Planning a Backyard Wedding At Your Home

Guest Blog #88, Entry #541, June 1, 2011

Happy first day of June! Even though summer doesn’t officially start until June 21st, June has always been known as the wedding month. With warm weather outside, outdoor weddings, especially backyard ones can be beautiful, sentimental, and easier to plan.

Today, my Guest Blogger, Susanna Miles from Kiss Wedding, gives tips to consider for planning a backyard wedding. From the decor to favors for the guests, see how a backyard wedding can be a gorgeous event to plan and attend.

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Think you can’t afford a beautiful big day? Think again! Planning a backyard wedding at home could be the answer. You don’t need a bloated budget to get the fairytale effect. Throw the stuffy wedding rule book in the bin! Banish those budget calculators and planners that claim you need $25k to get hitched. All it takes is a little creativity and some smart outdoor wedding ideas.

We’re talking homey, relaxed and fun backyard weddings that don’t break the bank. It’s the way forward for budget-savvy brides who don’t want to compromise on beauty.

Why do it?

Planning a backyard wedding can be a stress-free and really rewarding experience. We’re all watching the dollars and cents right now. And instead of focusing entirely on budget wedding invitations, open or closed bars, or cheap wedding rings it makes total sense to save on your venue by holding your big day at home.

Backyard weddings get brides and grooms back into the driving seat. Get family and friends to pitch in and put your personal stamp on the celebrations. Have a big day that suits your style and your budget. You get exactly what you want, when you want it.

Backyard Wedding Ideas that Suit Your Style

What type of wedding suits your personality? Select a style and check out some backyard wedding ideas before you start planning a backyard wedding.

Are you a champagne and cupcake kinda gal? Do cocktails and canapés tickle your fancy? Maybe you’re an informal buffet bride? The great thing about backyard weddings their versatility. You can adapt ideas to suit all sorts of different styles. Enjoy an intimate sit-down dinner in the garden. Fire up the BBQ and crack open the hot sauce. Do English afternoon tea on the lawn. There’s a backyard wedding to suit every bride.

Tips for Planning a Wedding In Your Backyard

Here’s what you’ll need to do to prepare:

1.     Get out your green thumb and plant flowers. Choose varieties that bloom at the right time of year.

2.     Try to plant flowers over a course of a couple weeks to guarantee some bloom at the right time.

3.     Select flowers that fit with the wedding theme (both in style and color).

4.     Plant alot of annuals as extras. Plant early in the season and slightly closer to the wedding to fill odd spaces.

5.     Potted trees are a nice touch. If your budget doesn’t stretch to buying, ask a florist about hiring instead.

6.     Paint or stain decks. Don’t leave this until the last minute, ladies! Paint and stain give the best finish when applied in spring and fall.

Things to Buy or Rent

Planning a backyard wedding involves spending money wisely. The trick is to decide what really matters to you and spend accordingly.

Tents/canopies –these serve two purposes. They transform your garden into a reception space and provide cover for guests.

A dancefloor. We’re not talking a floor the size of a stately home ballroom here, girls.

Heaters – if you don’t want to buy you can always rent. Don’t forget the gas! Check if this is included in the hire price.

Chairs, tables and linen – choose a local rental company to cut delivery costs.

Plates, cutlery, glasses and coffee cups.

Lighting – lanterns and fairy lights give a gorgeous, romantic glow.

Citronella candles –these will keep bugs under control if you’re getting spliced in summer.

Games and puzzles for the kids. One of the best backyard wedding ideas ever! Inexpensive and will keep tears and grizzling at bay during speeches. ­­

Backyard Wedding Ideas: Food & Drink

Cookies and mini cupcakes are ideal for backyard weddings. They’re fun to make and can save you serious amounts of cash!

Invest in a couple of fun cookie cutters and choose freezer-friendly recipes. Freeze the dough then defrost the day before and bake. Saves tons of time!

If you are planning on serving savouries, buy in bulk from your local supermarket.

Have champagne for toasts and offer cider, coffee and soft drinks.

Inexpensive outdoor wedding ideas with the wow factor

Want to know the best thing about planning a backyard wedding?

The things you buy can be used again over the years. Trees and perennials look fab and bloom for decades. They’ll be a constant reminder of your big day.

Baby photos and pics of the parents and grandparents make beautiful displays and add the personal touch.

Vintage cake platters – they look fab and can be picked up for next to nothing from flea markets.

Mini pumpkins – a cost effective choice for the fall bride.

Susanna Miles, from (kisswedding.com) and real wedding blog (kisswedding.com/blog) is a place for brides to go for simple wedding ideas that make planning a wedding on a budget a heck of a lot easier.  The Guide, the Workbook and now the eCourse however help brides de-stress by de-mystifying the wedding industry, simplifying planning, and uncovering alot of the myths surrounding inexpensive wedding ideas.

All of the elements of the K.i.s.s. brand are based on keeping it simple & special – the very things that kept me sane while planning my own wedding and thousands since.

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.