Real wedding · Morris, Connecticut
EJ & Alex
South Farms
Live fire, a hay wagon, and a birch chuppah in the open field
- Venue
- South Farms
- Location
- Morris, Connecticut
- Setting
- Barn & vineyard
- Photographs
- 25 selected
The smell of smoke reached the fields before the ceremony did. Behind the white barn, a cook in a wide-brimmed hat was already turning whole carrots over a long iron grill, flames licking at the edges. The bride stepped out past the barn doors in a silk slip dress with a soft cowl neck, and the couple took a few quiet minutes together on the gravel path and out in the tall grass before the guests arrived. It was an unhurried start, and it set the pace for the rest of the day.
The ceremony stood at the edge of the pasture under a chuppah built from birch poles and eucalyptus. The groom wore a white kippah, so did the officiant, and the bride kept her eyes on the groom through most of it. Afterward they walked back down a dirt farm road with the whole crowd strung out behind them, the sky going soft blue. Guests climbed onto a hay wagon for a ride across the property, and a man in a red flannel shirt handed out champagne from a small table on the gravel.
Dinner ran down long farm tables inside the barn: dark wood, white runners, eucalyptus trailing down the middle, and menus tucked under a sprig of herbs. Out back, the fires got bigger as the light went, grates of food crackling and throwing sparks into the dark. Inside, toasts landed under a chandelier wound with greenery, and the cake came out stacked with grapes and flowers. By the end, string lights traced the barn roofline and guests stood around outside talking long after the plates were cleared.
Getting ready
Details
Dark wood tables, white runners, and trailing eucalyptus let the barn do most of the decorating.
Ceremony
A birch chuppah at the edge of the pasture kept the ceremony simple and close to the land.
Portraits
Celebration
Open-fire cooking out back meant dinner came with its own glow after sunset.
Planning a wedding like this?
Farm venues with open fields give you a huge sky, so schedule the ceremony for the last 2 hours before sunset and let the low light come across the grass. A hay wagon or a walk down the farm road makes an easy transition to cocktail hour and a great candid moment. Barn interiors get dark fast, so plan for warm string lights and candles instead of counting on daylight through the doors.
