Outdoor Wedding Ceremony and Indoor Reception at The Carolina Barn
Adam and Kelsey enjoyed a beautiful spring wedding on May 1, 2021 at The Carolina Barn. “I always knew I wanted to get married outside,” Kelsey says. “When I saw The Carolina Barn, I knew it was the place.”
The Carolina Barn is an elegant and modern barn wedding venue on a property that’s been family-owned for generations at McCormick Farms in Spring Lake, North Carolina, just outside of Fayetteville. Kelsey says she was drawn to the venue’s large reception area, vast lawn space and the barn’s “rustic” look. The barn’s main area, the Grand Pine Room, offers 38-foot-high ceilings, more than 6,500 square feet and can host up to 350 guests. Howere, Kelsey and Adam, like many couples, were drawn to the beauty of The Carolina Barn’s outdoor spaces and chose to have their ceremony under towering trees on the lawn.
Simply Sweet Spring Wedding
The pair planned their elegant springtime wedding with the help of an event planner who happened to be an old friend; Brooke Soltau of Shawn Schindler Events. “Brooke went above and beyond from day one,” Kelsey says. “She made everything so effortless. I could not imagine my wedding day without her.”
Kelsey wanted to incorporate a green and white color scheme into the special day. Expressions of Love Florist delivered, providing gorgeous greenery and white flowers to decorate the ceremony arbor and indoor spaces. “I wanted greenery and eucalyptus to be the star of the show,” she says. “Everyone thought I was crazy, but I love the way it turned out.
Aliana Ronquillo of Aliana Ronquillo Photography captured Kelsey and Adam’s special day. “[Aliana] was so sweet and flexible,” Kelsey says. “She captured everything so beautifully [and] provided us with pictures that we will treasure forever.”
Before They Said “I Do”
The couple met on social media while they both were students at East Carolina University. Kelsey says the pair had mutual friends and appeared on each other’s suggested accounts to follow on Instagram. “Adam [direct messaged] me, and we started chatting,” Kelsey says. The rest, as they say, is history!
After years of dating, Adam planned to propose in March 2020 when Kelsey came home from a spring break trip to Australia. However, Kelsey says she decided to prolong her vacation when ECU extended their spring break due to COVID-19. When Kelsey arrived back in the states, she and Adam quarantined together. “One night, he convinced me to put a dress on so he could make me a steak dinner,” she says. “At dinner, he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of our lives together.”
Spring Wedding Catered by Rocky Top Catering
Rocky Top Catering provided guests with both delicious food and sweet treats to accompany a wedding cake made by a family friend. “I was very picky and precise about how I wanted the desserts to be presented,” Kelsey says. “They nailed it.” The couple says Rocky Top went “above and beyond” to make sure all their requests were fulfilled. Curated Events Raleigh (formally CE Rental) provided white tabletop linens, silverware and gold-trimmed china for the barn reception.
Beautiful Spring Wedding at The Carolina Barn
Kelsey says her favorite wedding moment was standing on The Carolina Barn’s balcony overlooking her guests below. “Everyone was shouting, cheering and clapping,” she says. “No words can express the happiness and love we experienced in those few short moments … nothing will ever compare to that feeling.”
Kelsey says the pair was inspired to incorporate other couples’ beautiful and unique wedding ideas featured in Heart of NC Weddings, which helped them also settle on a venue and music. “We loved reading through all of the different experiences and testimonials,” the couple says.
Kelsey encourages couples not to stress when planning their special day. “You are planning the happiest day of your life – planning should be fun!” Kelsey says. “Sure, it was overwhelming at times, but I don’t think it should ever be stressful.”
Want more rustic barn wedding inspiration? Take a look at 20 of our favorite barn and farm wedding venues in North Carolina!
