If you’ve decided on an intimate wedding and you’re not sure where you’d like to have your ceremony and/or reception—I’ve gotchu. In this blog series, I’ll be talking about some of my favorite venues scattered around New York. To start this series with a bang, we’re going to visit one of the latest Watertown wedding venues in the area. Let me introduce Windmill Acres Barn.

Windmill Acres is a newer Watertown wedding venue that opened its doors officially in 2020. It has so much to offer to couples with so much space both inside the barn and out. The venue is right outside Watertown city limites making guest lodging, vendor finding, and travel to/from the venue hella easy.

There’s a kitchen on site for caterers in addition to a bar, all of which offer a rustic, country vibe. The venue also offers its couples tables with seating, seating for the ceremony (which can be held either indoors or outdoors), linens, an on-site officiant, and bartender if needed! The venue also offers a stone firepit which is the perfect location for meaningful conversations and s’mores.

This venue is also LGBTQIA+ inclusive and welcomes love stories of all kinds. This is super important to me as someone who identifies as asexual.

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For the couples who are wanting perfect portraits, time of day is of importance (as always!). Always consider the time of day your activities take place, especially if they are outdoors. The barn is west-facing with an arbor in the rear for ceremonies. The wedding party will emerge from the barn to walk down the aisle. You can also opt to have your ceremony indoors if the weather isn’t exactly cooperative.

This means afternoon and evening sun will be on the backs of your guests (which is nice!). If you decide to have a later ceremony (5-7p depending on time of year), you could potentially get some epic sunset glow over the barn. Remember, your intimate wedding doesn’t have to follow a “conventional” timeline.

It’s your day, you call the shots and make the rules. If you want to do family/wedding party portraits before the ceremony, and then move into a sunset ceremony, you absolutely can. There’s seriously nothing stopping you.

Here’s an example timeline of a wedding that I would love to document at Windmill Acres!

4:00p—wedding party arrives at Windmill Acres Barn
4:30p—First Look near the cornfield
5:00p—Family/wedding party portraits
6:00p—intimate ceremony
6:30p—Cocktail Hour with bonfire while newlyweds have portraits taken
7:30p—Introduction, speeches, toasts
8:00p—dinner, cake cutting, first dance
9:00p—dancing, night portraits while gathered around the bonfire
10:30p—grand exit featuring flash lights or light sabers

Visit the Windmill Acres Website

Here are a few other resources you may love!

Check out this other Watertown Wedding Venue: The Lincoln Loft and Studio
How to nail your elopement timeline!