Venue or Wedding tent? Will it cost less. Backyard wedding okay? Still be glamorous? VERY indecisive!

Also, it's a little hard to tell from the picture, but if her yard isn't level, that might present an issue too. My coworker's friend just had a tent wedding but the yard wasn't level enough. The company came out for the quote and let them know that they would literally need to rent dirt to have the ground leveled before having the floor put down.

Just random things to think about. Do NOT waste any more time. A lot of time and effort goes into coordinating a tent wedding. And even if you go with a more traditional venue, you of course know (or hopefully know), you do *not* have a date until you have a contract with a venue.

For the vision you want, you're better off finding a venue. I looked in your area and ended up settling on Western NC. I had a venue that had a tent, that was all inclusive and was the best decision I could have made.

@FFW - Damn lady! Your budget must be like whoa! LOL.

Edit: because I DO actually know grammar.

Just another voice that rentals add up. Price out what you want, but remember you need to rent everything from floor to ceiling, including bathrooms and climate control if the time of year necessitates it. And all staff including people to set up, serve, and clean up. Plus walls for the tent if it rains.

Our final venue choice was down to a mostly-inclusive golf club and our family farm/stables, where we could have used the indoor riding ring instead of a tent. With no venue cost except for rentals we would have spent the same amount, not including a DOC (and again this was without renting a tent because we had a building) so we went with the inclusive venue because it was less work for me and less money in the end.

Since you're limited on time, I would suggest going with a venue. Many venues include everything you need (tents, tables, chairs, etc).

If you are already having anxiety about wedding planning then don't do a backyard tent wedding. I went with an all inclusive indoor venue so that I wouldn't have to worry about planning every little thing. Backyard tent wedding involve A LOT of planning and may not save you money in the end.

If you like stress and want to DIY it all, then go for it. If not, then find a venue.

I received quotes for large tents of that style for $15-$20k. That's just the tent. Those lovely chandeliers hanging inside the tent can cost $2k each. And then you need all of the tables, chairs, silverware, china, linens, etc etc. It is NOT cheap to do a luxury, tented backyard wedding like the one in your photo. I suspect a venue will be cheaper and also less stress for you.

I came up with the same issue of doing a backyard wedding vs booking a venue. The backyard wedding is definitely more work and if you have to rent a tent it is very expensive. By the time you add up the costs you may spend about the same or a little more depending on the venue you book but you can find a venue that is almost all inclusive and have them take care of everything! I like backyard weddings because they are more personalized but I ended up booking a venue because I did not want to deal with the stress and the little extra money spent was worth it to me. Since i made that decision I have been so much more excited for my wedding and actually get to enjoy planning the smaller details instead of worrying about compiling all my different vendors and coordinating how I will make it all work! I say if you are already anxious about it...go with a venue that does most of the work for you!

The words "still be glamorous" are what's stopping me right now. Unless you have a budget nearing 6 figures, a "luxury" tent won't work well. If you just want a tent and some rustic decor with a DIY vibe, it MIGHT be cheaper, but rentals will still make it more expensive than you think. For the vibe you want on a budget, I think you'll get closer with an actual venue.

I had a venue, but it wasn't typically used for weddings. They still had an on-site caterer and coordinator, and equipment (including tables, chairs, and linens), but we still needed to bring in so much. I love the way it turned out, but it was a ton of work, and I can't imagine having to start from square 1.

ETA: And if you're naturally anxious, I'd go with a venue so that you can eliminate stress. The backyard wedding, while a great idea in theory, will stress you out.

Thanks everyone... I really need to get on it. Cost is EVERYTHING. Thanks for letting me know some of your thoughts! I'm making a price list of the wedding tent vs. venue.

UPDATE - The tent I found was not 15,000 like some said. It was 2,000 (or less) and I wanted to do a buffet style food to bring down the cost. So far the price has come to $6000. That includes chairs, plates, food costs (buffet style), flowers. The venues I've checked have been about 20,000.

We are having our wedding in my Aunt's backyard. Tent rentals were around $2000, I believe, depending on the size. We found a company that brings in a portable washroom and that was actually cheaper than expected ($250). We are keeping our guest list rather small so that tables and chairs won't cost too much and we are going for a rustic vibe so we don't need to dress everything up. It's definitely doable if you have the motivation and money to make it work

It really depends on the venues you are looking at. My fiance and I opted to go with an outdoor wedding in a public garden, so the garden (venue) was only $150 to reserve for the day. However, the tent, chairs, tables, linens, etc. being provided by the rental company are close to $4000. Which we are okay with. We're renting a three unit restroom trailer (the kind with ac and music playing) for $1440. But it's exactly what we want! And there's a lot of freedom in "creating" your own venue in someone's back yard, or a public space. Some venues have an exclusive cater, and some won't let you bring your own alcohol. So it really depends on what you want.

I've always loved the idea of an outdoor reception, even though there is always the possibility of rain. You just have to go into it with that mindset. If it rains, it rains. You will still have fun!