Barns, and Fields, and Mansions...Oh My!

As I prepared to write this post, I gathered my Pumpkin Spice Latte (delish) and fleece blanket (cozy), to curl up on the porch because it is truly, a gorgeous, Pennsylvanian fall day. However, as I slid the screen door closed behind me, I took notice of the extremely large, black, un-nameable bug the size of a half dollar, that was clinging to the door. I yelled for my bug savior (Jerome of course), and even he was disturbed by this creature. Neither of us have ever seen a bug like this. It looked like a stink bug meets dung beetle meets prehistoric insect. After its prompt death, I tried to shake off the goosebumps and itchy feeling I was getting, and pulled out a chair to sit. Being the cautious person I am, I lifted the cushion to ensure my safety. Low and behold, a spider spinning a nest lay beneath where my tush was supposed to rest. With that and a sigh, I re-gathered my items and promptly returned to the house. I will just have to admire this fine day from the safe confines of the living room and a screen. Although I love the outdoors, I do not like bugs. If that makes me a wimp, so be it.

But I digress. This post is all about wedding venues and how I stumbled upon mine. As I've said before, I really just wanted a simple, rustic barn and a field for the wedding. Not that there's anything wrong with a firehall wedding or banquet hall, that's just not what I want. An added difficulty in our search was that we needed both a ceremony and reception site. As I began to search, I found these venues were not as easy to come by. Let me give you an idea of my dream location.

It is called Lingrow Farms. And it is beautiful. Here's their website: http://lingrowfarm.com/

Yeah, insanely gorgeous right?

Old wooden boards, twinkle lights...what's not to love?

They even have a boat.

But because I am a budget bride, this breathtaking place is out of my price range. I will state that this is not a direct quote from anyone at Lingrow, but a bride who had her wedding their posted her expenses on a different wedding site and priced it at around $8,500. Many other comments also stated that this place is pricey- and pretty much, rightly so. It's gorgeous!

The next place I looked at was Armstrong Farms. http://www.armstrongfarms.com/index.html

  

Now the great thing about this place, aside from also being lovely, is that your rental includes an overnight stay for 12-14 guests, and my personal favorite, a bonfire for the reception and after party. A-mazing. They also have 3 different locations for weddings so while you get to pick the perfect site for you, there would be other weddings going on at the same time. (Could be kind of fun though...) Again, unfortunately for me, the only site available for October of next year wasn't on the weekend I wanted, was in a smaller barn, and would cost between $7,000-$7,500. Ouch. 

So onto the next. I won't bore you with my entire search, because near the end, I was even getting disheartened. Here are some other great places I checked out, but just weren't the one for me:

Mayernik Center- Located in Avonworth Park, this place is pretty and affordable ($2,200), but was booked every Saturday in October and didn't have a great ceremony site (I would have to rent the whole park, meaning more $$$$). 

Stonebridge Farm and Nursery- This place was more nursery than farm, but did have lovely gardens. The people were great, but I would've had to rent a tent and much more tables, chairs, etc. because there is no actual building on the property for weddings. (Price was reasonable $5,000, but once food and decorations are added, we're getting out of my range.)

Old Economy Village- This place is in Ambridge and is a hidden gem! It's this preserved village from the 1800's that was founded by a group called the Harmonists, who emigrated from Germany, seeking religious and economic freedom. They were however, celibate, and eventually died out. It was a really interesting place that had a gorgeous garden and old barn, but again, out of my price range. I really fell in love with this place though because of its unique history and old buildings.

And the list goes on...

Destiny Farms

Phipps Conservatory

The Great Hall

The Hayloft

...and there were more.

Now what I haven't told you, is the good news. I must admit I've been keeping something from you. The very first place we looked, is where we're having the wedding. I know, I know, I should've told you sooner because now I'm all out of order, but I had to build some suspense! 

It's called Robin Hill Mansion. It's located in Moon Township, and is a part of Moon Parks. Here are some pictures:

Now it's not exactly a barn, but it's got a great history and is so pretty. I love it! The ceremony will take place in the gazebo out back and the reception will be in the house and smaller back yard. The dance floor's going to be on the porch under a twinkle light lit awning. I can't wait already! And the best news is... the rental price is only $500!!! That's right people, that number is not missing a zero. Of course, there are other costs like renting for additional nights, etc., but it is by far the cheapest place I found. It's a win, win, win! 

Now that I've got the venue, decoration planning is in full swing. I've already got an idea for centerpieces...stay tuned.