Backyard Wedding

My friend had a backyard wedding. I loved it. But I tend to like less fussy and ornate. It was just relaxing and fun

Our venue was a backyard/garden wedding, but it was not our backyard. We rented a private house for our wedding venue. Our guests raved about our venue. It had gorgeous, well-maintained gardens all around and was right on the water (Puget Sound) with a view of ferries and Seattle skyline.

My inspiration was actually my cousin's wedding. His was at a private house wedding venue in Malibu. The ceremony was on a bluff overlooking the ocean in front of the house, and dinner/dancing was in the beautiful gardens behind the house. I thought it was beautiful and classy. They didn't need too much additional decoration because the gardens were so beautiful. They had really understated, beautiful centerpieces that I loved. Before that, I had only seen the huge, tall centerpieces, which was just not my style. They also had the globe string lights hanging over the reception area. So pretty. I had a blast at his wedding, except it ended at 9p. Luckily, there was an after party back at the hotel.

Just so you know, you will not save money with a backyard wedding because you have to rent everything and hire all staff.

Oh I am very well aware I won't save money, I just love the thought of them and the relaxing feel, and you can make it however you want in my opinion.

@TarHeel both of those weddings just sound amazing!!!!

I am having a backyard wedding at my fiancé's great grandmothers lake front house. We have a big tent and a taco stations, it's low key but very us and I love it!

ETA: pressed send too soon!!

Thanks Deanna - people are still raving about our wedding even though it was months ago. And I'm still raving about my cousin's wedding years later. We did a lot of DIY at our wedding (which my cousin didn't do), and maybe I wouldn't do that again because it added a lot of stress. H also had a friend get married at a park just outside Zion National Park. So beautiful. I had so much fun at that wedding and was so captivated by the scenery that I don't remember the wedding decor. The food was delicious and booze flowing though.

I almost booked a venue went back and fourth and decided to have a backyard wedding at my parents farm

Table rental and chairs 300

Food 1100 includes plates etc but my mom found some nice plates at Costco and picked them up so I am not using stars foam

Tent 700

Table clothes and runners 86 dollars

It's totally doable on a budget which I am on.

Decoration I got from hobby lobby on sale 50% off

Centerpieces DYI about 200 bucks I finished pic attached

I got my table cloths from www.efavormart.com

Oh guest list is 60 people

My DH's best friend had a back yard wedding and it was an effing disaster. Mostly it came down to planning but there was not enough food for everyone, lighting was inadequate for an event my wedding, it was freezing cold with no provisions made for weather, sound was a problem so there was no MC or organization and no tent so crap from the trees was falling all over the tables. And a port-a-potty. Overall it sucked and most people left about an hour or two after the ceremony. Moral of the story: plan, plan, plan and think about your guests' comfort

I guess you could say we did a backyard style wedding. I was able to use my friends farm for our wedding. It is a lot of work and planning but our wedding was absolutely perfect and I wouldn't have wanted it at a venue. Our friends and family have been calling our parents for the past 2 weeks saying it was the best wedding they have been to.

I see you are in October, not sure where you are but weather can be iffy in October. Make sure you have plans for inclimate weather or temperatures.

We had to bring in everything from the tent, dance floor, tables, chairs, plates, silverware, glassware etc. For 89 guests our rentals totaled about $3,567. This also included tent lighting and lighting in the barn we used for cocktail hour.

Also, think about your guest list size in terms of bathroom use. Are there enough bathrooms for the amount of guests you will have. If you are on septic I would not even do it, you would have to rent portable restrooms probably.

Last but not least hire a Day of Coordinator. I had everything planned in terms of vendors before hiring a coordinator/planner but without her the weeks before the wedding and the day of it would have been a day I did not enjoy b/c I would have been stressing about everything.

It can be done and it can be done beautifully, you just have to plan for everything that could possibly come up.

We are having a backyard style wedding. The venue is providing the tables, benches, arch, bridal suite, etc so we don't have to rent any of that sort. We're doing a lot of DIY to keep our costs low. Keeping it very easy and laid back. Family style food and tables arranged in a long row. String lights over top. Benches for ceremony seating. I have been using Pinterest for inspiration on backyard wedding/rustic wedding ideas. They have great stuff on keeping it effortless looking but also elegant. I know I don't want it to be farmy since that's not us so they have some great and cheap inspiration. I also got a hp sprocket to print pictures I've found on there to put into my wedding planner and it's the best thing in the world.

I went to a backyard wedding and it was absolutely amazing. It made me want to follow that same vibe for my own. But they only had 75 people and I really can't get my guest list that short. But their's was beautiful and one of my faves!

I'm not having a backyard wedding but did go to one this summer. Please keep your guests comfort in mind. Make sure you rent a tent that is big enough to comfortably fit everyone. Provide heaters or fans depending on the weather. And upgrade to bathroom trailers instead of port a potties. Port a potties in the dark and in nice clothes is no fun.

If you have the money to build a venue from foundation to ceilings, they can be absolutely enchanting (and don't forget the rest rooms). The issue with back yard weddings is that many couples believe they are money savers. They aren't. They're just another choice of venue. If you have the budget to do it well, go for it (and don't forget to take out a special event insurance policy).

This view. I saw the pics, fell in love, cried, needed it to happen. Plus our wedding is small and super low key in comparison to others.

This view. I saw the pics, fell in love, cried, needed it to happen. Plus our wedding is small and super low key in comparison to others.

Here is my parents backyard wedding. When we bought the house my dad would find any reason to have people over. The lake is his favorite so it was his dream wedding.

So jealous of the lake pics!

I'm literally obsessed with all everyone's images and comments. My parents own lake property up in Michigan so I'm trying to figure out a way we can have it up there. I loveee backyard weddings.