15 Ways to Make Your Wedding More Memorable

Every couple wants their wedding to be special, meaningful and memorable; a celebration of love to share with family and friends that not only encompasses all of the joy they’re feeling but also tells their story in such a way that guests will always remember how unique the wedding was — and how much fun they had.

One of the biggest trends today is the rustic-chic wedding. Brides and grooms are having barn, farm, prairie, country, ranch and vineyard weddings where they can showcase myriad details in any number of inventive ways.

We invited Kelsi Flinn, blogger at The Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch, an all-inclusive wedding and special events venue located just outside of Dardanelle, Arkansas, to share some of The Barn’s rustic-chic weddings. The Barn’s team of eight (three planners, an on-site floral designer, etc) worked with each couple to give them a fully customized dream celebration. And even if you aren’t planning a rustic-chic theme, you’re sure to be inspired by these fun, fabulous details. Here, Kelsi’s tips and inspiration. —Diane Forden

As a former bride and the wedding blogger at The Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch in Dardanelle, Arkansas, I have learned how important the little details are — after all, the details are what make a wedding so special, right? The team at The Barn has planned hundreds of weddings, and some of our most memorable events have included special details that allowed guests to get to know the newlywed couple that much better. We absolutely love when a couple wants to incorporate an important aspect of their lives into their wedding or share their interests, hobbies or love story with a unique twist. When you’re planning the details for your own wedding, think about what makes you and your significant other unique, both individually and as a couple. Do you like to travel? Were you high school sweethearts? Are you diehard football fans? Are you major foodies? Are you in the same profession? Focus on what you both love, and get creative!

Here are some ways that our couples have made their wedding that much more memorable:

Décor

1. Ashley and Ivan’s wedding was Latin-inspired because Ivan’s family is from Puerto Rico. The couple displayed their Latin ties with papel picado hanging in The Barn, a Cuban cigar bar and a Cuban band, which kept the party going all night long!

rustic wedding
Photo Credit: Meredith Melody Photography // See more from this wedding 

2. Nikki is the editor of Glitter Magazine, so lots of glitter and sequins were an obvious choice for her and Scott’s wedding. Their reception was beautiful and sparkly!

chevron glitter wedding decor
Photo Credit: Twin Town Studios // See more from this wedding 

3. Samantha and Danny’s seafoam-and-gold color palette was inspired by a headband that Danny bought as a present for Samantha when they first started dating. We love that their wedding décor was inspired by a sweet gift from the beginning of their relationship!

wedding centerpiece
Photo Credit: Stephanie Parsley Photography // See more from this wedding

4. Kortney and Dakota are music lovers, so it only made sense to display the names of some of their favorite love songs on their reception tables. Their sweetheart table was appropriately labeled “Ours” by Taylor Swift.

rustic wedding centerpiece
Photo Credit: Tryston Hines Photography // See more from this wedding

5. I am a former Barn Bride, too, and my husband Richard and I wanted to incorporate our shared love of adventure into our décor! We enjoy riding our bikes together, so Richard painted my bike blush and glittery gold to match our wedding colors. It was at the entrance to our ceremony, and it provided a lot of entertainment at our reception!

rustic wedding
Photo Credit: Melissa McCrotty Photography // See more from this wedding

Guestbooks

6. Lauren and Jack love music — especially the guitar. They had their family and friends sign a guitar instead of a traditional guestbook!

rustic wedding guest book
Photo Credit: Miles Witt Boyer // See more from this wedding

 7. Ani and Nathan love to travel, so they asked their guests to sign a globe. You could have your guests sign on the area where they live or on their favorite place to travel!

travel theme wedding
Photo Credit: Danielle Davis Art Photography // See more from this wedding

Cakes

8. Groom’s cakes are the perfect way to show your interests. At Jordan and Nick’s wedding, the groom had an outdoors-themed cake.

creative wedding cake
Photo Credit: Samantha Daniels Photography; Cake by The Cake Place // See more from this wedding

9. The groom’s cake at Anita and Wesley’s wedding was inspired by Wesley’s love for spear fishing. This is one of the coolest cakes ever!

creative wedding cake
Photo Credit: Erika Dotson Photography; Cake by The Cake Place // See more from this wedding

Reception Details

10. Megan and Jeff’s relationship began at a coffee shop, so The Barn was transformed into Gibbs Coffee Company for the reception. They served delicious coffee drinks to their guests and incorporated coffee beans into their décor.

rustic wedding
Photo Credit: Heartstrings Photography // See more from this wedding

11. Katie and Joe’s style is rock-’n’-roll-meets-1950s-pin-up. Their rockabilly wedding had a (temporary!) tattoo station for guests to enjoy at the reception.

rustic wedding
Photo Credit: Liz Chrisman Photography // See more from this wedding

12. Hayley worked at a bakery, so her wedding was super sweet. She and husband, Zach, had a candy buffet at the reception, and guests threw colorful sprinkles as they exited The Barn.

rustic wedding
Photo Credit: BnBauman Photography // See more from this wedding

Favors

13. Cortney and Doug’s wedding was Texas-themed. They served Texas beer and wine at their reception, had the Texas star everywhere, and gave steak rub from their favorite Texas steakhouse as favors.

rustic wedding
Photo Credit: Liz Chrisman Photography // See more from this wedding

14. Chelsea and Logan had an adorable teeth-inspired groom’s cake. Logan was in dental school, so it only made sense to have a tooth-shaped cake — with toothbrushes and floss as favors!

rustic wedding
Photo Credit: BnBauman Photography; Cake by The Cake Place // See more from this wedding

15. Ashley loves to cook, so she and Ivan gave guests jars of cayenne pepper as favors.

rustic wedding
Photo courtesy of The Barn at Twin Oaks Instagram // See more from this wedding

Tell us: How will you be personalizing your wedding?

kelsi flinnKelsi Flinn is the blogger at The Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch — a premiere, all-inclusive wedding and special event venue located just outside of Dardanelle, Arkansas. The team at The Barn does everything to plan and pull off fabulous weddings week after week, includ-ing: lush designer florals, personalized ceremony and reception details, invitations, cater-ing, cakes, music, linens, décor and any other little thing that their brides’ and grooms’ hearts desire!