Bliss Farm Events: A Granville, Massachusetts Farm Wedding Venue
Don’t you love those days when you have nothing to do, the sun is shining, the day is too beautiful to not go anywhere to breathe some fresh air. Your car (or your dog) is like begging for a drive out on some New England backroads and your favorite country music.
I drove out to a paradise in the hills of Granville/Blandford, Mass, to a place called Bliss Farm. After recent renovations to meet building codes, this place is now a wedding venue. The barn was a place where the Bliss family was raised, where children frolicked around the barn which housed cows back in the day. Now, this has become the location where couples kick off their marriage, and have the best party ever with their closest friends and family. Bliss Farm is perfect for the DIY bride and smaller weddings with under 100 guests. Due to fire codes the barn can accommodate 99 inside. A tent may be set up on site to accommodate additional guests.
When you drive up the road, the neighbor’s picturesque fields line the old road, which can be seen from the wide open space of Bliss Farm. From the wedding venue driveway, the giant barn beckons you to meander inside to experience a vintage, antique building.
The event coordinator for Bliss Farm, Katie, greeted me to give me a tour of Bliss Farm to show me what a wedding here could be like.
A Huge Barn for Receptions
The barn at Bliss Farm is one of the largest barns for a wedding reception I have been in. The barn was first built in the late 1700’s, and has been beautifully maintained. It comfortably seats 99 guests, where there is enough space to comfortably walk around without tripping over chairs. I love how wide open it is inside, and I don’t feel cramped. If it were raining, you could easily have the ceremony in this rustic indoor space!
If the sun is shining through the open barn doors, you get some beautiful light for a bright, peaceful, natural ambiance that you can’t get inside of a hotel ballroom.
There’s a loft upstairs, where the DJ can set up, but the DJ can also set up easily downstairs depending on their preference. This loft is accessible by stairs which provides opportunities for photographers to take some kick-butt dancing shots looking down from above, or some indoor bride and groom portraits on the wood stairs. If I were a bride and I was worried about rain, I’d remind myself of these stairs, the loft, and this wide open space as a great back-up option for photos. Heck yes.
Rustic Ceremony Space
Okay, so first keep in mind that the typical ceremony space is beautiful in itself. You get a backyard-wedding feel, with a fresh cut lawn shaded by big old trees, and the only pathway is that path of rose petals that the flower girl tosses.
I’m in love with the big dark wood colonial benches that faces the arbor. Down the way there’s a wide old wood swing, and imagine just sitting there with the love of your life, relaxing. Who sits on a swing on their wedding day? Bliss Farm couples!
Some couples have also choose to get married under the apple tree near the barn as well. It’s up to you!
A Simple, Rental Package for this MA Wedding Venue
If you’re a Bliss Farm couple, a lot of your wedding planning assistance will come from Katie. She’ll even guide you to how to get liability insurance if you’re planning on bringing your own alcohol to serve (not sell). Katie is friendly and knowledgeable about Bliss Farm where she grew up, so feel free to email her if you have any questions at blissfarmevents@gmail.com. Katie is who you’ll be in touch with to view the rental contract, pricing, and to reserve your date. She will also be at the farm on Friday during set up for Saturday weddings should you have any questions or need assistance. Katie’s brother Shawn, who currently owns Bliss Farm and lives on the property is passionate about the farm and is your ultimate tour guide. You’ll have a relaxed tour where you’ll discover all that Bliss Farm has to offer as well as how other couples have created their awesome day there. Shawn is also your go-to guy on the wedding day. From the time your guests arrive, he parks cars and is present during the entire event to assist with anything you might need.
Bliss Farm typically does one wedding per weekend, but with the demand of country-lovin’ brides and grooms, they now are able to have two weddings per weekend, on Saturday, or Sunday.
One thing that I love about Bliss Farm is that booking your package is very simple! There are not a lot of add-ons for your package, because a lot of what couples need is in the package. If you’re getting married at Bliss Farm, this is what you get:
-Katie’s planning assistance & coordination with caterers and rental companies
-use of the small summer house (near the ceremony area)
-fire pit with wood
-use of the new bridal suite, and gentleman’s room
-5 station restroom trailer for guest use (hot water, and fully-functioning!)
-benches for the ceremony (or for whatever!)
-175 chairs and twelve 60 inch round tables
If you’re interested in booking Bliss Farm for your rustic wedding, contact Katie Bliss DiSanto at blissfarmevents@gmail.com or call her at 413-537-5119.
What style of wedding to have at Bliss Farm
Because Bliss Farm is out in the country, expect for your wedding guests to experience a quiet “getaway” and relaxing retreat-type environment.
Bliss Farm weddings have ranged from formal and elegant with white linens and plated meals, to even a friend’s bbq grill set outside. It seems like the sky is the limit with the style of wedding. You can have a sparkly, glitzy, lit-up barn reception, and jazz up your wedding with white and bright decor. It’s like a blank slate. However, most couples realize that there’s nothing they need to add to the vintage look of the barn.
If you want to add a whimsical feel to your event, you can have colorful wildflowers or vines in your glass jar centerpieces. For the most part, the barn at Bliss Farm is a blank slate but with character that is beautiful and simple.
Catering for Barn Weddings
Don’t let catering be your wedding planning hang-up! Katie at Bliss Farm helps her couples with choosing an experienced caterer, but you are totally welcome to bring your own caterer. The only requirements are that the caterers need to have their own liability insurance, and also need to visit the venue prior to the wedding. We can’t stress enough how important it is to get familiar with your workspace, and as a photographer, I benefit a lot from visiting venues prior to the wedding day. The same goes for catering companies who will work at Bliss Farm. Some caterers are accustomed to the perfect set-up in a traditional venue facility. Because of the rise in rustic weddings, catering companies can benefit by planning out their set-up for efficient food service at a barn venue.
How to book a Bliss Farm Wedding
You can visit Bliss Farm’s website, but your next step to booking a wedding at Bliss Farm is to schedule an afternoon or morning where you can drive out for a tour. Gas up the SUV and turn up your favorite country music. Contact Katie at blissfarmevents@gmail.com to get information on renting the facility and scheduling a tour!
