What a Wedding Day at Beckendorff Farms Actually Looks Like

A wedding at Beckendorff Farms doesn't start on the morning of. Here's how the day actually comes together, start to finish, based on how the venue and its coordinators run things.

Planning starts months out

Before that first meeting even happens, most couples have already looked through Beckendorff Farms' downloadable wedding brochure, which covers a lot of the same ground this article does. Coordinators meet with couples at 90 days out and again at 30 days out, staying responsive by email in between. That steady contact between the two meetings isn't incidental. It's the difference between wondering what happens next and knowing exactly when your next decision point is. Depending on your wedding, that coordinator might be Shannon Moore, who's named again and again in reviews for keeping ceremonies and receptions running smoothly, or Caroline, Morgan, Melissa or Trevor. Stacey Beckendorff herself also coordinates weddings on the day, on top of running the farm and the venue alongside her husband Blake.

The morning of

Access to the venue starts at 10 in the morning, with six hours of event time built into your day from there. If you want to get in earlier than that, an hourly early-access fee applies, ask about the exact rate when you book so it can be quoted against your actual date. Your coordinator also walks your wedding party through the ceremony that morning, which serves as your included rehearsal. That day-of coordinator is included in every wedding rental, not an upgrade, which is part of why couples describe not having to worry about anything on the day itself. If you'd rather rehearse the night before instead, that's available separately for an additional $500, subject to availability.

Getting ready

The bridal suite is where most of the getting-ready photos happen, and it's fine to bring champagne or beer in for the wedding party while everyone gets dressed. The only rule is that no liquor gets consumed anywhere on the property before the bar officially opens for the event.

Ceremony and reception

From there it depends on which space you've booked. An outdoor ceremony seats guests in white folding chairs with the barn as a backdrop; the chapel option seats 200, with room for another 30 standing in the mezzanine. Either way, the reception moves into the barn itself: chandelier light overhead, big doors open onto the field, hand-hewn oak tie beams spanning 60 feet above the room. The barn seats up to 300 guests for a seated dinner, with farmhouse tables, round tables, whiskey barrels and X-back chairs all included in your rental, tables and chairs accounted for whether your final number is 50 or 300.

What guests notice

Guests who've been to a wedding here tend to remember the same things: the chandelier light inside the barn, the size of the room, and how comfortable everything feels despite the scale. Becca C., who got married here, said it plainly in her own review afterward: "Beckendorff Farms is worth every penny."

The property beyond the barn

The grounds do a lot of the work in photos, too. A wedding photographer who has shot here, Katia G Photography, called out "the lake, tall trees, and open skies" as some of the property's best spots for portraits, on top of the barn's own rustic charm and elegant finishes.

The practical stuff

Parking is a few steps from the barn, and valet can be arranged through a third party if you want it. Security is required at every event, two officers at $250 cash each, or three if you're expecting more than 250 guests, and the venue books the officers for you so you're not tracking that down yourself. None of it requires you to become an event planner yourself between now and your wedding day. That's the point of the day-of coordinator and the vetted caterer list working together.

Before you book a date

Every one of these details gets covered again on your tour, in person, against your actual guest count and your actual date. If you already have a sense of your numbers and your season, that's the best place to start. Bring your guest count, your season, and any questions from this list, and the rest gets worked out together.