Madison Wedding Venues: The Most Beloved Choice
Where rustic elegance meets small-town hospitality
From our timber-framed grand hall to gardens that shift with the seasons, Barnwood Events blends the warmth of Wisconsin’s countryside with every modern convenience. Among Madison wedding venues, we stand apart for creating spaces where your guests feel instantly welcome, and you can focus on what matters most — celebrating your special day.
Meet the team
The people who make your day feel effortlessly special.
At Barnwood Events, we believe a venue is only as exceptional as the people behind it. From your first tour to the final toast, our team works with precision, creativity, and genuine care to bring your vision to life. Our entire team helps with flipping the space between ceremonies and receptions, and cleaning and maintaining the indoor spaces. Every celebration is planned with the same intention: to give you and your guests a day filled with ease, beauty, and joy.
Julie Wood
Co-Owner & General Manager
Julie has spent her career building experiences that make people feel welcome and cared for. For over 15 years, she planned corporate events at the UW–Madison School of Business while also teaching business and leadership. Earlier in her career, she worked as an operations manager and accounting systems consultant, and even authored curriculum for young entrepreneurs.
When Barnwood Events became a reality in 2020, Julie poured that expertise into every detail – from how the venue runs day-to-day to the thoughtful way she interacts with couples, vendors, and guests. As the heart of daily operations, she ensures timelines stay on track, communication flows smoothly, and every event reflects the couple’s vision.
Beyond logistics, Julie is deeply invested in the atmosphere at Barnwood. She believes the right environment can put guests at ease, spark joy, and turn a special day into a treasured memory.
Dave Wood
Co-Owner & Event Photographer
Dave brings over 40 years of corporate marketing experience and more than 15 years of building a successful self-storage brand. In 1995, he and his bride, Julie purchased the property, drawn to its appeal to nature and wildlife. Since then, Dave has planted thousands of trees, transforming what was once a corn field into a woodland nature preserve of bird houses, wildlife habitats, and trails to walk their “barn dogs”, Tiki & Nala!
At the Barn, Dave is a steward of the land and keeper of its character. He maintains the grounds with care, ensuring paths are ready for photographs and gatherings. He’s also the fixer of things, so it’s always beautiful for our couples and corporate guests. His eye for detail also shows through his photography, capturing the venue’s beauty in all seasons.
For Dave, Barnwood is a place where nature, design, and celebration come together…a property decades in the making, a legacy shared with couples and corporate guests to create lasting memories!
Kyle
Operations Manager
You’ll see Kyle behind the bar serving drinks at your event! From managing the bar to designing in-house graphics and keeping our systems running smoothly, Kyle ensures your event flows seamlessly behind the scenes.
Ryan
Grounds Manager
Ryan is the landscape designer and creates our beautiful flower gardens around the property. When he's not working on our gardens, you will see him behind the bar serving your favorite cocktails.
Taylor
Event Manager
Taylor is one of our coordinators and makes sure that every detail of your event goes smoothly and stress-free. She’s the friendly, organized presence you’ll see on tours, responding to emails, and planning meetings. She manages event logistics, social media, blogs, and vendor communication.
Ellie
Planner & Coordinator
Ellie turns ideas into timelines with her planning and coordinating skills, creating a smooth, stress-free flow on your wedding day.
Kayla
Month-of Coordinator
Kayla specializes in making sure everything comes together in the final stretch, handling details so you can fully enjoy your celebration.
Bartenders & Event Staff
Skilled, welcoming, and full of energy — they bring the perfect finishing touch to every event, ensuring guests are well cared for.
Decades of Experience.
Lasting Passion for Elevating Milestones into Core Memories.
We’ve spent years refining the art of hosting celebrations and combining the beauty of a thoughtfully designed space with the service of a seasoned, caring team. As a Madison wedding venue with onsite lodging, outdoor ceremony spaces, and in-house coordination, we create events that are seamless, inviting, and full of lasting memories.
Here, Your Event is Where the Heart is
1
Full Bar Service - No Outside Bartenders Required
Barnwood Events holds a full liquor license and staffs experienced bartenders. Your celebration can feature signature cocktails, local favorites, and smooth service—all handled seamlessly by our team.
All-Inclusive Comforts at Our Madison Venue
Our starting fee includes essentials that other Madison wedding venues charge extra for: two getting ready suites, clean-up, chairs, tables, glassware, lighting, and sound equipment. You also benefit from free use of items from our extensive decor closet and a 3% payment-by-cash discount.
Free Parking, EV Charging & Shuttle Partnerships
Your guests enjoy ample lit parking with handicap-accessible spots and EV charging stations, all free of charge! We’ve also built relationships with local hotels in Madison, WI to offer shuttle service for convenient guest transport.
Flexible Event Scheduling & Inclusive Support
Your venue rental includes exclusive use of the facility—weekends run 10 AM to 11 PM (last call at 10:15 PM, clean-up by midnight), weekdays are 9:00 AM to 10 PM (last call at 9:15 PM), with setup access included. We handle organizing load-in access, transitions between ceremony and reception, and all utilities to ensure smooth flow.
Year-Round Comfort, Rain Or Shine
Barnwood Events is fully climate-controlled and geared for any season. If weather shifts suddenly, we can move your ceremony indoors to the four-season porch with just a four-hour notice.
Unique Decor Closet With Free-to-Use Pieces
Personalize your event using items from our curated decor closet: flameless candles, lanterns, rustic signs, table numbers, and floral accents. All available at no extra cost to help your day feel uniquely yours.
Professional Coordination Services On-Staff
We have experienced Month-of Coordinators and Event Planners on staff for an additional fee. They allow you to get the support you need, provide knowledge of the venue, and ensure that your event goes off without a hitch. Our coordinators manage all the wedding day details so you, your family, and friends can be fully present and create memories that last a lifetime. They're venue experts who know exactly how ceremonies and receptions run best at Barnwood, and can also assist with vendor selection and design planning for additional services.
Onsite Dressing & Rehearsal Facilities Included
Dressing rooms are thoughtfully designed. The larger suite offers four makeup stations, a full-length mirror, and a private powder room; the smaller suite includes a TV, mini-fridge, and sound system. Rehearsals can be scheduled Monday–Thursday the week before the event—or even the day before your wedding. If there is a wedding scheduled the day before your wedding, we do our best to have your rehearsal the morning before.
Indoor-Outdoor Flexibility Tailored to Your Day
You have space choices for every moment: exchange vows under our weeping willow tree, enjoy cocktails on the bright four-season porch, or host games and mingle by the fire pit in our garden-lit outdoor area, with quick options if plans need to change.
Our wedding at Barnwood Events in Spring 2025 was amazing.
The staff are so helpful and accommodating throughout the entire planning process. Taylor, Julie and Dave were kind, thorough and wonderful people to work with. Taylor worked so diligently to stay on our time line when rain threw a wrench in our plans. They take great pride in the quality of your wedding and the cleanliness of the property. The property is absolutely gorgeous. We would HIGHLY recommend getting married at Barnwood Events! Thank you for making our day perfect!”
- Kendall
Barnwood Events is an incredible place to host your wedding- we're very satisfied with choosing it.
If you want to get married somewhere with beautiful natural features like wildflowers, mature trees, and wood architecture, but also provide modern amenities to your guests like AC, even and safe flooring, EV chargers, and convenient getting ready spaces, this is your perfect venue. It was great to have a venue that feels very private and serene, but is only a 10 minute drive to downtown Madison. The space was perfect for our 160 guests and we've only received positive feedback about the drinks, the barn itself, and the layout from guests!”
- Liz
Words could never fully express our gratitude for the incredible professionalism and warmth of the entire Barnwood Events team.
From start to finish, they helped make our dream wedding a reality, and we are forever thankful. The venue itself is absolutely stunning—modern and state-of-the-art, yet it radiates a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere that immediately puts you at ease. Everything was spotless and perfectly maintained, with no detail overlooked. It’s clear that the owners pour their hearts into every part of the space.
- Heidy & Jerry
Begin Your Next Chapter at Barnwood Events
Every celebration here starts with a conversation about your vision, your style, and your story. From the first walk through our doors, you'll feel the care, thought, and craftsmanship that went into creating this space. Among all Madison wedding venues, we're committed to making your day uniquely yours.
Let's sit down, explore your ideas, and see how Barnwood can become the setting where they come to life.
