How Much Does It Cost to Get Married at The Barn at Cedar Grove?
What to Compare Before Deciding Which Wedding Venue Really Costs Less
Wedding venue shopping often begins the same way: open a few websites, look at the photos and start writing down prices.
Then things get interesting.
One venue includes tables and chairs. Another includes décor and cleanup. One provides the property and leaves the rest to you. Another includes planning, food, music and the people needed to keep everything moving.
Suddenly, those prices are not quite as easy to compare as they first appeared.
Before choosing the lowest number, take a closer look at what comes with it and what will still need to be hired, purchased or handled by your family.
The fairest comparison is not venue price versus venue price. It is complete wedding versus complete wedding.
What Will Your Wedding Really Cost?
At The Barn at Cedar Grove, there is not one price or one way to get married.
Our smallest weekday Elopement begins at $850. We also offer Minimonies, Build Your Own Weddings and complete All-Inclusive celebrations.
The final cost depends on your wedding date, guest count, package and any additions you choose.
Before comparing one venue price with another, ask:
- What is already included?
- What will we still need to hire or purchase?
- Who will set everything up?
- Who will keep the day moving?
- Who will clean up afterward?
- What will our families be expected to do?
If something still needs to be hired, purchased, delivered, managed, set up or cleaned up, it belongs in the comparison.
Elopement or Minimony? Let’s Clear That Up
These are both intentionally small, three-hour celebrations, but they are not the same package.
Elopement: Up to 10 Guests
Our Elopement keeps the day simple and meaningful.
It includes:
- Your choice of ceremony setting
- Planning and coordination
- Design and décor
- A white wedding cake
- Silk florals
- A Bluetooth speaker for music
- Venue setup and cleanup
Food, an officiant and professional photography are not automatically included with the Elopement, but they can be added.
This option works beautifully for a couple who wants to exchange vows with a very small circle of loved ones, enjoy cake, take photographs and celebrate without planning a larger event.
Minimony: Up to 30 Guests
Our Minimony includes the Elopement features, plus:
- Appetizers
- An officiant
- Three hours of professional photography
- An overnight stay at our private Lakehouse
The Minimony gives you room to invite more of your closest people and includes several services that are optional with the Elopement.
A full meal may be added to either package, along with one to three additional hours.
The quick version: The Elopement is our simplest option for up to 10 guests. The Minimony includes more guests, food, an officiant, professional photography and the Lakehouse stay.
Want to Choose Your Own Vendors?
Our Build Your Own Wedding gives you the freedom to choose your professional, approved vendors while our venue team prepares the property, supports those vendors, cares for your guests and handles venue setup and cleanup.
Tables and chairs are provided, and you have access to our large décor inventory. A day-of coordinator can also be added to execute your timeline and handle coordination duties throughout the day.
When comparing this with a basic venue rental, remember to include the value of:
- Tables and chairs
- Décor access
- Venue staffing
- Setup
- Vendor support
- Guest assistance
- Cleanup
A lower venue fee can grow quickly if all of those things must be rented, purchased or handled separately.
Or Would You Rather Have Help Bringing Everything Together?
Our All-Inclusive packages are designed for couples who want experienced help planning the wedding and bringing every moving piece together.
Planning and coordination at The Barn are led by Missy Garmon and Sandy Wilson. These are not simply titles given to members of the venue team. Missy and Sandy work with couples throughout the planning process, help them make decisions, book and communicate with vendors, develop the timeline, lead the rehearsal and coordinate the wedding day from beginning to end. They are experienced wedding planners and coordinators who know the venue, understand the many moving pieces involved and stay closely involved in bringing each couple’s plans to life.
Both All-Inclusive packages include:
- Full planning and coordination
- Design and décor
- Setup and cleanup
- Appetizers and a meal
- A white wedding cake
- Florals
- DJ services
- Complete bar service
- An officiant
- Rehearsal and wedding-day timeline management
And when we say All-Inclusive, we mean more than arranging the major vendors. Catering includes the staff and supplies needed for meal service. The bar includes the alcohol, mixers, garnishes, cups and ice for your selected beverages. Dishes, napkins and many of the easily overlooked details needed to serve and host the celebration are accounted for too.
We could add more to nearly every item on the list, but that is the point. You should not have to create a second shopping list for all the little things required to make the wedding work.
Our All-Inclusive Plus package adds professional photography and an overnight stay at the Lakehouse. With the regular All-Inclusive package, you may bring the photographer you already know and love.
It is a complete wedding experience with experienced planners guiding the process, not simply a venue rental followed by a long list of things you still need to arrange.
The “Little Things” Have a Funny Way of Multiplying
Décor pieces here. Delivery fees there. Extra helpers. Last-minute supplies. Another trip to the store because somebody forgot the candles.
None of those expenses may seem enormous by themselves, but together they can change the total considerably.
If you are comparing packages, add up the whole list:
- Venue
- Tables and chairs
- Décor
- Food and cake
- Florals
- Music
- Bar service
- Photography
- Planning or coordination
- Setup and cleanup
- Rental and delivery fees
- Lodging
- Additional helpers
Then ask who will communicate with everyone, decorate the spaces, answer vendor questions, manage the timeline, solve unexpected problems and clean up at the end.
There is nothing wrong with choosing those pieces yourself. Some couples love doing that, and our Build Your Own option was created for them.
Just make sure you compare the completed plan with the completed plan.
One of our brides, Katelyn, described what that support meant for her wedding:
“I wish I could give them 100 stars. Everything was so smooth and taken care of. We were able to enjoy our day without the stress.”
That is what all those included details and helping hands are meant to accomplish. The couple gets to experience the wedding instead of managing it.
Do Not Forget the Work Behind the Wedding
A wedding does not set itself up because the plan looks good on paper.
Tables still have to be placed. Décor has to be arranged. Vendors need directions. Guests have questions. The timeline needs attention. At the end of the night, everything must be cleaned and put away.
At The Barn, venue cleanup is always included. You, your family and your friends can leave without sweeping floors or carrying tables.
As one of our brides, Ali, shared:
“They cleaned up after the wedding and my husband and I were able to leave at ease. You get more than just a wedding venue.”
The people doing the work are part of what you are paying for, even when most of their work happens behind the scenes.
Three Questions That Make Comparing Easier
Before choosing a wedding venue or package, ask yourselves:
1. What is included in this price?
Look beyond the words “venue rental.” Write down every space, service, rental and person included.
2. What will we still need?
Include vendors, rentals, supplies, delivery fees and anything your family would otherwise need to provide.
3. How much help do we want?
Some couples enjoy managing every detail. Others want a team to bring everything together. Neither choice is wrong, but they are not the same wedding experience.
So, How Much Does It Cost to Get Married at The Barn?
It depends on the celebration you choose.
A weekday Elopement for up to 10 guests begins at $850. A Minimony includes more services for up to 30 guests. Build Your Own Weddings allow you to select your professional vendors, while our All-Inclusive packages bring many of the major wedding services together.
Our Wedding Packages and Pricing Overview explains all three ways to plan. From there, you can request the complete pricing guide for current package prices, inclusions and available additions.
Do not compare one venue’s starting price with another venue’s completed wedding.
Compare what is included. Compare what remains. Compare the work involved. Then choose the option that fits the experience you want.
Come See What Is Included
The Barn at Cedar Grove is located in the Kentucky countryside between Columbia and Greensburg, within reach of Bowling Green, Glasgow, Somerset and Elizabethtown.
Our wedding season runs from April through October, and private tours are available by appointment.
Explore our Wedding Packages and Pricing, request the complete guide, and see which way of planning feels right for you.
EXPLORE OUR WEDDING PACKAGES AND PRICING
Email: amy@thebarnatcedargrove.com
Call or text: (270) 378-1915
We’ve had the pleasure of connecting with other independently owned wedding venues across the country who share our heart for hospitality and intentional celebrations. If you’re planning a wedding outside of Kentucky, or just love seeing how others do things beautifully, check out these friends of The Barn at Cedar Grove:
The Ironwood Barn at Von Erich Ranch
