The Hottest Barn Wedding Trends to Look out for this 2019

by Rebecca Bystrom | Dec 20, 2018 | TSP Journal, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Throwing a spectacular themed wedding requires great planning and a touch of creativity. Ever since the emergence of Pinterest, couples have tried and tested a great number of themes. Some have been great hits while others were pure misses.

This upcoming wedding season, barn weddings are turning into a rage and we can totally relate as to why. The shabby chic and rustic vintage vibes that come alongside barn venues are totally worth the call. From outdoor wedding photography to rustic wedding décor and all the planning that comes along, here are the hottest barn wedding trends to look out for this 2019.

Take your rustic décor to a world of its own with some homespun barn inspiration

From burlap and lace to chic modern day accessories worth taking notice, there’s a lot that can be done to transform your traditional rustic wedding into a special world of its own. Transpiring from the outdoors, rustic décor can be elevated gracefully into something that’s beautiful and rustic with a hint of vintage too. We’re talking the brilliant use of wooden beams and hangings, lots of luscious greenery and nature themed decor, raffia ribbon draped chairs, mirrored details and color schemes that revolve around royal emerald greens, sepias and gold.

Feathers can transform your barn themed wedding by lining those wedding aisles, being incorporated into wedding bouquets, adorning wedding invites, as a focal point in your table centerpieces or simply by making their way into the groomsmen’s boutonniere.

Take the romantic ambiance level up a notch by using lots of candles and fairy lights against your venue’s setting. Place burlap inspired welcome boxes or weaved baskets for guests at their seats and fill them with your favorite treats. This is a sheer source of delight indeed.

From shots of the sun setting and its rays peeking through the rustic wooden beams of your barn venue to breathtakingly beautiful high vaulted ceilings that have been dressed using shimmering string lights, barn weddings truly make for beautiful wedding photography.

Outdoor wedding photography at barns are on a whole new level

There are hundreds of acres of lands worth discovering with the serene countryside view being a great treat for guests and the couple to enjoy. In such a magnificent setting, couples can take full advantage of naturally graceful backdrops for their photographs. It’s truly a blank canvas that’s waiting to be developed using the couple’s vision of their picture perfect day.

Countryside catering trends: Finger licking food and wine for guests to enjoy

If you thought southern fried chicken, beef jerky and cordon bleu with a giant helping of apple sauce gravy and corn on the cob is what country food catering is all about, think again. Couples are going all out with catering at their barn weddings, ensuring every meal served has a class of its own.

Today, it’s all about self constructed salad bars, an array of different kinds of meats being carved for guests to enjoy and tables comprising of pasta sauté. And just when we’re done with that, salad bars were soon being transformed to dessert bars to satiate the sweet tooth of guests involved.

Heartwarming buffet systems are coming back in sheer style with guests helping themselves with what they like. It’s good wholesome food that revolves around a good conversation starter for family and friends to get right into.

Let’s not forget about Desert
cocktail carts are sure to make it big on this year’s list of trending barn wedding trends. They’re innovative, movable and oh so fabulous to look at when adorned to perfection

As far as the wedding cake is concerned, deconstructed cakes are raging. You won’t be surprised to find several cakes of unique flavors that are seamlessly decorated and short in height. This way, guests can now devour the wedding cake flavor of their preference.

There ya have it. Midwestern barn wedding at it’s finest! We would love to be a part of your vendor crew!
Contact us to find out more about how to reserve your wedding date with TellaStory Photography.
We love fairy tale endings and eating cake too.

Planning your Engagement Session

by Rebecca Bystrom | Mar 1, 2016 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

You’re about to take that leap of faith, into a new life with with your fiance. As you are busy planning and spending the big bucks on creating that fairy tale wedding. Researching and hunting down the perfect vendors you can trust and rely on to fulfill your dream wedding visions. The last thing you may think of is an engagement session. Perhaps you have no desires for photo’s because you are camera shy. It’s not important to capture a few pre-wedding photo’s. I’d love to persuade you into a different mind set. Your engagement session IS important.

This is the beginning of your story. A new chapter where two become one. It doesn’t start at the wedding. This is the prequel to the big celebration day. It is a time to celebrate your love for each other. It’s a time to capture moments that illustrate who you are individually and who you are together. I don’t know about you, but when I read a book, I want to know the beginning; I crave all those juicy details that sets the scene of the story. Most books typically have a major event and a story line to keep the reader entertained. When creating a story with visuals, it is important to set the scene. Your pre-wedding story. I’d like to think that I already know the outcome of a wedding. First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes the baby in the baby carriage…. right? Oh, and they lived happily ever after.

Your engagement session is a great way to understand your photographers style. Get to know them, and how they capture moments. This allows you to be more relaxed & comfortable having your pictures taken on your wedding day. From a photographers perspective: the engagement session is a stepping stone to understanding each client on a personal basis. What they like to do as a couple, what posing is most flattering and what angles to avoid. I love engagement sessions, witnessing “young” love as a spectator and given the gift to capture these moments is a heartwarming experience while standing behind the lens. I want to share that with you, with your family & friends.

So you’ve had your engagement session, now what?
Having digital files is a great way to share your images with friends and family. Upload them to social media and brag about your lovely fiance! Think of how romantic it would be to have your first chapter in your story visually told. A picture book showing off your images from the engagement session. You won’t have to worry about losing your digital files when the flash drive becomes obsolete or when your computer crashes and all your digital images are lost.

Want to really make a statement? Hang a 20×30 canvas in your living room. Visually seeing your love for each other on display, those tender moments will remind you where it all began.

Create Save the Dates:
This is a great way to make sure your guest are available for your wedding date. By sending out a reminder to keep the date available with more information to follow. You can easily incorporate your engagement photo’s on your custom save-the-dates.

Start your own Instagram Hashtag:
The pressure is on, you will need to come up with a fun hashtag for your family and friends to start tagging photo’s of the 2 of you. This a great way to share images and have them earmarked in one location. Be sure to include your hashtag on your save-the-dates and your wedding invites.

Create a Wedding Website:
This is a great way to share all the information regarding your plans, things to prepare for, and how-to’s for your wedding date. Keep in touch with your guests & share up-to-date progress on the planning. This is a great place to share a few of your favorite engagement session images.
TSP is currently working on making this become a reality for future clients. I can’t wait to share the details ~stay tuned.

Your engagement session should reflect you. It’s a time to slow down and spend some time with the love of your life. Make it a date night. Hang out and relax with each other. This is all about you and what brought you two together.

To learn more about TellaStory Photography Engagement Session follow the Engagement Planning Guide link to view full magazine: Engagement Planning Guide

XO~B

So…You want those Digital’s eh?

by Rebecca Bystrom | Nov 6, 2015 | TSP Journal | 0 comments

WOW! That CD looks great on your wall…. says no one ever!

Then why as consumers do we automatically request to have the CD with all our images from our most recent photo session?
It’s very rare that you’ll print all the images.
There may be a few select pictures that will make it to print & get framed.
Who the heck still gives out CD’s?!!!

Our technology is evolving. Did you know that new computers are no longer made with CD drives?? MIND BLOWING!! That’s a shocker, eh?

At TellaStory Photography, we strive to give a wholesome experience.

From start to finish. From the pre-consultation, to session day.

Right on down to the gallery reveal meeting.
It’s all about the details.
As much as I would love to ‘stop giving away digitals’ and go to strictly print purchases.
I want you as my client to feel like you are receiving your memories.
I don’t want your images to sit stagnant on my computer.
I want your images in your hands so you can enjoy them.

PLEASE do not hang your flash drive or CD directly on the wall….. I was displaying a little sarcasm.

Consider getting professional prints made. Prints of high standards and quality so you can be sure they will not wrinkle, warp or fade over time.
Leave the printing to the professionals. The long term cost is so worth it! All you have to do is trust me.

It’s no secret that I LOVE to shop!! I am constantly on the look out for new and creative ways to display YOUR art.
Let’s get your images OFF that CD– OFF that flash drive– OFF my computer!
Let’s get your images into your home. Onto Your Walls. And fill your hearts with those cherished memories.

Above pictured from left to right & on-down the line.
Stack of Float Wraps. Also available canvas and standard prints.
Magnetic Accordian Albums
Flush mount Album- these are great & NOT just for weddings.
Barn Wood Print– need I say more? SUPER AWESOME!
Acrylic Glass Block — ALL NEW. Super fun way to display your pictures at home or at work.

There is so much more to show you!! -these are just a few samples of images I had stored on an image CD 😉

Angel & Joe are Getting Married…

by Rebecca Bystrom | Aug 28, 2015 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Angel and Joe – Getting Married in Taylors Falls MN

Yes, I am a wedding photographer. During the wedding day, I am also a hair dresser, a cake server, a dress fluffer and bustler, bartender, a sparkler-lighting assistant. I can place veils, arrange flowers and pin boutonnieres. Tie a tie like nobodies business, seamstress to ripped groomsmen pants (yes) and hem a dress in lightening speed. I can coordinate large groups, small groups all with the crack of my whip and still bring out fun genuine smiles. Wouldn’t it be nice if all I had to do was take pretty pictures of the emotions and the details of the day instead?

Enough about me…..

Words can not describe the feeling I get, when I meet amazing clients. It has been so much fun working with Angel and Joe — and tomorrow (Saturday August 29) I will be with these two while they take the most important step into creating one family. I am honored and thrilled to be a part of this event. As they join together on the family farm — lots of DIY details will be on display. I can’t WAIT!!! For now, take a look at our engagement session at Taylors Falls, Pot Hole Pass. Awesome couple, Amazing location and a Wonderful way to spend a sunny spring day!

After our engagement session, we met over a cup of java, and it was then that we knew, “the perfect fit” like a Cinderella shoe.

CONGRATULATIONS Angel & Joe. What a great way to spend an afternoon with a fun couple!! I wish you all the best

-Tellastory Photography

Planning a Wedding? ~ Checklist numero uno ~ Choosing your Venue

by Rebecca Bystrom | Jan 28, 2015 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Are you Planning a Wedding? Checklist – Choosing the Right Venue

It is no hidden surprise as a wedding photographer, I’ve been there, seen that; so I thought it would be nice to highlight a few venues that I have had amazing experiences at. My hope is to give those planning events a little background information of what’s out there. Let me do the leg work and help make your planning process a little easier.

Looking for some rustic charm with a bit of whimsy?

Check out the Brick House Getaway located just outside of Centuria WI.

Julie is the coordinator of this amazing location. She is undeniably wonderful & accommodating to work with, here is just a sampling of what is to offer, but it’s a must-see-it-for-yourself kinda place.

Meet Julie

Q: When did you start operating your locations for weddings?
A: “Our first wedding was our neighbors daughter in 2010. In 2011 my daughter had her wedding reception in our barn.

Q: What is your most memorable moment while hosting an event?
A: “Each and every wedding is memorable and different. It’s fun to see how they incorporate their different styles. I think one of the most memorable moments is when I was showing a recently engaged woman the hayloft and the minute she walked upstairs she started to cry and said it was everything she ever dreamed her wedding would be.
Laura Becker from KARE11 TV was married at the Brickhouse in 2013 and Belinda and Jarred were there so that was pretty amazing.

Our goats and llamas are always a hit with the guests. I have a playhouse for the children & one wedding there were 5 kids lined up outside the playhouse playing different instruments, but the instruments were pots, pans, spoons they called themselves “From the Kitchen Band”. I have vintage dresses in the house and one of the bridesmaids ended up liking one from the closet better than the one she brought so she ended up wearing it for the wedding. Another guest found a wedding dress I had in the closet and loved it so much and wanted to buy it so she could wear it at her wedding, I couldn’t refuse that!
Q: How many guest will your venue seat?
A: Seating in the hayloft for dinner will hold 150 and the ceremony will seat 200. Some have the ceremony outside and dinner in the hayloft. Others have had the dinner on the lower level of the barn and ceremony in the hayloft. Some have the dance outside, sometimes it’s in the hayloft. There are so many different scenarios to hold your wedding here. There is room for tents to be set up outside, the Brickhouse does not provide these.”
Q: What other amenities are offered?
A: I have a lot of vintage decor that can be used. The entire home comes with the rental. We have a campfire and offer the wood. We are on-site to help and make sure everything goes smoothly. We offer hay bales for ceremony seating if they want to have that look.
Q: Are there any limitations on what brides/grooms can not do while hosting a wedding with you?
A: So far we haven’t run into any limitations

Q: What sets you apart from other venues?
A: I would say offering the home for the wedding party and family to stay in for the weekend. Many have had their rehearsal dinner on Friday night and gift opening on Sunday. Another thing that sets us apart is the vintage decor, decorations and centerpieces that they are able to use. We have 5 huge chandeliers in the hayloft, a bar made out of old doors and hay bales. And we have no mosquitoes!!

There you have it, a little more insight to the most magical wedding location inside Polk County WI!

Stay tuned….. I have a few more Q/A’s up my sleeve.

Cheers!!

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