Having a wedding at home is an amazing idea, especially if you have a spacious and scenic backyard. It’s an event your family will always remember. Imagine preparing for your big day in your childhood bedroom, and coming down the stairs you’ve decended a million times before to make your grand entrance. An outdoor wedding in your own space adds a personal touch that can’t be matched. [bctt tweet=”There’s just something incredibly intimate about being close to home on your special day that makes you feel comfortable and at ease.” via=”no”]
Preparing for a Backyard Wedding
Once you have a guest list and general idea of what you want the day to look like, it’s time to start planning your event. Keep in mind that even backyard wedding requires a lot of planning and effort. It’s not the kind of thing you can pull together in a weekend and expect to look professional. With enough planning and preparation, you can be sure to host a stunning wedding that no one will soon forget.
Prepare Landscaping
Not only do you need to prepare for your home and lawn to be on display, but you also need to make sure that all landscape design choices you make match your event aesthetic and overall layout. It’s crucial that you plan ahead, to ensure that any newly placed plants or trees have a chance to fill out. This is a perk of a backyard wedding since you get to enjoy it long after the event is over!
Rent Supplies
Everything will need to be rented long before your wedding date. This includes tables, chairs, dinnerware, linens, silverware, barware, and tents. Planning ahead will also guarantee that your rented items match, and are the colors and textures you want. Though it’s a lot to coordinate, it offers you the chance to completely customize your decor. This is especially true if you’ve chosen nontraditional colors, such as light pink or teal.
Decorations
A lush, scenic backyard doesn’t require much in the way of decorations. You can truly let nature be your wedding decor, whether you’re planning a rustic garden wedding or something more elegant. Recite your vows under an arbor adorned with vines, or in front of a favorite tree sure to act as a stunning backdrop in photos. Your table linens and centerpieces can be minimal or elaborate, in your wedding colors. For a minimalist wedding, stick to dramatic floral arrangements and little else in the way of decor.
Restrooms
Bathrooms will likely face heavy traffic during the course of the wedding and reception, so and you should be prepared for it. Two restrooms might work for 30 guests, but what about 100? What happens when someone clogs a toilet or needs the bathroom longer than usual? Although they have a bad reputation, portable toilets come in a variety of options, with some much nicer than others. If you opt for luxury restroom trailers, a generator will be necessary.
Parking
If you’ve invited 100 guests to your backyard estate wedding, you should anticipate needing at least 50 parking spots. Since your home is in a residential area, you need to think about the logistics about where guests will park and how many cars can be accommodated without driving your neighbors crazy. Consider hiring a valet or shuttle service. This way, if there isn’t enough parking in the neighborhood, you’ll want to contact a nearby commercial parking lot to see if you can make a donation in order to use that lot for extra cars.
Lighting
If your wedding and reception go from day to night, you’ll need outdoor lighting that does the same. Nothing complements a backyard or garden setting better than soft mood lighting, twinkle lights, or chandeliers. String lights paired with soft general lighting is a great way to light large areas of space while adding a charm to compliment almost any event.
Have a Plan B
Getting married under blue skies is the dream, but quite often rain showers or wind is the reality. Plan for the outdoor wedding you’ve always wanted, but keep a plan B on standby in case things don’t go so smoothly. Something as simple as a large tent can double as a wedding venue if skies look ominous. You may want one even if the weather’s perfect, to serve as a dancefloor.
An Unforgettable Day
A wedding is one of life’s major events, and it should reflect what’s meaningful to the bride and groom. If family and close relationships are important to you, an outdoor wedding ceremony might be the perfect setting for your special day. After contemplating the possibilities and downsides of various wedding venues, there really is no place like home.
Contact Us to learn more about how to make your backyard the perfect setting for an unforgettable day.
