Backyard/private Property Wedding

YES for the restroom trailer. Great idea! Those make backyard weddings so much easier. My cousin got married on our family's ranch in the summer in Colorado, here are a few things I wish he did:

1. Had MORE than enough iced water available for guests prior to the ceremony (ceremony was outside in the sun)

2. Sprayed for bugs several times before the event.

3. Heated the tent at night (dropped down to the 50s)

I attended and helped set up this rustic backyard wedding for my FH’s cousin. It was super cute and we had a great time! However, it was the middle of the summer in Michigan on one of the most humid days I can remember and we were so hot. There was no air movement in the tent and everyone was dying. I’d agree make sure there’s plenty of water and spray for bugs, and also see if you can get some large fans to bring fresh air in, especially once people start dancing!

I did! I have posted a smattering of pics in other posts that you should be able to see if you click into my profile Decor-wise, I kept everything super simple. Neutral-ish colors (we were by the water so I went a bit beach-y), but I mostly let the nature speak for itself. A “learned lessson” decor tip is— remember weather, prepare for wind! We had to change our escort card display at the last minute as there was a breeze— and my guests kept blowing away — so something to consider with all decor you set out, heavy and solid is probably helpful !

Definitely helps that your family has some experience ! My two biggest tips are: hire the best possible vendors who really embrace the whole backyard thing (if someone got back to me and said “...we could probably make that work” I crossed them off the list— my caterer’s first line in response to my inquiries was “we LOVE backyard weddings” and I was almost instantly sold, and I gotta tell you— they weren’t kidding! They were always enthusiastic and went above and beyond. We went full service and it was worth every penny, having them there to set up and clean up , organize and serve and everything in between— I say they “brought” the party, they really seemed to create a wedding out of thin air. They were honestly my everything, and they took SO MUCH stress off my shoulders. We had considered a much more hands-on (cheaper) approach, but I gotta say it was so nice to not have to worry about anything. Find vendors you can put all your faith in!

My other main tip is: happy guests make a good wedding. Happy guests are comfortable guests. The biggest challenge of a backyard wedding is making sure everyone is comfortable— you have to consider things that would never even cross your mind with a traditional indoor venue— temperature, weather elements (rain, wind etc) lighting, terrain, bugs — plan for all of it. Consider everything and have contingency plans! My wedding was in the summer, so I was worried mostly about temperature or thunderstorms. I rented industrial fans just in case, but also had conversations with my rental company about strategizing if we’d need to bring in airconditioners. I rented “just in case” sidewalling for the tent just in case it rained. We treated the lawn for bugs ahead of time, and had bug spray on hand just in case , as well as sun screen, and flip flops— in case (despite my many warnings! [a mentally prepared guest is a happy one too]) someone showed up in footwear not suitable for a yard. I probably went overboard, probably overspent on the “just in cases” , but it was all so worth it for the peace of mind, and all my guests were happy and comfortable all evening! We made sure everything was well lit and well marked (path to the bathroom trailer, path to the parking, etc). We didn’t have to rent a generator as the house was new construction with good, labeled electrical circuits, but we did use a lot of power, and my DJ requested his own circuit, so there would never be a circumstances of say a fuse blowing and shutting down both the music AND the food prep— again, all the little details!
My final tidbit is: make sure you can stop playing hostess. This may be true of any wedding, but I found it more so true in my own home, that I was a little hyper focused on hostessing duties— make sure to find a way to step back and be in the moment and enjoy your day!!