So in a nutshell, a frugal wedding can be done if you have the cooperation of family and friends and organization on your part. A trick I learned from an event planner--Visualize exactly what you want it to look like and then work backwards to make it happen. borrow as much as you can. Need a fridge in the barn? borrow one. Some people have extras in their garages and don't know what to do with them. A stove to warm things up? borrow. People love to help. Remember to show your appreciation. A mention at the reception or a written thank you. Put the whole thing on paper, from when you arrive at the farm to the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception. all the activities, all the cooking times, when this happens, when that happens. It will give you an idea of what you need, when and where. Invitations--colored paper and envelopes, save the date postcards, card stock, get four out of each piece, thank you's from walmart--or make them yourself, more heartfelt. Clothing--clearance racks, used or borrowed. For the guys, kahki pants and nice shirts and ties that match. (JC Penney) Forget the Tux or suit. Decor--flowers from fields in your area, twigs, grasses and grocery store florists. Make it yourself, many books out there on how to do it. This might even be an idea for your boquets and boutteniers...forget the tulle or use very little. Ribbon is big now. Twinkle lights, fairy lights--I just bought 20 boxes of white Christmas lights for .60$ each after the holidays. Reception--biggest expense. Everything make ahead. Pork loin, Chicken Breasts, a Turkey. Everything paper or plastic, good quality. Make your cake or grocery bakery. rent tables, chairs and tablecloths, you can use the chairs for the ceremony too. Boxed White Zin wine (it's what restaurants use?!, you can cover the boxes with pretty paper), beer kegs, appetizers, chips and dip from Sams or Costco. bottled water and pop. Don't forget cleanup. Maybe the Dad's can bartend? I'd find a couple to "host" the cocktail hour just to make sure things get done (music, food, make sure people are taken care of) and go like you want them to go. Remember, you will be taking pictures and the Mom's will be getting dinner out and the Dad's will be bartending, maybe....get everybody in place before the event, don't wait till the last minute. Always have a plan B for most everything. Have a little money to spend? have a square dance caller and the square dance club out to your place for entertainment and for fun. What would be more appropriate for a farm wedding? OK, these are just ideas, they can't all be solid gold. Make sure you have enough lighting in the barn and around the yard. Can you use square haybales for seating somehow outside the barn? or even inside. Not everyone is going to want to stay indoors if it's nice outside. Music--recorded ahead of time in the order you want it played. Your fiance may like to do this but find someone who can press play and pause for you and doesn't mind doing it all night long, make sure he or she gets a break once in a while during the evening. If you can't afford an MC, maybe you have an outgoing friend who wouldn't mind getting up and announcing activities for you. Don't depend on things flowing smoothly by themselves, have someone in place to help it along. And just a side note--I gradated from college three yrs ago and have yet to pay on my loans due to deferments. They will work with you for a long time.

It's recommended to have 3 ft of clearance around a kitchen table/island. You will need enough clearance for all the appliance doors to open and chairs to pull out. How much space does that leave you? (You can mark things out with blue painters tape on the floor). Maybe not enough for a 4-seater. IKEA has great compact furniture, I'd look from something there, maybe a small table that has a pop up leaf to sit 4? Or, get a coffee table that can convert to a dining table, and get a rolling cart for the kitchen.

If you are ok with the tv in the corner there, it is fine. If you don’t want the tv showing all the time, you could use a tv lift cabinet. They can be pricey; but since you are open to custom modifications, you could get an inexpensive cabinet/stand and have it customized with a lift mechanism. This way, when you are entertaining and don’t want the tv, you could just put a floral arrangement or even a lamp on that cabinet adjacent to love seat. And then if tv becomes a part of the equation, you can just lift it up. This mechanism is motorized: https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/progressive-automations-hidden-pop-up-tv-lift-388-inch-black-motorized-articulatingextending-arm-desktop-mount-33-62-screens-holds-up-to-135-lbs-bogr1005.html

This was my first post here and I appreciate each who went to the trouble of researching and offering helpful suggestions. Jinx, I hadn’t seen what looks like the exact base on 1stdibs. I also thought (hoped) it might be by acrylic furniture pioneer Charles Hollis Jones. He kindly looked at my photos last week and said the table is not his design and he doesn’t know whose it is. That rules out most noted designers, including unlikely candidate Jeffrey Bigelow, who apparently always signed his work. SeattleMCM, the table has no labels/signatures. I ordered it at a furniture buyers’ show in High Point, NC. I no longer have the bill of sale. For 31 of its years it’s been in my home atop Queen Anne in…Seattle. I’ll give Reddit a try. Many Thanks!