Having a backyard wedding instead of renting out an overpriced venue has various benefits. For one, it saves you a ton of money on the costs of renting out a traditional space that automatically charges more for weddings. Doing your nuptials at home also gives you complete control over the space, which is perfect for those Type A brides. There are also no blackout dates when you use your backyard as the venue—the only limits are your schedule.
A backyard wedding is also more personal. Your home is a reflection of you, and inviting friends and family there provides a more intimate experience. Also, when you have your own space for your wedding, you don’t have to work with vendors the venue chooses for you. A backyard wedding, quite simply, gives the couple more freedom when planning their big day.
Couples who are planning a wedding on a budget already save big bucks when they use their backyard as a venue, but these helpful tips can save even more money. Couples can then use the funds they save to start their new life together. Here are some tips that can help keep the budget intact while planning a backyard wedding.
Maximize the Benefits of Outside
While having a backyard wedding means you can mix, match and customize to your heart’s content, sometimes going for the premade option is much more cost-efficient. For instance, a professionally-built trellis, arbor, or pergola for a wedding ceremony is extremely expensive between the materials and labor. A much more cost-effective—and beautiful—option is renting a tipi tent to host your backyard wedding. Tipi tents are a gorgeous way to create intimate spaces in your yard for dining, dancing, and celebrating your nuptials.
Don’t forget to enhance your home’s landscape so the tipis you use will look even more magical. An additional bonus of well-kept, colorful landscaping is the likely increase in your home’s value. If you plan to put your house on the market in the near future, make outside changes with curb appeal in mind, and you’ll be all the happier when your property is appraised.
While the plan is to get married outside, have a backup plan ready incase of inclement weather. You’ll want to have your home cleaned and ready just in case. If you want to do some redecorating, try customizable wallpaper for your home. This will give your walls a new and unique look without the mess of paint.
Avoid the Sit-Down Dinner
The sit-down dinner at the reception is becoming less and less expected. Nowadays, it’s perfectly fine to offer h’orderves or a buffet-style spread as a means for supplying food. And since you aren’t beholden to a venue’s vendors, you can get creative with how you feed guests. Consider having a local BBQ joint cater the event, or, as Kitchn suggests, contact your favorite food truck to see if they do private events. You’d be surprised at how affordable (and fun) these options can be.
Keep Drink Options Simple
If you are providing alcoholic beverages at your wedding, keeping the options simple saves your money and your sanity. Provide a selection of beers, one red wine, and one white. Brides.com recommends signature his and hers cocktails that people can pour themselves if you want a more personal touch without having to pay a mixologist to stand behind a bar.
Have Two Cakes
Couples can spend a lot on a custom cake that’s large enough to feed all their guests. Instead of investing so much in dessert, order a smaller cake big enough to provide slices for the couple, close family, and the wedding party. The smaller cake can have that “wow” factor that looks great in photos.
Planning Is Key
The more planning and preparation you put into your backyard wedding, the fewer surprise costs you’ll have. When figuring out how to stage the wedding, always give yourself more space than you think you’ll need to accommodate guests. Look into zoning laws for your neighborhood and make sure it’s okay to place tipis where you want them and to verify if attendees can park on the street. If not, consider contacting a neighborhood church or local business that will let guests keep their car in their lot in exchange for a small fee. The last thing you want is a citation on your wedding day.
A backyard wedding is a great option for couples who want a big celebration, but some people would rather spend their money on other things. To save even more money, look into renting decor instead of having things custom-made. Avoid the sit-down dinner and consider alternative catering options that are more cost-efficient. Having limited options for things like drinks can also help keep costs down. Finally, planning for everything from staging to parking will help prevent surprise expenses on your big day.
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