Wanda’s Must Haves for Your Elegant Backyard Wedding Events
There are many places where you can host the perfect wedding for you and your partner. Choosing a location depends on your area, wedding size, and preferences. While church weddings or mountain venues are often a popular choice, you can host elegant and memorable wedding events much closer to home — even in your own backyard!
A backyard wedding offers a unique and personal place to say your ‘I Do’s’. Compared to a traditional venue, you have much more control over setup, decor, and personalizing your wedding experience with a self-hosted event. Here are three of the must-haves to consider before committing to a backyard celebration.
S&R’s backyard ceremony. Image by Kate Merrill Photography.
A Budget for Your Event
For any wedding event that you’re hosting at home or elsewhere, the first step in the planning process is establishing your budget. While a backyard wedding may seem like a budget-friendly approach to hosting your celebration, there are a number of components to consider. If you’re looking to host a more traditional wedding ceremony and reception with a number of guests, caterers, tables, a dance floor, etc., you’re looking at a higher cost than a backyard wedding with only a few family and friends. Figure out how much you want to spend on your wedding before you start looking at venue options.
Image of T&J’s backyard ceremony and wedding events by Coryn Nelson Photography.
Your Logistics Figured Out
There are many logistical components of hosting a wedding yourself that you’ll need to consider. First, you’ll need to find a backyard that has the space, layout, and privacy to host your wedding. Consider what wedding needs you might already have on-site, like a full kitchen, accessible bathrooms, etc., and then what you’ll need to bring in to make your wedding happen.
When you use a venue, many components are included that you likely won’t have ready to use in a backyard space. Think about big-picture needs like space, seating, parking, restrooms, kitchen access, and power. In the same way that your wedding planner can help you find venues, professional planners also have connections with vendors who can provide many of the logistics you’ll need like seating, A/V equipment, or lighting that you can rent for your wedding day.
Design & Decor for Your Backyard Space
E&C’s ceremony and wedding events at their Idaho Springs, CO home. Image by Vellora Productions.
Once you’ve figured out how much you’ll be spending on your wedding and where you can get some of the equipment needed to host your event, it’s time for the fun part! A backyard can be a clean slate to create the wedding of your dreams.
Clear Out Your Space: The first step in preparing your backyard space for your wedding is clearing out the clutter. Spruce up the landscaping by pruning the shrubs, planting flowers, and mowing the grass. Hide any unused outdoor equipment or furniture, including chairs, tables, pots, and gardening equipment that you don’t want around for the big day. Make your backyard space as neat and tidy as you can. Doing so in the planning process can help you have the clearest idea of what your space will look like on your wedding day, but don’t forget to do the final sprucing and cleanup 1-3 days before your wedding.
E&C’s wedding altar at their Idaho Springs, CO home. Image by Vellora Productions.
Create an Alter Space: Consider the space you have available and what configuration makes the most sense for your ceremony and reception. Decide where the focal point of your backyard is, and orient your ceremony around that spot so that you have the most picturesque backdrop for your vows. Then determine where your reception space can fit around your ceremony space and if you’ll need to have anything moved around between events.
Design & Decor: Once you have a general idea of where everything will go in your backyard space, you can get into the decoration details. A backyard wedding can be dressed up for a formal event or maintain its homey feel for a more relaxed celebration. Consider what florals will work well with the landscaping. String lights, candles, or lanterns can add a romantic touch and illumination for a dusk or evening reception. Particularly once the sun goes down, your lighting will make all the difference in your backyard space. Solar lights around the perimeter can let your guests know where to go and what parts of the backyard are available for guest use.
You don’t need to plan and purchase everything you’ll need right at the start. But making budget, design, and decor decisions early in the planning process can give you an idea of how doable your backyard dream wedding is in reality.
Looking for help bringing your backyard celebration to life? We’re here for you! We’re wedding planning experts, who have handled weddings across the world and across town. Check out our wedding planning packages to see what level of support you need.