Summer Wedding Collaboration, Bee Downtown and The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm Outdoor Wedding Venue in NC
Durham-based entrepreneur Leigh-Kathryn Bonner, owner of Bee Downtown (and 2019 recipient of the Forbes 30 under 30 award), collaborated with The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm to create chic styled wedding inspiration. Bee Downtown works to install and maintain beehives on corporate campuses in urban areas to help rebuild healthy honey bee populations. This innovative concept has been taken up by The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farms outdoor wedding venue in NC. Today, the farm is fostering homes for multiple bee hives! The wedding venue team has made it their goal to add one or two more bee hives every spring,
“We have an indoor observation hive (designed by Leigh-Kathryn and Appalachian State’s Department of Applied Design) that connects to the outside gardens through a tube in the wall of the barn,” Barn of Chapel Hill owner Kara Brewer says. “It’s fascinating to watch the hive in action, and we do a lot of educational activities centered around that hive.”
The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm, AKA Queen Bee of Sustainable Outdoor Wedding Venues in NC
People who visit The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm, are usually impressed by the historic white barn and classic setting before they even know about the venue’s environmental impact. The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm keeps their own healthy bee hives and practices sustainable farming on their flower farm. All of the onsite wedding flowers are designed in-house and sourced from their own pesticide-free location or other local farms. These flowers serve more than just pretty weddings. They are also making an impact on the bee crisis, by creating a natural home for honeybees!
“The bees really seem to love our mint, coneflowers, geraniums, milkweed, bee balm, marigolds, cosmos, rudbeckia, foxglove, zinnia, basil, butterfly bush, ageratum and oakleaf hydrangea,” Brewer says. “Each year, I try to plant as many annuals as I can that are pollinator-friendly, and I also try to expand the number of perennials. Perennials can take years to establish, but they are so worth it!”
When planning an eco friendly outdoor wedding, ask your florist for seasonal blooms from local farms. That way your wedding flowers will be beautiful and meaningful!
Ideas that Buzz From The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Outdoor Wedding Venue in NC
Modern couples are looking for an outdoor wedding venue in NC that offers an experience. One of The Barn of Chapel Hill’s most popular farm experiences is their Field and Foraged Soiree. They start each soiree outside by picking beautiful blooms and greenery straight from the field. Then they head into their rustic chic barn venue to create floral centerpieces, wedding wreaths and flower crown accessories. As a bonus, they provide botanical inspired beverages, a honey tasting bar and specialty chocolates!
Several weddings at The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm have featured a nature theme or honey bee detail. From local wildflower centerpieces to honey wedding favors! Barn of Chapel Hill owner, Kara Brewer’s favorite event was with TerraVita Food & Drink Festival,
“It was amazing – participants foraged edible plants and flowers, which were then used as part of their meal. We made all of the centerpieces with flowers that we picked out of the fields earlier that morning (mainly dahlias), and because TerraVita is a zero-waste event, everything used during the lunch was either composted or recycled.”
Summer Wedding Fashion at The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm Outdoor Wedding Venue in NC
We love these whimsical beekeeping themed bridal portraits taken in the meadow of The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Floral Farm. Light and airy bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses fit perfectly with the natural landscape. Pale blushes and mint greens melt seemlessly into the summer meadow scene. When planning an outdoor wedding in NC, try out natural hairstyles such as soft curls and braids. As you can see, these models look naturally gorgeous in their boho wedding dresses.
With the right outdoor wedding dresses, hairstyles and makeup, these brides look relaxed beside their wild creature friends. The gardens at The Barn of Chapel Hill attract all sorts of pollinators. The short list of sustainable friends includes honey bees, native bees, bats, hummingbirds, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
“Pollinators are extremely important to our ecosystem, and I want to do everything I can to support a thriving pollinator population on the farm,” Brewer says.
We hope this Bee Chic styled wedding shoot at The Barn of Chapel Hill at Wild Flora Farm has filled you with earthy inspiration. NC weddings can be high fashion and sustainable! At the end of a long wedding planning day, remember these sweet words, “If you can be anything, bee kind.”
Thirsty for more environmentally sustainable wedding inspo? Get our 10 Tips for Planning an Eco Friendly Wedding on the blog.
