Backyard or Venue

We had the same debate. My family has a ranch outside of Denver, so I was debating getting married there or at a venue. We decided on the venue for a few reasons....1. the rentals were going to essentially cost what a venue would have with chairs, dance floor, tent, tables, bar, etc...2. the property is on a septic system, so we'd also have to rent porta pottys...3. the drive was kind of far on a dirt road, so it would have been inconvenient for guests...4. it wasn't set up for a venue (obviously) so I was worried too much could go wrong. Our venue fee is $10,000 and only includes the venue and chairs and tables, the quote we got for rentals was $11,000. I think the pros are less restrictions, more time to set up, more personal. And the cons are that backyards aren't set up for weddings, so it's easy to forget about things like spraying for bugs, yardwork, not bothering neighbors, bathrooms, parking, etc! I'm still a sucker for backyard weddings though.

Where are you located? What's your budget, and guest count?? If you don't have a set budget, you shouldn't be looking at venues.

Someone on the main road of my neighborhood did a backyard wedding this past Saturday.... it’s a two lane road, no real place to park other than on the side walks... there must have been over 50 cars lining the road on both sides. Countless near accidents, driveways were blocked... that isn’t safe. Neighbors complained about the loud music, and all the traffic. If there’s ample parking great ,but to block a fairly busy road and driveways is ridiculous.

It doesn’t really save money, it can be even more expensive than a venue.

In pa .. i was looking into a backyard wedding .. as others stated .. too expensive for me .. without a dancefloor .. since they have a big deck .. with a bar on it .. but with rentals and catering for 80 people it would hace cost more

Personally, I would go with a venue. From what I have researched and experienced, a backyard wedding can come close to and even exceed the price that you would pay for a venue in just rental fees.

I have been to one backyard wedding and it was a great time. They had a DOC that made sure everything ran smoothly but I do know that it cost them a pretty penny in total. There was a mishap with the portable bathrooms that happened halfway through the reception and it forced everyone (100+) to use the one bathroom in the house.

I'm sorry, but you are barking up the wrong tree. A well executed backyard wedding can be beautiful, but they are a ton of work and stress and they do not save money. If that's your motivation, don't do it. You have to consider

1) Parking-do you have enough? Is it safe (as in cars will be safe and not create a traffic obstruction; people can get in and out without a long line of cars...)

2) Rain/Bad Weather-You have to have a plan B for this, very probably a heated or A/C tent depending on the time of year. Expensive. May also require a permit depending on your location.

3) Neighbors/Local Laws-do you have them and will they be ok with a loud party and the additional traffic? If you are in an HOA, are there rules about large parties?

4) Rentals - you'll need the chairs, tables, plates, utensils, etc.

5) Bathrooms-do you have adequate bathrooms? Can your plumbing handle the load of the number of guests you are inviting? If not, you'll have to rent Port-a-Potties.

So, when you add all that up, it's probably going to come to as much or more than the venue, plus a lot of extra stress. It's nobody's dream venue, but VOA and Knights of Columbus halls and that type of thing are usually budget friendly and you can do a lot to dress up a space with nice décor.

I wanted a backyard wedding but we decided against that since we expected about 50 guests for 2 bathrooms
Fast forward we have a venue i like but there is no drinking there...
Fast forward more an now his parents are plannujg an after party/bonfire in their yard after the reception
So still kind of a back yard wedding but probably half the guest list

It definitely depends on your guest count and budget. Set those first! Either way will be beautiful but a venue is definitely less difficult because you won't have to rent tables, chairs, etc.

A backyard wedding is likely to cost even more because of all the rentals.

What exactly is included in that $16K? I don't understand. Our venue is $400.

View Quoted Comment Ceremony, reception. Food, and an indoor/outdoor setting depending on weather.

View Quoted Comment I live on cape cod. So a big selection of the venues are all on near/overlooking the ocean. You're paying a lot for the view as well.

We have having a backyard wedding, well we are renting a property for the weekend but I must admit it's definitely not the cheapest option. We are paying about $10k just for the venue (this does include 4 nights accommodation there as well) and then have to bring EVERYTHING in. Even though it's probably a bit more expensive I'd prefer to have it exactly how I want it and use the rentals/food/drinks I want, not ones that come with a venue.

I would go with a venue. It is way more costly to have a backyard wedding after you rent everything you need.

Watch on cheap weddings Netflix, it has some ideas. There aren’t halls that have chairs included for cheaper. Here in Cali the Venues that we’re like $16k included everything. Our wedding will be around $12k-15k when said and done. But there were some halls that included tables and chairs for a few grand and then buy everything on the cheap. My first wedding was we rented the clubhouse at my moms condo bought decorations off oriental trading, did finger foods from Costco, no alcohol. It was literally under $2k. And also over in a few hours.

I don't know where you live, but that is pretty expensive for venues.

My daughter's reception venue (in Omaha, so probably less than many other areas) is a ballroom in an old warehouse building with lots of character, for $1500, table & chairs, decor included.

Keep looking around for better-priced venues?

A friend of mine almost did a backyard venue. Consider all the rental costs. Chairs, tent, plates and silverware, linens, then clean up! Are you hiring someone to provide a lot of that and to clean up? She found it got very out of control and she didn't like the idea at all and cost just as much. Another friend recently went a more expensive route for her uncle's backyard. They installed a dance floor and did so much gardening and fixing up of the outside of the house. Painting fences, planting and gardening, mowing.

I am having a backyard wedding and our budget is $15,000. Currently we are on track with our budgeting but like PP state it is a lot more work! It sounds like the venues you looked at would be a great choice and less work for you!

Things to consider if you decide to go with backyard (some previously stated but they have also been my experience):

1. Noise/Neighbors-We are informing all neighbors of the event and inviting them to join the reception if they would like. We don't know any of them personally but it's a nice gesture if they like to dance!

2. Bathrooms-We rented a bathroom trailer that has heating/cooling, lights, running water. Plus 3 bathrooms in the house if there is an absolute emergency.

3. Caterer-Can they operate out of a residential kitchen? Also, if your caterer doesn't have plates, glasses, silverware, etc where are you going to get it? Or are you okay with paying a service charge or using paper plates?

4. Weather-back up plans!

5. Parking-Make sure there is enough room and you aren't breaking any traffic laws.

6. Set Up/Take Down-Who is responsible?

It's definitely doable but you have to be way more prepared and organized than if you are having it at a venue!

My DH and I debated on this same thing. After looking at the pros and cons we went with a venue. The reasons:

Venue supplied all table wear, bar, glasses, china, linens, tables, chairs. etc The venue also cleans up when the wedding is over.

Backyard: You have to rent the tables, chairs, linens, china, utensils, tent. Backyard you clean up yourself after the wedding is over.

My DH didn't want us to have to do any of that after our wedding or our family.

View Quoted Comment

We asked my aunt to have our wedding in her backyard and she politely declined; she felt her backyard was not up to the task. I am glad we did not have to deal with porta potties, chairs, tents, chairs, utensils, etc. Plus, my aunt is a meticulous housekeeper but I would have offered up a housecleaning service as well for the day before.

I agree about the Knights of Columbus/VFW Halls - some are quite beautiful and very affordable. There is one near me that rents for $800 for the day and includes linens and a bartender!! It is not the chic or "in" place, but it is a place that is quite nice.

We are having ours in a state park. In the end it will cost close to some of the venues we looked at, but I wanted certain things that weren't allowed in the venues (or they wanted to charge extra) Bonus: Lots of bathrooms and they are deep cleaned the night before. Our wedding is just after it opens, so they will still be clean! No Paying for/worrying about porta-potties. Also, its a BEAUTIFUL park, so I dont have to do any decorating! Total win!

We're doing a backyard wedding, and below are the pros and cons I've come across so far. To us, the pros were worth it since we have a lot of friends and family to help with the cons. Not to mention I've had friends that have had backyard weddings, so they've been essential in helping us know what to plan for.

PROS: Our rentals for 200 people were cheaper than a venue ($1200 in total for tents, tables, chairs, gutters). There were other places that came close to this, but they didn't offer the beautiful lake setting that we have available. We can get and supply cheap drinks. We can have a relaxed reception like we want with a bonfire, yard games, music, and fun. We will have ample time to get everything ready (with our rentals we can set up and take down the day before and after) and are not limited to a venues timeline (some venues we looked at wouldn't let you in until the day of, and you had to take down the night of, I didn't want to deal with that stress). Because it's an outdoor setting, we chose to go with the "premium" plastic plates and silverware that look classy but can be thrown away.

CONS: You have to have your ducks in a row. You have to inform the neighbors, plan for ample parking, make sure there are restrooms. You have to have good insurance on the property and make sure, if you're in the city, that you're not breaking any ordinances. You have to have a back up in case of rain (Tents are usually sufficient enough). You need a lot of friends and family to help (and I mean a lot).