How to Host a Wedding in Your Own Backyard
What if your venue is your personal place? How do you host a wedding in your own backyard? Be it family land or your personal home, there are many things to consider when planning your wedding without a “venue.” Yes, a backyard wedding may seem easier and more affordable than a typical venue, but there are many logistics and costs that come into play when hosting a backyard wedding.
We’ve built out our fair share of backyard weddings, and though they come with a lot more work, they end up being some of our absolute favorites!
In this blog, we’ll be sharing 10 tips for making your backyard wedding dreams come to life!
10 Tips for hosting a wedding in your own backyard:
1.approach the property as if it were a venue.
The great thing about creating your own wedding venue is that YOU get to determine the answers to so many questions.
Here are the key questions you’ll want to ask yourself:
What is the option in case of bad weather?
Where would you like each event to take place? Consider the following: getting ready, pictures, lunch for wedding party, ceremony, cocktail hour, reception and/or after party.
What will make guests feel most comfortable and safe? This could mean ensuring shade, level flooring, transportation on the grounds between events, fans, heaters, blankets, bug repellent and more.
How much power will you need and how will you supply it? Ask all vendors if they need any power source and how much. We always recommend having the appropriate generator to host all wedding festivities as to not break any breakers on the personal property or in case of power outages.
Where will the caterer and bar set up? Is there space for their teams?
Is there ample space for parking?
Are there enough bathrooms onsite for guests or is there space to bring in your own?
2. Prepare for a very large rental order.
When you plan a backyard wedding chances are high that you’ll have a large rental order.
Remember, you can work with multiple rental companies! On average we work with 3 rental companies per event (including elopements) to source the items that perfectly align with the couple.
On your rental order you may have the following items:
Tents (if you do not have a barn, shed, pavilion already on the property) for guests, caterer and musicians
Portable restrooms
Generator
Spider box
Extension cords
Tables: dinner tables, cocktail tables, buffet tables, display tables, tables for catering prep, greeting tables, etc.
Chairs: ceremony and reception
Linens: tablecloths and napkins
Trash cans with bags
Dance floor and stage
Lighting: under the tent, outside of the tent for safely walking to vehicles or shuttle, and for your catering team
Bar(s) with back bar stations
Coolers
Hot boxes for food
Sound systems: multiple if you have different aspects of the day spread throughout the property
Dollies for moving items before and after the events
ATVs for transporting items or yourselves between locations
Arbor
Water dispensers for a water station
Signage: can customize or gather general welcome, restroom, directions, guest book, etc.
Tablewares: plates, glassware, flatware, chargers, bowls and/or mugs
Ladders
3. Book a tent for sun, rain, wind and weather.
Let’s dive into the details of some of these bigger items, starting with tents!
For as romantic as dining under the stars truly is, it is imperative that you have a covered dry place in case of rain. Rain storms can appear out of nowhere in certain seasons and you (and your guests) deserve to have a safe event that can last through the night!
Even if a tent would be plan B (or C), ask your rental company the latest they can remove the tent from your rental agreement. Granted, we don’t recommend removing a tent from your order UNLESS there is NO rain or high wind in the forecast the day before, of, and after your event and the latest you are able to remove the tent from your order is the day before the wedding. Otherwise you may find yourself in a pickle and your guests soaked or tables blown over.
Things to consider when booking a tent for your wedding:
Level ground
Call your local excavation service to ensure it is safe to pitch a tent in the area
Height of the tent in line with any trees or electrical wires
Type of tent
Spacing for all events you want to host on the property (and plan B events in case of weather)
Sides available for tent
Lighting
How you want to cover the poles inside and outside of the tent
4. Backup all of your energy with a generator.
Time to talk about how you are going to power your event.
Ask EVERY vendor if they have power needs. If so, how many watts or AMPs and what types of outlets they need for their equipment. The vendors who always need power are musicians or DJ, lighting, and fans. Vendors who typically need power are caterers and photo booth services. Ask all vendors to make sure you have all your bases covered. Occasionally someone will need access to a power source who typically doesn’t.
Once you know the amount of watts or AMPs are needed to generate enough power for the entire evening, discuss with your rental company about generator options, spider box needs, and extension cords.
If your event is near a structure with power, we still recommend having a generator as the primary source of power for your event, and then use the structure (like a home) be a backup for part of the electrical needs. Because of this, have more extension cords on hand than you anticipate needing.
Uncertain how to use the generator? Ask your rental company to show you the best way to safely use the generator. YouTube is also a great resource. Generators are dangerous, so make sure you work with this equipment with the utmost caution and respect. Having an electrician on standby isn’t a bad idea either.
5. Make sure your band or DJ has flat, dry ground.
Music is an essential part of your event! Whether you choose live music or a DJ or a combination of the two, talk with your music team(s) about their needs for the big day and provide them with a scope of the event.
Will aspects of the event be outside for the guests? The band and DJ may still need a small tent to cover them and their equipment to protect it from sunlight or scattered showers.
As mentioned above, your musical entertainment will need power support. Talk with them about everything they need.
Always confirm if a stage or platform is needed for your DJ and band. In case of inclement weather the week of the wedding the ground may still be wet enough to put the band at risk if they place their electrical cords directly on the ground.
Most DJs and musicians provide their own sound systems. However, they may need additional pieces of equipment depending on the scope of your event. Ask them if they will need you to rent any additional items for them.
Sometimes DJs and musicians are open to sharing mics with the officiant for the ceremony. Talk with them about sharing PA system items for the ceremony and if an additional fee is involved or if they can help run the sound for the wedding.
6. Ensure there are enough facilities for your guests to use the bathroom.
Don’t overlook the most basic of human needs at the wedding— the toilet.
Make sure you have plenty of bathrooms! If ample restrooms are not already on the property, portable toilet trailers are the way to go. These services typically have excellent and clean options. Portable toilet trailers are available in many cities around the U.S. Many run off energy so confirm with the company if they need you to source the power or if they will bring their own generator. They also need a water source, so confirm with them if a spigot is available for them to use or if they need to bring their own water.
As events run later into the evening, ask if the trailer comes with lighting for the steps and by the doors so guests can safely enter and exit. If not, add appropriate lighting to your rental order.
Always have the contact information for the on-call staff member of the company on hand in case of any emergencies at the wedding.
7. Consider your place settings and barware.
While plates, linens and chairs may seem like small items, these are large orders!
Always rent a few extra items in case anything is damaged upon arrival. We recommend renting 1 additional item for <25 guests, 2 additional items for <50, 4 additional items for <100, and 5 additional items for over 101 guests.
In the case of tables, additional ones will likely not be necessary, especially if the rental company is close by. They could replenish if there are any issues before the wedding. However, if your event is several hours from the rental company it’s a good idea to have one extra table and linen.
Similar to how you want to confirm with your caterer and bartender the deadline for a final headcount, you want to have a date with your rental company for a final order deadline.
We highly recommend adding set up and clean up service with your rental company. Be sure to confirm what the set up and clean up entails. Still have a trusted person oversee the set up and confirm it looks like what you envisioned.
Tablewares will need to be rinsed or washed before returning to the rental company. Request your caterer or bar team to rinse these items and place them back in their containers. An additional charge may apply, but it is completely worth it so you don’t have to worry about washing dishes after dancing all night.
8. Check if there are any sound ordinances in your neighborhood.
If your property is in any sort of neighborhood, whether within a few hundred yards of your neighbors or a few miles, check with your county to make sure you are abiding by the local sound ordinances. As exciting as it may be to have the police join the party, no one really wants the party to be shut down.
Depending on your relationship with your neighbors, you may want to inform them that you will be hosting a celebration and share with them that amplified music will end at the appropriate time. Communicating this with them will likely prevent calls and demands for the music and celebration to cease.
9. Make sure there is ample parking for all of your guests or opt for shuttles.
Your guests will need safe and reasonable places to park for your celebration. Encouraging guests to carpool or providing shuttles to and from their hotel is a great way to minimize the space needed for parking on your property. Even if you provide shuttles, estimate that some guests and all vendors will need to park their vehicles. Create an estimate of how many vehicles will be driven to your event and multiply by 1.5 to ensure plenty of parking space.
Note: if you hired a shuttle service, talk with the drivers to ensure there is plenty of space for shuttles to drive, drop off and turn around on the property.
10. Spray for bugs.
For those uninvited critters like ticks and mosquitos, consider spraying for bugs. While protected lands may have policies around the types of sprays that can be used, talk with a local expert about the best way to safely protect your guests, the land, and the large and small creatures who live on or by your property.
All in all, have a blast crafting your celebration at your special place!
