Backyard wedding? And iPod for music?

With a backyard wedding you have to take into consideration bathrooms, tent rental, silverware, dishes, linens, parking, noise ordinances, house rentals (that allow events/weddings) and a million other things.

If you want a party atmosphere and to get people up and dancing, hire a DJ. IMO an iPod is only appropriate for an afternoon cake and punch wedding or a small wedding with no dancing.

My friend used an iPad for music at her reception, just set up a play list and you can always change songs or have someone keep an eye on it to change songs if needed. This is what I plan to do.

Hire a DJ. They know what to play to get people up and dancing.

My FH and I are having our ceremony in my parent's backyard but then having our reception elsewhere so I'm definitely pro-backyard. I would be a little hesitant with the iPod just because technology isn't always trustworthy and it could always malfunction. I'd be worried about it playing everything in the correct order and wouldn't want to have to worry about changing it or having someone change it every so often.

Also, backyard weddings can turn into a big expense. You will have to rent everything

Depending on the amount of people on your guest list, the backyard wedding may be more costly than a venue.

Backyard weddings are a lot of work and money. They can be lovely, but rarely save money or time.

Some things to consider; weather plans (tent with heaters/fans if needed), rentals (tables, chairs, dishes, linens....), bathrooms (do you have enough? can you afford to rent some?), parking (will you need to provide a shuttle?), electricity (will you need to rent a generator?)....

Any thoughts on a good DJ?

Do you have to rent tents?

We don't know where you live.

You have to rent or buy a tent.

I live in grandview...

Grandview...

The forums are international.

Tx

Small town girl lol

Yeah, based on the averages for your location, you need a tent, and you'd need heaters for the reception. If the highs are in the mid-60s, once the sun goes down it'll probably be in the mid-to-low 50s. That's my weather in AZ in winter, and it's chilly at night. It's cold enough to need heaters if you're going to be outside for several hours. I wouldn't want to be outside all night in a cocktail dress if it's 50 unless there's heat.

Check out the vendor tab in your area. Since you are in a small town, you may have to look into the nearest city.

Great points. Everyone initially thinks that their back yard wedding will save them thousands because they don't have to rent a venue for six hours. Skipping a DJ and using an IPOD? Which guest gets stuck with that job? Also, which guest is going to do the announcements and monitor the tone of the party (there's a reason IPODs are free and DJs are not). Well, here's what you'll have to rent:

1. A tent that is large enough to house every guest, every table, every chair, and any bars you have. Leave space for the DJ. You might want an under the sky ceremony and reception, and if weather permits, that's great. But still, you have to have that tent -- just in case.

2. You'll need to rent tables, chairs, linens, napkins, plates (dinner, salad, bread, and dessert), cutlery, glassware, cups and saucers, and salt and pepper shakers.

3. Bathrooms are a must. The ugly, smelly construction site porta-potties are the cheapest, and the most foul. Start researching what a trailer that looks like a multi-stalled restroom will cost. Then order one for the women and one for the men.

4. Lighting -- you'll need lighting. Set up and breakdown.

5. Climate control -- if it's hot, you'll need fans. If it's cold, you'll need heaters.

6. When you find a bar service, you'll need to rent the bar (or two).

7. Set-up and clean-up crew. A DOC might set it all up, but someone is going to have to collect every table, every chair, every dish, every glass, every cup, and every piece of cutlery -- wash them, stack them, and prepare them to be returned to the company from which you rented them. Same thing with the rented linens.

8. Garbage collection -- somebody has to do it.

9. Breaking down the tent. Maybe a family member will do it the next day.

You'll also have to think about parking, getting insurance for the event (do not skip this), and noise issues.

It's not the easy option many brides think it is. It's a lot of work, hardly the big savings you think it will be, it doesn't come with a venue manager, and if you're not willing to pay for those workers, you'll be imposing on your guests, and that's not acceptable.

Make sure there us enough room in the storm shelter for all the guests that will be outside especially in Grandview...in march . You will spend more on rentals , yes you need a tent , tables, chairs, heaters, bathrooms, lights, etc. ETA: i am about an hour north of you its going to be hot then freezing at night and maybe a few tornados lol guests should have an option of going inside in the evening

I'm having a backyard wedding in march 2018 also but I live in California. My caterer provides all plates, silverware, glasses, napkins, and tablecloths with appetizers and the main course buffet style for 17 dollars a person for all of that. Chairs typically go for a dollar maybe a dollar fifty around here and tables are between 7-10. My advice is to shop around. It can be expensive, but if your thrifty like me and do all your research and find hookups through family and friends it's doable. I was going to do iPod music, but now I'm leaving more towards a dj just because from what I have read in a bunch of articles is that entertainment is one of the big things your guests care about. As well as having a place to sit, good food, and being comfortable (i.e. Not to hot or cold). Those are the things I'm focusing on. People won't remember what my centerpieces looked like or how many cute decorations I had around my yard. I'm letting my beautiful yard speak for itself. Simple centerpieces that I'm making myself for about 100 dollars and putting up lights everywhere from after Christmas sales. Good luck! I hope this helps.

My cousin had an awesome backyard wedding. It was Hiwaian. They had a pool, the garage was totally empty and clean along with an extra tent space. They had a tiki bar, two of my uncle's took turns bartending. We had a BBQ grill with tons of food. It was super casual and easy.