How to plan a backyard wedding
Are you a DIY couple? Are you feeling ambitious and want complete creative control over your wedding? If you answered yes, then this article is for you!
This is how to plan a backyard wedding.
Connecticut is home to some of the most versatile options for weddings in the country. It’s one of the few places in the United States that truly has 4 seasons. It’s also one of the few places that both mountains in the country and the ocean are easily accessible and within an hour of each other. It’s truly a magical place and why we love Connecticut so much.
With a wedding venue in every direction mostly within 15 minutes of each other, why would someone want to have a backyard wedding? One of the first things that comes to mind when people think about planning a backyard wedding, is that they are less expensive than a traditional wedding venue. And if you play your cards right, you are correct!
In the 21st century, couples are more cost conscious than ever. Couples are also very much into having full creative control over what they spend their money on. Customization is king in 2022. But today, we’re just going to talk about the backyard wedding essentials.
If you’re planning to have a backyard wedding, the first thing to think about is how many people you will want to invite to your wedding. This is especially important because once you have that number, you can now figure out the rest. How much food will you need? How many tables and chairs will you need, etc. But just like planning a wedding at a traditional venue, shelter comes first. You’re going to need a tent for your backyard.
Event rental companies are a great place to find tents and after the pandemic, there are no shortage of tent rental companies in Connecticut. When you’re researching and contacting tent rental companies, you’ll want to have that number of guests handy so that you can plan your layout and know just how big of a tent you will need to cover your guests. Tents are important for a couple of reasons. The first is the possibility of rain. We always hope for the best weather but, you have to be prepared. The second reason why tents are so important for backyard weddings is shade. Other considerations to make when renting a tent is your dance floor, bar area, and food service area. The tent should comfortably fit all of your guests and vendors as well as give room for dancing. If you’re planning your backyard wedding for the steamy summer months, having sides on your tent with climate control is always an option. This will still give you the backyard feel but with the comfort of a venue.
Sidenote on DIY tents vs using a professional:
You may be able to find tents and canopies online or rent them from hardware stores but as a safety measure, we recommend that you hire a professional to not only set up the tent with anchors to keep the tent stable but to take it down with the correct amount of labor to keep you and your guests safe. You’re also going to want to rent a portable dance floor. Dress shoes and heels can easily get caught in the lawn and make for a muddy mess. The temporary dance floor will keep your guests clean and safe and save your lawn.
Now that we’ve got our shelter in place, we have to think about restrooms!
Depending on where you are holding your backyard wedding, you should find out if the home you are hosting at has septic or city sewer service. This is especially important because septic tanks can’t handle much more than 5 people. We recommend that you reach out to a portable toilet company. There’s lots of options out there that fit just about every budget. If using a plastic portable toilet and sink combo isn’t your thing, some companies offer mobile restroom trailers that are climate controlled, spacious, clean, and abundant with plenty of soap and toilet tissue. Don’t forget to ask them about handicap accessible options as well for our guests that have mobility challenges.
Next up, parking.
If you live on a sprawling property with plenty of room for parking, you’re probably going to want to skip this part. But like most of us, our homes typically have room enough for 2-4 vehicles. If that’s you, here’s a couple of ideas to help you with where to put all of your guests’ vehicles.
If you let your neighbors in on your nuptials, they might be kind enough to let you use their driveway to help with parking accommodations. If you aren’t on a restricted wide road, parking on the street might also be an option. But, if neither of these options are available. you may want to have your guests park at a commuter parking lot close by and hire a shuttle to get your guests to your home. This ensures that everyone’s car and property is safe and your neighbors will love you for it because the road isn’t being taken up by so many vehicles. If your guests are staying at a hotel, many hotels offer free shuttle service.
Not that our guests are covered, able to use the restroom comfortably, and have a place to park, we have to look at power for our DJ, lighting, and food service. If you’ve never worked in a commercial kitchen, imagine something very industrial. The equipment needed to pump out hundreds of plates of food requires ALOT of electricity. Commercial convection ovens require 220 volts or more and most homes aren’t set up for that kind of power. Ask your catering company if they bring a generator to power their mobile kitchen. If you’re having a food truck, chances are, they are well equipped for mobile catering. But in addition to foodservice, other items that require power are you DJ or Band, lighting for your tent, and climate control. Each of these items should have their own dedicated power supply. If you’ve ever plugged too many things into a wall socket and blew your lights out, you know what I mean. To keep the lights on for safety and ambiance and keep the party going with music, make sure that there is enough accessible power for everything you need. Ask your wedding dj about power requirements.
With all of the hardcore basics taken care of, you’re probably looking at a starting cost of about $7500+ for 100 guests.
Planning a backyard wedding can be exciting and there are plenty of opportunities for DIY options. But if you want to have more time to relax, we recommend hiring a wedding planner to help you with all of your details to make your vision come to life.
