How To Throw a Backyard Wedding
Our favorite weddings we have ever captured have been held at real homes - in the backyard.
It brings a whole new layer to an intimate wedding, and makes the weddings feel cozier and more homey because - well, it’s an actual home! Venues are great - but they’re not super personal. If you’re searching for a location that will add to the intimacy of your wedding - maybe a backyard wedding is for you. Photographing/filming the details of a home is so much more exciting to us as a photo + video team because every piece of furniture and decor tells a story about who you two are as a couple - versus a venue where a lot of the details, aesthetic and look of the place are out of your control.
We created this guide for you to use as a resource when planning your backyard wedding. Venues are specifically designed for weddings, but houses are not! And you might not know where to start. Or maybe you are considering a backyard wedding, but you aren’t totally convinced yet. Our hope is that it gives you a starting point, helpful tips and things to consider when thinking about tying the knot at home!
Why have a backyard wedding?
It saves you money.
Venues can be crazy expensive, just for one day. Backyard weddings can be a great money-saving idea. It will allow you to focus your budget on decorations and really personalizing your wedding details. You will have to invest in renting other things, but the money you will save by not renting a venue will most likely outweigh your other rental costs (like tents, tables, etc.).
It’s more sentimental and personal.
You won’t be using a venue that 1000 other couples have used - it’s going to be extremely unique and custom to you two and your wedding. Getting ready for your wedding in the house you grew up adds such an emotional and personal layer to an already emotional day.
A smaller guest list.
It’s a great reason to keep your wedding intimate! You can cut back on your guest list, and let people know that you’re having a backyard wedding and only have room for a certain number of people. You will also be able to spend more time with the guests you are able to invite because there are less of them.
You can pick any date you want!
A lot of couples have to pick their date based on the venues availability, but that won’t be an issue if you’re getting married in the backyard of your own house.
Planning Your Backyard Wedding
Where is the house? Is it your own or your parents? Maybe you know you want the intimacy and atmosphere of a backyard wedding, but neither of you have a home or backyard that you want to use or is capable of actually hosting your guests.
Use your own house - this is the easiest option because you are the owner - so you don’t have to worry about getting permission from anyone! And how cool is it to promise your lives to each other in the place you will actually build your life together? It’s a super intimate and personal location - really creating a day that is all about the two of you. It’s also going to be a huge money-saver.
A friend/family members house - chances are, someone you know (or a friend-of-a-friend) has access to/owns a cool piece of property! Think lake houses, ranches, barns, vacation homes, or anyone with land. You need to get their permission first. Ask them if they would consider letting you hold your wedding at their house. Iron out the details - are you willing to pay them, how much work would they have to put in, what rooms you can use, etc. We recommend being super clear and transparent about your vision for the wedding, the amount of guests, the setup, and all the details! The more you communicate - the less likely you will run into any issues down the road. And then, if you’re all on the same page - then heck yes! Be sure to keep them in the loop while planning.
AIRBNB - If you don’t have access to a house but you still want the backyard wedding feel is Airbnb! There are some beautiful houses and properties on there that will allow you to hold intimate weddings.
Picking your ceremony spot -
You have the house - but where are you physically going to get married? Which part of the backyard is going to be your ceremony spot? Obviously it depends on the layout and size of the backyard - but here are a few things to think about.
What time is the ceremony, and where will the sun be? If it’s mid-day, you may want to think about a shaded spot in the trees because you don’t want the light to be super harsh (especially for your photos + video). If your ceremony starts a little closer to golden hour, think about what direction the sun is setting - it could be a beautiful backdrop, and you may want to set up where the sun is behind you. If you want the house to be a big focus - place the guests facing the house, and you & your fiancé will have the house as your backdrop.
We recommend talking to your photographer/videographer and looking at the property together. They are going to have a good idea about what will look good in the photos/videos and what will work best logistically for your day.
Getting Ready
A great thing about getting ready at your home is that you can really enjoy your morning. There is no venue you need to drive to or be at by a certain time. I’m such a morning person - and I’ve seen how much fun bridal parties have when they can spend their early hours relaxing at the house. Have a pool? Lay out and swim in the mornings! We had a wedding where the bride and all her bridesmaids had a chicken fight in the pool - and since they were home they were able to shower before hair and makeup started. It was SO fun - and Mark was even able to bring his GoPro and jump in with the girls for the video! It made for such a memorable morning, and was the perfect way to relieve stress before the day really got started.
As a photographer, the thing I look for when picking out a getting ready space is the lighting. No matter if you’re at a house or a venue - you want windows! Your hair & makeup artist will appreciate it, and natural lighting always looks better in pictures and video. So maybe set up some mirrors in the living room. You’ll have a good view of your ceremony/reception set up while you get ready, and plenty of space. Or, if the weather is good, consider getting ready on the porch!
Reception Time
A great way to prep your backyard for the wedding reception is by renting tents. You’ll want to figure out how many tables and chairs you’ll need, and if you’re going to need to set up a dance floor - and how big that needs to be. You can always move the tables and chairs out of the way once the dancing starts. And speaking of tables - think about your set-up options! Do you want long tables that can fit more guests? Or smaller, circular tables for everyone?
The setup for the reception is always one of my favorite parts of backyard weddings! They tend to be centered around the idea of community. Everyone sitting around together in the yard, enjoying a meal together and truly just spending time with each other. If you’re going for that intimate and personal vibe - the reception is such a fun place to really create that atmosphere
We had a bride and groom do communal, long tables - and the food was served family style. It was such a cool touch - and really fun to see everyone passing bowls around and getting to know the people next to them. You also need to think about the logistics. Is your kitchen big enough to prepare the food? If not - you need to talk to your caterers about a solution to that.
Drinks need to be considered as well. If you’re wanting a bar for drinks - look into renting a pop-up/mobile bar for the night!
A great idea to reinforce that backyard, intimate feel is string lights! This is my all-time favorite thing about outside receptions - string lighting is so pretty and really can help create an intimate and cozy atmosphere.
The Legal Stuff
Before you get neck-deep in planning your backyard wedding, you need to make sure you are protecting yourself and your home.
Insurance
Double-check your homeowners insurance and make sure you have a good understanding of what kind of property damage is covered. When you hire your vendors, it’s a good idea to make sure that they all have insurance as well.
Permits
Check with your city officials and find out if you need any kind of permit to host a large party at your home. Certain neighborhoods might require a certain type of permit - or there might be noise ordinances and fire codes that you need to know.
Neighbors
If you have neighbors that live close-by, please make sure you let them know ahead of time about the wedding! Give them the dates and times - and make sure they know when your ceremony is happening, so they know when to be quiet. Talk to them about parking, and just make sure they are really informed about everything. Maybe even give them a gift-card they can use to go out for dinner on the night of the wedding!
Make it personal.
There is no blueprint you are required to follow when planning your wedding. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a venue that you will spend one day at, and be required to leave by a certain time. Weddings are so personal - to say your vows at a place that actually has meaning to the two of you adds so much sentimental value to your day. We’ve been to dozens and dozens of weddings and the ones that stick out the most are hands down the weddings where the couples tied the knot in their own homes, with their closest friends and family. If you’re considering a backyard wedding, we sincerely hope this resource helped give you some more insight into the benefits of getting married at home!
Resources
Still looking for more information about throwing a backyard wedding? We’ve got you covered! Here are some great articles and blog posts about the in’s and out’s of throwing an at-home wedding!
This Junebug article is a wonderful resource and at the bottom it has a great list of all the items you might need to rent for a backyard wedding.
If you click here you can find our full blog post on our favorite backyard wedding of 2020!
Here is our Pinterest Board with all of our inspo photos for at-home weddings.
