Ahh, June is here! And weddings are in the air. This time of year many weddings are held outside and many couples are choosing to have a backyard wedding. The wedding that we coordinated on April 25 was a backyard wedding and it was beautiful. Ingrid Reed, owner of Cooking Creations Catering, has a very large property for Lindsey and Mike’s wedding, and offered to host the wedding on her back lawn. How do you make a backyard wedding happen? Like all weddings, “it is all in the details”. For this type of event hiring a wedding planner is key since there are so many more considerations and there won’t be a venue coordinator to help you out.
When planning a backyard wedding remember to use your surroundings as inspiration. If the backyard features a beautiful garden or cobblestone path, use that to your benefit. At Lindsay and Mike’s wedding, there was a beautiful red barn. The photographer, Brian Kaplan Photography, was able to capture some amazing photographs with something most people may not have even noticed. Lastly, I must mention the importance of a backup plan! Don’t get caught in the rain. While tents might be expensive, if there’s any possibility of rain, you must reserve one. This is an important tip for all outdoor weddings.
Here are some photos of various backyard weddings.
With a backyard wedding it is important to create a focus point for the ceremony. This can include arches, columns, gazebos, or something unique as seen in the picture above.
Backyard weddings will require you to rent chairs, tables, linens, and almost always a tent (unless you live somewhere it rarely rains). Also you will need to be sure there is adequate space for the caterers to prepare food and enough bathrooms for all the guests. Other décor can also be rented or purchased to create an event feel in an otherwise ordinary lawn. Two panels of white picket fencing were purchased from Home Depot to create a very pretty entrance (pictured on top). Lighting posts were rented to add ambience to the backyard wedding (pictured below). So as you can see backyard weddings can be gorgeous and intimate. And a final bonus, no site fee!
