Are you looking to rent a quaint barn for your fabulous rustic wedding in Connecticut? There’s a barn perfect for country weddings, tucked away in the back of the preserved colonial houses that make up the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum. They have been hosting weddings here for decades and decades through the months of April to November! I had the pleasure of meeting with the rental coordinator, Katie Sullivan, to learn more about this fabulous place.
Location of the barn wedding venue
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum is located on Main Street of the cute, historic, old (founded in 1634) town of Wethersfield, Connecticut. The venue is very convenient to travel to, about 5 miles south of Hartford, and literally 1/2 mile off of exit 26 from Interstate 91. It’s just a short jog from the highway. If you like the idea of your city-slicker guests enjoying a historic, quiet neighborhood, Wethersfield has those historic bed-and-breakfast houses. Also, you can invite your guests to take a tour inside the Webb-Deane-Stevens houses, and see where George Washington once stayed.
At first, you would never really know there was a barn wedding venue in downtown Wethersfield, which has a beautiful, wide street with some cute mom and pop cafes, restaurants, and shops. Down the street of the Webb Barn, I got a hot latte at the coffee shop (which met my Oregonian expectations!) inside the Heirloom Market and Comstock Ferre. It’s a big old building that’s like an old general store of organic groceries, and big room upstairs of heirloom veggie and flower seeds. In the summertime you’ll see people sipping their iced drinks and eating lunch on patios outside, or walking their dogs…yeah, that’s the Wethersfield life! If you drive on Main Street, look for signs for the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum and Gift Shop.
A popular destination
The Webb Barn has hosted country-loving weddings for brides and grooms from near and afar, even London! They host 50 to 60 weddings each year, and so if you’re interested in having your wedding here on a specific date, inquire at least one year in advance.
View of the backyard of the Webb house 
view from the middle of the garden, facing the barn. the grassy area near the trees on the left. Behind the barn is normally the area for parking. 
early May photo of this rustic wedding venue, Wethersfield, Connecticut
The Webb Barn
The Webb Barn is behind the three historic houses. History buffs can check out http://webb-deane-stevens.org/historic-houses-barns/webb-house/ to read about this National Historic Landmark! If you think your guests would be interested in a self-guided tour, you can gift them an opportunity for a tour during cocktail hour.
This open area is typically not available for bride and groom portraits, but used for parking.
Once you turn into the driveway, you follow the driveway over to the barn and park over near the barn. The Webb Barn was rebuilt in the 1800s, and you can actually see original section in the middle. Outside of the barn, you’ll see several picnic tables that are for guests to hang out, typically during cocktail hour. You’re welcome to rent a tent through another company for shade over the slate patio. If your wedding is more than 135 guests, you can rent a large tent for outdoor seating during dinner.
View from the edge of the garden. This is the area that would be set up for cocktail hour 
There are lots of round 42″ and 48″ tables that staff can set up. rent your linens, and make this your party!
These large barn doors stay open during weddings, with the inviting white silky drapes. This is the only big main entrance, as the other side of the barn has large doors that stay shut, which serves as a permanent wall between the dance floor and kitchen area. (There are two smaller doors for access to the barn around the sides) Imagine walking in through the big barn doors as Mr. and Mrs., for the first time, and guests cheering you on.
The inside of the Webb Barn is yours!
The nice thing about renting a facility (rather than using someone’s barn) is that the rental fee includes Webb Barn’s dedicated staff in cleaning, setting up tables and chairs, and tearing down, which they have down to a science. (If you were to have your wedding at a place that is normally not a wedding venue, remember to get a team of helpers to set up all your chairs and tables, too) The staff is experienced, and so are the coordinators. Katie, the rental coordinator, has been there for over 11 years. If you have a completely D.I.Y. wedding at a friend’s farm, or backyard, you’ll find that you’ll need a group of people to work on your wedding day to set up the ceremony and reception area. At the Webb Barn (and most wedding venues), you get a day-of coordinator and staff to make sure the day flows smoothly.
You can decorate inside the Webb Barn, but because the wood is already old and has character in itself, you don’t need to spend a fortune on decorations. There are plenty of nails already high up on the walls, if you want to string up paper lanterns or cloth. No need to mess with Christmas lights, as the Webb Barn already has a lot of LED Christmas lights strung over the beams and walls. You don’t need to check the light bulbs, it’s all set! As far as decorations go, stay away from lit candles and any open flame. We want to preserve this historical landmark!
you can see the string that is already up, if you’re wanting to string up thing like lanterns, tulle, or light cloth.
Make the wedding day your own! There was one wedding at the Webb Barn that was a Great Gatsby theme, with old typewriters and other antiques reminiscent of the era. Another fun wedding was a Scottish wedding, where the groom even brought in his own giant whiskey barrels, since he worked at a scotch distiller. You can even bring in straw bales like Katie’s son did for his wedding.
The back of the barn, another great place for formal photos 
This old wooden shed is a fun place for pics, too. 
at the edge of the parking lot, the property includes this path that could be a great place for first look photos, or more woodsy bride and groom portraits. 
love this wide angle shot of the little trail that goes beyond the parking lot.
Some good things to know for a Webb Barn wedding
- There are 22 round tables (each seating 6) available to set up, and 5 long old wooden tables from the 1930’s.
- Party’s over by 10PM. Music stops, and staff breaks down.
- Liability insurance is required from the bride and groom (good idea) and that includes guest/liquor liability. Visit WedSafe.com which is a great source for liability insurance.
- Caterers new to the venue must provide a refundable deposit, and a couple of references.
- Fire pits, lit candles, floating lanterns, and sparklers are not allowed. (If you want to play with fire or have your s’mores, have a backyard party the night before, or after party!)
- A rental deposit of $1000 is due at signing of the contract to reserve the Webb Barn.
For more information on the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum and renting the barn, visit http://webb-deane-stevens.org/weddings-event-rentals/ or contact Katie Sullivan at ksullivan@webb-deane-stevens.org.
