Hey guys so if you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I've been doing Instagram takeovers with different wedding industry vendors! The first takeover was a dress shop (read about it here) and the most recent takeover was by Barr Mansion; a wedding venue in Austin, Texas.
Sarah, an amazing wedding coordinator at Barr Mansion, took over my instagram stories to tour the venue, talk about the history behind Barr Mansion, ceremony site options, the best photo locations, and how Barr Mansion is the first venue in the country to be USDA organic certified!
Read the recap below but make sure to also check out the stories for yourself! Head to my instagram to see the highlights tab: here.
The Barr Mansion Property
There are multiple buildings on Barr Mansion's property that sit on 29,600 square feet of rolling hills and gardens. When you first enter the Barr Mansion property, you'll follow a path with beautiful flowers leading to the mansion and the 120+ year old pecan tree. The groundskeeper maintains the property every single day, year round to keep the flowers at their best, and all the landscaping in tip top shape.
You'll first run into the building that gives the venue its name: Barr Mansion. The mansion is two stories and painted white. The porch is the most recognizable aspect of the mansion with spindle patterns that make it the perfect spot for photos. The interior remains the same today as it used to be years ago: with gorgeous Victorian furniture and accents.
Barr Mansion is over 100 years old was built and owned by the Barr family. In the 1980s a woman named Melanie bought it and lived there with her family. Her aunt got married out on the front porch where they realized it was an awesome space for weddings!! The original buildings include the mansion, a kitchen which resembles a chapel since it has stained glass, and a little white storage shed covered in vines.
After they opened the property up to the public for weddings they acquired the Ballroom and Farmstead to offer more versatility.
The Ballroom at Barr Mansion was imported from New York! It has a mix of 1700 furnishings on the inside with a modern twist. The front of the building is made up from window panes floor to ceiling with ivy growing wild. The inside has rustic wooden beams and a stone fireplace which sets a whole mood. It's a great building for reception with dancing and dinner since they have a stone fire pizza kitchen inside!
Out front of the ballroom is a loose rocky patio area is where many couples host cocktail hour.
To the left of the ballroom is the farmstead which is an open air, covered area that can be used as a ceremony site, dinner area, or reception area. It has plenty of gorgeous natural light, and giant barn doors on either side which creates a wonderful breeze along with two huge unique ceiling fans and an AC unit. This is a great option for a ceremony site where you want it to feel like you're outside, but have it still be a covered area if there is a potential for rain.
The Barr Mansion Food Experience
One of the best parts about having your wedding at Barr Mansion is the fact that they are all inclusive. All inclusive means they have all rentals and food right there on the property.
The chefs work in the on-site kitchen and prepare dynamic dishes dictated by what’s in season. The gardens on the property are growing best-in-show tomatoes and forgotten southwest heirloom produce selected by farmer Christian Drake, who’s built farms for the Culinary Institute of America. Barr Mansion is farm-to-table and the first USDA organic certified venue in the country.
Barr Mansion is are also zero waste. There is not a trash can on property. They recycle and compost everything. It is required to bring your own trash bags and pack your trash out. If that's not enough, they have a 40,000 gallon rainwater collection system!
Ceremony Site Options at Barr Mansion
Under the Pecan Tree
Lawn (facing the ballroom, mansion, trees, arch, so many options!)
Farmstead
Ballroom
Popular Wedding Photo Locations at Barr Mansion
Porch/Balcony of the Mansion
Lawn in front of mansion
Ivy covered storage and kitchen buildings
Manicured & landscaped path to ballroom
The following photos are from a wedding I photographed while second shooting for Tim Waters Photography, a balllllerrrr wedding photographer and mentor in Austin, Texas.
The following photos were taken by Heather Wise Photography. I'm the girl in the maroon dress & flannel! We went to Barr Mansion to celebrate my friend's birthday a few years ago where I fell in love with the property!!
If you have a specific wedding vendor that you'd love to learn more about, please contact me to let me know so I can ask them do takeover my Instagram stories for a day
xo,
Tam
Tamara Merri Photography
hello@tamaramerriphotography.com
