Written by: Patrick Adams
Is there a better way to make your big day more comfortable than by holding it in an intimate, yet elegant place, such as your backyard? You’ll be able to spend one of the most important days of your life with the closest people in a familiar place that provides intimacy and style. Besides that, you’ll have an original wedding on a budget!
But firstly, you need to prepare your home and backyard for this venture. If you’re unsure about what do you need and how should your home and yard look like, this is the right article for you.
1. Plan your guest list
Before you even start preparing your home and yard for your wedding, you need to plan the entire event. One of the main issues many people face when organising a wedding at their home is the space. Will there be enough space to fit everyone you want there?
That’s why before you even start making any changes and preparations, you need to put together your guest list. Is your mum’s neighbour from 15 years ago really a necessary guest? It’s your and your partner’s big day, so you should decide who you want there the most. So, plan your guest list and send the invitations on time, to have everyone you love there with you.
2. Declutter and repair
For a fantastic impression of your wedding, you need to have a nice space. Even though your backyard seems like a lovely place to hold your wedding, you need to prepare it and clean it first. One of the first things you need to do is declutter your yard. Remove all the unnecessary junk and things from it, and keep the space neat and tidy. Rake the leaves and keep the grass green.
Besides that, you should do some major repairs around your house. Now is the right time to fix that leak on the roof, seal the dents in the wall and repaint the entire house. It’s a long-term investment that will be useful for your household even after the wedding. It will surely impress all of your guests, and make you feel good about the space you’re presenting as your home.
3. Follow the regulations
Depending on where you live, there are some noise and gathering regulations you need to follow. One of the main things you need to do is notify your neighbours in advance that the wedding day is happening in your yard, and make sure that they are okay with it. If you’re planning on playing some music, make sure that it’s not too loud to disturb everyone in your surrounding.
Besides that, you need to take into consideration your guests’ comfort. Keep in mind that not everyone lives near you and that some people may need to drive a car to get there. So, you must provide them with enough parking space for their four-wheeled pets.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/jTnipV64uLo
4. Provide enough seating area and restrooms
Considering that a larger number of people is attending your wedding, you need to accommodate them so they feel comfortable enough. One of the biggest perks of organising your wedding in the backyard is that you can set up the place however you like. So, what do you need?
You need enough chairs for the reception and enough seating space for the lunch/dinner after the ceremony. If you don’t feel like buying additional chairs, you can always borrow them from your friends and neighbours, or rent them for this event specifically. Besides that, make sure you have enough restroom the guests. Your home will accommodate a larger number of people, therefore, to avoid long lines for the loo, rent additional restroom for your yard.
5. Make the place pet and child friendly
Another big perk of having a backyard wedding is being able to invite friends with children and pets to your wedding. Considering that your yard is large enough, make specially designated areas for the pets and for children to play in. You won’t have to worry about them running around as they will have perfectly enough space not to ruin your big day.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on those areas. For example, print out some colouring books for children and get crayons and colouring pencils to keep them entertained during the day. When it comes to pets, most four-legged friends can be entertained by a simple ball or toys.
6. Prepare the food
There is no great wedding without food. You need to make your guests as comfortable as possible, so consider serving them drinks and food at all times. Unlike in a restaurant, you don’t need to choose a specific menu type for your big day. You can experiment with different types of food and drinks.
Make sure you prepare a little bit for everyone. Respect others’ diets and food preferences to be the most memorable wedding host ever. You can serve food bites and freshly squeezed juice, before the ceremony and jump straight to the main course, wine and champagne after saying your “I do-s”. Display the food where everyone can see it and reach it. Place it in a centre of your yard and make everyone feel comfortable to help themselves.
7. Prepare the indoors
Chances are you won’t be spending all of the time outdoors. If it’s too hot or too cold to be sitting outside, your guests may want to enter the house and warm-up or cool down. That’s why you need to prepare indoors for the incoming guests.
Consider cleaning up the entire house. From floors, over windows and ceilings, everything needs to be tidy and neat. If you’re having some of the guests crashing over for the night, ensure that the guest bedrooms are cleaned up and ready to accommodate your lovely invitees. Besides that, you need to clean up the kitchen and the toilets. Those will be the two most visited rooms of the house, so make sure that your guests feel comfortable using them at all times.
8. Choose a theme
Planning your own wedding gives you endless possibilities to be original and creative. One of the best ways to express your creativity is by making a certain theme for your wedding day. Wedding day themes can be funny, elegant, smart or original. It all depends on the effect you want to achieve. So, what kind of theme should you pick?
The right answer to this question doesn’t exist. Just make it appropriate for everyone attending your big day. There is nothing wrong with traditional white weddings either. But if you want to run down the grassy aisle barefoot in the pale pink princess dress, no one should stop you. If you’re planning on creating a special theme for your wedding day, make sure to let your guests know in advance. They need to be prepared for it to respect your dress code and wishes.
9. DIY decorations
Before your actual wedding day, make sure that the space is ready. No big day is complete without decoration, so make your backyard feel extra special by giving it a finishing touch of DIY decorations. If you have a theme planned out, make sure that the decorations match your theme.
The best thing about planning a DIY wedding is that you have absolute freedom. You can create unique invitations, hang string light, light candles and create a space that is straight out of a fairy tale. You can even ask your guests to contribute to this unique way of organising a wedding by bringing personal items or hand-crafted gifts for you. Don’t forget to take a lot of photos and cherish the memories of one of the most beautiful days for the rest of your life.
10. Spice up the landscape
Besides you and your partner, all eyes will be on the space and the atmosphere you created. Imagine beautiful wedding photographs from your big day with gorgeous landscapes in the background. Wouldn’t that make you feel wonderful? So, make your backyard seem like a landscape from a fairy tale.
To create your big day fairy tale, you should never neglect the landscape. Make sure that the plants and flowers you have in your garden are well maintained and taken care of. To ensure that, get the best hose reel that will keep the flowers and plants in your garden fresh and ready for a magnificent photo shooting. This type of hose allows you flexible watering and easy maintaining of the garden before, during and after your wedding day.
11. Have a plan B
Even though you may have everything planned out, sometimes things don’t go according to a plan. There are some things you can’t predict no matter how hard you try. One is, for example, weather. Even though the forecast said that the chances of rain are minimal, how can you trust them months in advance?
That’s why having a plan B for your outdoor wedding is necessary. Write down all of the possible things that could go wrong and try to find suitable and realistic solutions for them. Besides being useful for your big day, it will also calm your anxiety and let you enjoy your wedding in peace. After all, who says that the mother nature can ruin your day? There’s nothing more romantic than a kiss in the rain, so don’t let it stop you!
Conclusion
As you can see, preparing your home and your yard for a big day isn’t as hard as it seems. This is the perfect opportunity to express your creativity and impress your guests with the space you’ve created. It will create an original and intimate atmosphere you can’t have during huge, venue weddings.
So, what are you waiting for? Clean up your yard, set a beautiful landscape and invite your closest friends and family to enjoy this magical day with you and your significant other. Don’t forget: this is your big day, so it should be planned according to your and your partner’s wishes.
