It’s a growing trend among brides and grooms to hold their weddings at home! While adding up costs, many couples find it more economical and intimate to host their wedding in their own back yard.
Whether you will host it at your own home or a friend or family member’s, here are some tips to enjoying a wonderful wedding without having to sacrifice elegance and romance.
Take Care Of The Basics
Plan ahead for important items you may need to rent, buy or borrow for your big day:
- Food Tables
- Guest Tables
- Chairs
- Linens
- Dishes
- Stemware
- Silverware
- Tent
- Dance Floor
- Port-A-Potties
- Trash Cans
- Gazebo
Take Time On The Details
Linens
Layer tablecloths on each of the tables to match your wedding colors, and top with coordinating cloth napkins. Even if all the tables aren’t the same height or shape, matching linens can disguise that and create an elegance your guests will admire.
Lilies
Add fresh flowers to each table to tie them together further. The vases don’t necessarily have to match; let the flowers speak for themselves. Depending on your wedding season and colors, you could have a wide variety of flowers to choose from, incorporating special touches such as pine cones, fall leaves or summer berries. Tie each arrangement off with coordinating ribbons.
Lighting
If your reception will take place or extend into the evening hours, add elegance with candlelight. While exposed flames are a bad idea (the wind could extinguish them or your guests could face safety hazards), lanterns create soft light and a mood of flickering romance. Add one to each table, hang them around the yard, or line them along the property’s perimeter.
Landscaping
Fool everyone into thinking your back yard is an exotic garden! Flower beds, lush plants and intriguing hardscaping can really set the tone for an enchanting wedding setting. Coordinate the flowers you plant to match your wedding theme and color scheme.
All The Discomforts Of Home
Keep in mind some of the inconveniences that could come with a home wedding. Are there mosquitoes or bees that frequent your back yard? Noisy neighborhood dogs or lawn mowers? Timed lawn sprinklers? Only one bathroom? Small parking area? Sinkholes in the grass? Anticipate problems, and make preparations for them ahead of time to keep them from ruining your special day.