At home wedding, backyard weddings, private estate weddings, whatever you want to call them, are so unique and beautiful. They are also a lot of work. They are 100% a blank canvas where every little thing must be brought in and brought out. That is a lot of logistics!
Fiddleheads and Finery has planned and coordinated so many private home weddings! So while this may be your first go round, it isn't ours! Read on for some great tips to have a great wedding day!
Tip #1 - Hire a wedding planner.
I know, this sounds a little self-promoting, but seriously. At the very least hire a wedding coordinator.
You are not going to want to have your family and friends running around setting up and then cleaning up as well as directing all of your vendors and answering 100's of questions all day and night. And believe me, they don't want to either. Your very best investment will be to hire a good wedding planner.
Tip #2 - Get your tent and rentals early!
These can and do sell out!
First, don't even think that you don't need a tent. You do. Unless you think a good rain plan is having your entire wedding inside your home eating dinner where ever they can fit. Your caterer also needs a tent and cooking equipment, they cannot use your kitchen, it's just not big enough. You'll also need bathrooms, generators, tables, chairs, etc. Your rental company should make a site visit so they know exactly where the tent will be going as well as all of they power and water needs and locations.
" We can't imagine planning and pulling off such a seamless wedding without them! Best money we spent on the whole wedding.." – Alex & Max (2021)
Tip #3 - Lights, Candles, Action!
You need so much lighting! Light up the tent, light up the way to the bathroom, light the parking area! There are lighting companies that can come and set up light or you can DIY some of the areas with solar lights! Just make sure that your guests can see where they are walking, accidents happen even without the assistance of alcohol!
Candles add a beautiful ambiance, but truthfully, outdoors, they mostly just don't stay lit. LED's are your best bet!
Tip #4 - Transportation.
Where will 100 cars be parking?
Unless you are blessed with a huge flat place to park a hundred or more cars, you'll likely need to think about offering a shuttle from a single point or two.
Tip #5 - Don't forget all those special details.
Even if you are the only one who notices...
You chose this backyard, at home wedding for a reason, make sure you find a way to show off or at least grab your photographer to get a picture with you and your partner to remember the reason you chose this special place!
Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
A well planned wedding is so much more fun! We want you to in the moment and really enjoy all of the little things that you have chosen to make your day special. Planning to get married at a private home? Let us know how we can help!
Cheers!
Gwen