Backyard wedding? And iPod for music?

Oh and there's a $500 deposit to lock in date

I have found a DJ that won't over charge that I've worked with before... And I've also found photographer

I went to one backyard wedding and it was very beautifully done. Elegant tents, lots of space, hired waiters and bartenders and yummy BBQ.

However she did have a DJ and a dance floor set up and that really helped it feel like a celebration.

I went to one wedding (in a catering hall) where the couple used an iPod and there were zero people dancing. While the meal and setting was nice, it wasn't much of a party.

So it depends what you are going for,

Sit down -- together -- and research the costs of a backyard wedding and renting the equipment on your own... He won't want to spend the money on that either, so it's a matter of choosing what's best for both of you. He needs to see numbers or he's going to be convinced a backyard wedding is cheap. It's not.

Rachel, that post was fantastic. We can all talk about all the things you need to rent, but your post put actual numbers on the entire event. It should be repeated anytime a bride-to-be asks about having a backyard wedding.

Bree, marriage is about compromise. What's troubling is that you seemed convinced that he isn't going to budge, regardless of how you feel. Not being able to compromise is a recipe for issues to come. You have some say in this, right? After all, it is your wedding too, and spending more on a wedding than you need to will affect you as much as it affects him. I hope the cold numbers open his eyes and he's at least willing to look at the venue you found.

Keep us updated.

Definitely will @Centerpiece

@Rachel is that like the lowest price for everything? Or?

What do you mean, Bree? Is what the lowest price? The prices I listed are what we paid for those items.

I mean as far as rentals go was that the cheapest you found or what @Rachel

On each item

It was the least expensive as far as what we needed and wanted. We didn't want to go "cheap", especially with certain items. I'm a very frugal person, but I wanted the best we could get at the most we could afford. Plus we wanted to properly host.

For example, you can get "cheap" port-a-potty restrooms for a few hundred dollars, I suppose. But I wanted nice restrooms since it was for a special event, therefore that costed over $1,000. I don't regret it one bit... To this day, people STILL have tell us how awesome the restrooms were and how impressed they were with them! Haha.

Could we have gotten a "cheaper" (smaller) tent? Probably. But it wouldn't have had enough room to best place all the tables and allow guests enough room to be comfortable.

My only regret with what we did was not having two heaters (we had one). It was a warm day for October, but it got very chilly at night and although we had blankets and a fire and guests had jackets, we could have used another heater. That's one thing I feel bad about.

I'm a photographer so I obviously love photography. I definitely didn't go cheap with that. Photos were the most important thing to me so we spent a good amount on photography and videography.

We did go "cheap" with alcohol - we got wine from Trader Joe's! I highly recommend it Delicious wine for a little over $3 a bottle. We bought mixers from Costco, so that was the "cheapest" we could find for those items to go with liquor.

I bought burlap tablecloths instead of renting because it was cheaper AND I could re-sell them to make back some money.

My point is... Don't go "cheap". Like I said, I'm very frugal. For a backyard wedding with all the costs that end up being involved, our wedding was actually not as expensive as backyard weddings can be. Be smart, do your research, look for deals, but don't skimp on what's important to you and don't skimp on properly hosting. If you're solely trying to get what's cheapest for a DIY backyard wedding, I would recommend not doing a backyard wedding, and finding a venue that you can afford and where you can properly host.

I am having a backyard wedding for 56 guests, 11 of which are children. Our rentals came to 637.70 that included; tablecloths, cloth napkins, wine glasses, chairs, a bar, 6 round tables, a head table, and one buffet table (for dessert). Our catering company provided plates, cups, and silverware, and the wood buffet table for dinner, they also would offer paper napkins, but I opted to rent the cloth ones. We are also spending 140 (not including tip) on a bartender, providing our own wine, beer, and cider. We have a DJ (1,035). My future in-laws have 15 acres so there is ample room for parking, noise is not an issue, and they have an outdoor built in bathroom. The backyard wedding offers a lot of challenges, and if it was an issue of budget I would have had our wedding somewhere else, but the property is very special to us and both our families. The sentimental value outweighs the extra work.

Like that's,the average on price for those things?

@rachel's prices may not be exactly comparable to yours. I'd do some research on your local vendors to see what their prices are, and how they change relative to how many guests there might be.

It's usually pretty easy to call up and get a quote from someone, just as a ballpark. I've also found sites like this one helpful: http://weddings.costhelper.com/

You can click around there and get a sense of what the ballpark parameters are for a lot of expenses associated with weddings. Helped me to figure out generally what things might cost, and gave good context on what was considered high or low within that range.

Bree, I would suggest goggling local party rental companies near you and get a quote. That way you can compare the costs of a venue to the cost of your rentals with your FH.

Bree - As ladybug and Ali have suggested, the pricing for those items in my area (eastern panhandle of West Virginia) might not be the same as pricing in your area in Texas. Google online to find rental companies in your area, then email or call to ask for quotes. There is no commitment required simply to get information and quotes. You can't go exactly by prices anyone else gets; you have to see what's relevant in your area. I just wanted to give you an idea of what we spent and how it adds up quickly.

Good luck searching and let us know what you decide to do!

I'm attaching a photo of the packages our rental company offers (you can tell the max amount of guests by the chair number). We got a discount and I had to add a few things in so it can serve as a rough estimate. This does not include delivery, tax or set up fees. They are based out of Orlando. I am not sure the difference in your area.

ETA: we were also given a discount because we could set up on a Friday instead of a busy Saturday

Thanks everyone!! I'll definitely be doing a lot of research

Backyard wedding is a lot of work, we are planning one and I wish we would've gotten a venue that had everything lol. If you can, reconsider a venue that also has a "backyard" feel.

IPod weddings are the worst. Playing entire songs is never recommended. And asking guests to keep an eye on a playlist seems a bit rude.