SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW.

• Author: Wanbaugh, Taylor
• Position: NC TREND: First take: North Carolina wedding venues

From the couple cake-toppers that gained popularity in the 1930s to the poofy sleeves that graced the shoulders of '80s brides, each generation has created its own special touch on weddings. In the latest trend, more millennials are opting out of traditional wedding venues in search of something new--or should we say old? Rustic and historic properties are the craze when it comes to North Carolina newlyweds, who are dishing out big bucks to say their "I dos." More than 68,200 couples got married last year in the Old North State, spending an average of $20,416, including catering, flowers and venue, according to The Wedding Report Inc., a research company that tracks the bridal industry.

"I think that people are attracted to historic venues because of the character that those buildings have," says Jessica Tilton, an event planner for Melrose Knitting Mill, a historic wedding venue in downtown Raleigh. "Being able to start with a space that has so much life and history makes the design so much more fun and alive to their guests."

Here are a few of the dozens of North Carolina properties benefiting from the surge in popularity of rustic chic.

THE BARN AT CRANBERRY CREEK

Location: Boonville

Guest count: 200-250 maximum

Average cost: $4,500

The Boonville farm, located between Boone and Winston-Salem, has been run by the Brown family for five generations. Great-great-grandparents Thomas and Polly Ann Brown were the first to own the land in the early 1900s. Their grandson, ND, grew up on the family farm before joining the Army and serving in World War II. Upon returning home, ND transformed the farm into a dairy hub, selling milk to Coble Dairy in Lexington in the late 1940s. ND's three grandsons, Neil, Dwayne and Darin, converted the old dairy farm into a sought-after wedding venue in 2017, opening the event space for their first wedding on April 28, 2018. Overall, renovations to the barn cost about $100,000.

With Neil in charge of marketing, advertising and promoting, Dwayne overseeing building codes, permits, inspections, architectural and engineering drawings, and Darin focusing on hiring various contractors to complete construction, the barn is still a family-run business. And it is paying off. In their first year of business, they hosted more than 30 weddings. This year, they are on track to host 40.

MELROSE KNITTING MILL

Location: Raleigh

Guest count: 180 maximum

Average cost: $12.000 and up

The historic brick building built in 1900 once...