I love home weddings!  Whether the home belongs to the Bride & Groom, the parents, an aunt and uncle or a very close family friend; home weddings strike an emotional chord that a wedding at another location sometimes cannot.  You are really and truly entering the role of host and hostess because you are literally inviting people into your home (or your aunt’s home).

There are challenges to planning a backyard wedding though.  The biggest hurdle is the fact that you have to bring in everything!  But I actually see that as a blessing.  When you bring in everything from the caterer to the linen company, you are really able to customize your wedding to your specifications.  You have the caterer of your choice, the linens of your choice, whatever alcohol you choose and whatever quantity you choose.  It really opens the doors to planning a day that suits not only your taste and style but also your budget.

However, because there are so many details involved with a backyard wedding that is where it can become critical to hire someone to help you at least manage the day, if not the last few months.  If you’re having a small party of 50 people then you may not be blindsided with a heap of last minute details.  But if you’re having a party of 100  or more you better make sure the details are covered…like that you have enough bathrooms and toilet paper!  Simple things like that can often be overlooked because we take for granted that those points are automatically covered at a typical wedding location (I don’t believe I have ever seen a hotel advertise free use of their bathrooms as part of their wedding package even though it is included).

The other big plus for a backyard wedding is that you are not tied to a set amount of hours, but depending on your city you may have to abide by sound restrictions (unless your neighbors are totally understanding or you have no neighbors).  Having worked in Los Angeles, I frequented Malibu homes on several occasions for events, but you have to cut the music off at 10pm because of noise ordinances.  Now that I’m in San Diego I have learned that San Diego County and Temecula have similar restrictions.  So making sure you educate yourself on fine points like that and going out of your way to be respectful of the neighbors can really save you a headache that day…because do you really want the police knocking at the door asking for you to shut down the party?

The other potential drawback of a backyard wedding is the clean up.  The clean up can be the most painful part of the evening if its not properly planned for.  So make sure your vendors (especially the caterer) are true professionals because their hard work and professionalism will save you time and energy at the end of the night.

Happy Planning!

Have a question on planning a backyard wedding?  Leave a comment and I’ll post a response!