Planning Your Backyard Wedding: Tips from a Bride Who Has Been There
One Love Photography
Backyard weddings are the fastest growing trend in the world of weddings! Sparked by the need for more intimate celebrations during the pandemic, couples are embracing the sentimental quality and often budget-friendly appeal of a wedding at home.
Backyard weddings give the bride and groom the freedom to make their wedding fully their own with total control of every aspect of the day. You want your dog to carry the wedding ring down the aisle? No problem! You want to get married on your grandparents anniversary? Guess what...that date is available! Barefoot? Vegan? Whatever you can dream up can be yours!
As many brides plan their big days on the back lawn, we spoke to a bride that has been there.
"My husband Nick and I knew that we wanted to get married in a field at his parent's farm. It was a beautiful backdrop and a memory that we treasure. It was also an incredible amount of work", says Abby.
For those Brides planning their own backyard ceremony, we asked Abby to share her top tips to ease the stress and create a perfect intimate celebration.
1. Schedule Appropriately: The week before your wedding, there will be many details to attend to. From landscaping, to setting up tables and chairs, tents and decorations...plan to put a lot of time in!
"Nick and I took the week before the wedding off from work to prepare, and thank goodness we did!" With family and friends by their sides the couple worked for days to mow lawns, mark out parking, string lights, and arrange all the small details. "I did the floral arranging, and Nick built the bar and ceremony backdrop himself. We loved the DIY approach, and for us it added some special touches to the day, but it's not for everyone."
TIP: Consider the amount of time you will have available and your skill levels. For many couples, the more you can outsource, the better. Many rental companies will take care of set-up and lighting. Even props and decor can often be worked into your contract. You may even want to consider hiring someone to be the point person on the day of the wedding... even an organized friend could be put on this duty!
Ashtyn Brooke Photo
2. Pamper Your Bridal Party: A backyard wedding tends to involve more work for your bridal party as well! They will likely be by your side for all of the pre-wedding set up and preparations. Be sure to show them you appreciate all of their work!
- Plan to have meals and drinks available for the bridal party for work days.
- Be organized... lay out who is working on what tasks so that jobs can be completed quickly and efficiently.
- Plan some spa time for your girls or downtime to just relax as a group.
- Spoil them with the perfect Bridal Party gifts. Choose gifts that they can use on the day of the wedding and long after. Gifts like drinkware, robes, tote bags and makeup bags will be loved by all! Put the cherry on top by personalizing their gifts with their names or initials. Looking for the best choices in Bridesmaid gifts?
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Victoria Carlson Photography
3. Remember the Not-So-Beautiful Details. Planning the flowers, lighting, and food is fun.... But don't forget the important logistical touches, Abby says.
Put some thought into the trash. Having a buffet? Who will clear it all after everyone is served? Plastic drinkware? Be sure there are garbage cans strategically placed around the space to accommodate all those cups. Is there someone that can empty those trash cans if they are filled during the celebration? They may not be the most fun details... But neither are overflowing garbage cans!
Wood-N-Crate Designs
4. Electricity. This is a big one! How are you powering all those lights, speakers, etc. You don't want to end up in the dark, so be sure that your generator has enough power to do the job!
The Day After: "Nick and I planned to leave on our honeymoon a couple days after the wedding so that we would have time to clean up the site the next day. There was a lot to do!" Garbage, table clothes, centerpieces, extra food, returning borrowed items... make a plan for how it will all be handled once the fun is over!
"Having a backyard wedding was the best decision we could have made! Every detail was customized to be exactly what we wanted. Unlike a venue, we had free reign to bring in any food or beverages we wanted, and celebrate late into the night. Best of all our site had a sentimental value that brought an extra special element to our intimate wedding. With the proper planning, I would suggest having a home wedding to any bride!"
Ana & Jerome Photo
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