to incorporate them into some of our wedding photos."
"We also got ready in the house, which my parents had not yet moved into or begun renovations on. It still had all of its original wallpaper, fixtures, and these huge beautiful windows, adding a bit of character to the rustic but elegant vibe we were going for."
"There are several of my favorite elements, however, it was probably the honey that we gave as our wedding favors — A lot of love went into those little jars! Brandon, my parents and I have been harvesting honey together for the past four years."
"It was only our second harvest from the Miller Road Farm property and this batch was the first of the season. We were so excited to share that with our guests, along with the personalized craft beer we served everyone."
"My Uncle Mike makes homemade brews and we approached him while planning to ask if he would make a special one for us. He went above and beyond and made two."
"...I like light beer and Brandon likes IPAs, so he surprised us with both (he also surprised us with the names he gave them)!"
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"I come from a German family and all of my friends call me Blondie, so I got the German Blonde Ale. Brandon’s beer was the Lucky Guy IPA….because, well, he married me!"
"When my dad took me up to see our ceremony barn on the day of the wedding, I was overwhelmed by how beautifully everything had come together."
"The intimate space was exactly what I had envisioned with all of the trees and lights, and the hanging floral altar by Rosebuds Floral and Gifts was even more stunning than I imagined it would be (we also repurposed it to use above the head table at the reception)."
"The color palette for the flowers and décor originated when I pictured the bridesmaid dresses all being dusty lavender but in different styles."
"However, the girls all fell in love with the same silhouette and I agreed! I wanted some contrast and that’s how the inspiration to do different colors came to be."
"I loved how pairing the apricot with the dusty lavender was unexpected but the colors really complemented each other."
"Our invitation designer, Just Invite Me, took this color palette and made a custom envelope liner for us."
"Brandon then used the invites as inspiration to design all of the remaining paper goods himself (table numbers, place cards, and seating chart)."
"The entire day came and went in the blink of an eye, but I can easily say that all of the effort Brandon, my family and I put into our wedding was absolutely worth it! In the months leading up to the big day, I started to realize how much work it was to have the wedding on our property."
"I started to doubt and second- guess myself, wishing that I would have found a space that is actually prepared and set up for events. It definitely would have taken a lot of pressure off of me. But now that I got to see it come to life, I would do it again in a heartbeat."
" Plus, we will get to take our kids over to their grandparents’ house for years to come and they will know that their parents got married right where they are standing. So my advice to future brides would be this — Don’t be afraid to try new things, and trust yourself as you are making decisions… You won’t regret it!"
Lots of love to this fabulous team of wedding pros! And a special shout out to vendor guide member, Caitlin Lisa Photography!
Caitlin Lisa Photography is a member of our wedding vendor directory. Click here to see how to become a member.
Photography: Caitlin Lisa Photography // Venue: Miller Road Farm // Floral Design: Rosebuds Floral and Gifts // Beauty: Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists // Photo Booth: Photo Boothie // Transportation: Go Riteway Transportation Group // DJ: Double Platinum DJ Service // Linens and Coverings: BBJ Linens // Invitation Design: Just Invite Me // Cake Design: Julie Michelle Cakes // Tuxedo and Mens Attire: The Black Tux // Dress Designer: Martina Liana // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Dress Store: Here Comes the Bride // Other: Lake Lawn Resort //
From the bride, "Our wedding will always be especially memorable for Brandon and me because we got married at a place that will now be a part of our family for generations to come. Shortly before we got engaged, my parents bought the Miller Road Farm estate with plans to renovate the house and eventually move."
"The 85 acres of land had a number of pre-existing barns, stables and a really charming house, all of which needed work and maintenance.."
"...But when I walked through the space for the first time, I immediately knew there was something special about it and thought it would be the perfect setting for a one-of-a-kind wedding."
"So when Brandon and I got engaged and it came time for us to pick a venue, the choice was easy and we didn’t even look anywhere else."
"...repainting every building on the property, putting blacktop on what were once all gravel roads, creating a parking lot, and executing a new landscaping plan to help make the reception space more intimate."
"It was only our second harvest from the Miller Road Farm property and this batch was the first of the season. We were so excited to share that with our guests, along with the personalized craft beer we served everyone."
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Chrissy Arpie Ott
Chrissy Arpie Ott is the founder of The Perfect Palette. Since its launch in 2008, The Perfect Palette has been the go-to color resource for couples who dream of a unique, creative and colorful wedding day.
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