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If you’ve spent a lot of time, energy and money landscaping and building your backyard into an outdoor oasis, there’s a possibility that a friend or loved one may ask to have their wedding, or at least a part of it, at your home.
The chances of this happening are especially high If you have millennials in your life who are finding it near impossible to keep up with runaway wedding costs.
Use the guide below if you’re hosting a wedding at your home.
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Inspect your Property for Potential Safety Issues
Especially if you plan on using your backyard for all or part of the wedding, look for potential hazards like rocks, potholes, tree stumps, wasp nests etc. and consider the possibility that you may have to hire a landscaper to level the ground if it’s too uneven.
It’s also a good idea to regularly check on your home and yard to make sure no new issues arise as you get closer to the wedding date.
Draft a Floor Plan
Whether you’re having a fully or partially outdoor wedding, while inspecting your property and deciding which areas to use as your dining area, reception, bars, dance floor, etc., think of your home as a ballroom, banquet hall or any other event venue with multiple areas or rooms serving different purposes. Then consider the different stages the wedding will progress through and choose your locations to allow for a seamless flow from one area to the next.
It’s also not a bad idea to plan to move the party to progressively smaller areas of your yard or home as the party winds down, and you lose more and more guests until you’re basically left with the wedding party.
Invite Vendors Over Ahead of Time For a Walkthrough
If you’re hiring a valet parking company, caterers, bar and wait staff, a DJ, photographers, etc., have them visit your home and do a walkthrough ahead of time to sort out the logistics and avoid logjams. They’ll also need to know the locations of power outlets and decide if they will need a generator. The caterer will also have to decide on the best place to prepare the food.
Plan for the Weather
When setting up your outdoor space, keep at least one or two areas of your backyard or deck covered for protection from the sun or rain. If you don’t already have an awning or a pergola covering your deck or patio, you can use umbrellas and set up small tents in the yard.
It’s also a good idea to have outdoor heaters on standby in case you get unseasonably cold weather on the day or night of your wedding. Keep in mind that if you’re in a covered space, you’ll need electric heaters as gas and propane heaters emit harmful carbon monoxide gas.
