Wedding at our ranch...

I recently went to a wedding that was hosted at the families back yard and it turned out so pretty! You definitely can find ways to turn it into something you want without having to worry about a lot of rules if your family lets you!

Plenty of people have their weddings at their properties! One thing I've seen time and time again though is that it's not always cheaper by the time you pay to rent everything (tables chairs, dinnerware etc.)

The only thing with this is make sure you look into pricing for renting chairs, tables, linens, silverwear, cups, plates, etc... because it can add up quickly. However, this sounds like it would be perfect!

We rented a house on the water as our venue. We had a caterer and rented tables and chairs, but didn't focus on decorating since the space was beautiful on it's own. (Though décor can always be beautiful if done well) We loved how intimate and unique everything felt and our guests really enjoyed it as well. I think a wedding in your own space makes it feel more personalized.

Well, I had a backyard wedding that was not at all cheaper than a venue...but I didn’t already have flooring and a tent and had to bring those in!(bathrooms [technically the house had enough toilets per guest, but we still sound fancy restroom trailer rental necessary due to: water supply with house being on a septic system and with not wanting guests traipsing all over the house anyway] were our other major backyard specific expenses)


But, we still went all out for the experience— We hired a full service caterer which was a L I F E S A V E R. They coordinated rentals (to tables to linens and china and real glassware, etc) AND set up AND clean up. We did a buffet but still had servers onsite, refilling waters, bussing table, generally making our guests have a five star experience. They ran the show— I joke that they really just brought the wedding to us. It was a big expense, but well worth it, and it was flexible as it was tailor made. We could’ve made a few cheaper choices (cutting passed apps, doing only beer and wine, etc) but we were seeking still a very traditional experience in a non-traditional venue, and what we ended up with was every bit as (if not more) special than a regular venue.
It was absolutely extra work. A lot of coordination and small details to solve. A lot can go wrong outdoors so it’s important to have a plan to solve that to keep guests comfortable (weather, wind, bugs, light etc).
But, for us. It was the MOST special day. I will say, it took determination— a wedding on this property was my absolute dream (it was the goal, not the solution ), so I was super motivated to put in the work and make it happen. But, we loved every second of it and I couldn’t imagine it any other way

I think it will be beautiful but like other have said make sure you price out all of the things you will need to rent. Those things add up quickly and it might not be much cheaper and a whole lot more work for everyone.

I think that sounds lovely. If you’re having a wedding at your home though just a few things to consider...
-what will you do if there’s bad weather (not just hot or cold, but you have to think about rain, wet grass, humidity, wind, etc)
-what’s the parking situation? Can your driveway/street accommodate the amount of cars you expect?-what about a bathroom? Are you ok with people going in your house to use it? Is your plumbing good enough to accommodate the amount of times the toilet is going to be used? If no to either of those questions, you’d have to consider renting a bathroom. -what about music? Are there usable outlets nearby to plug speakers into?
Not trying to talk you out of this idea at all because it sounds wonderful to me, but just want to make sure you’ve thought it all through!

We considered having our wedding on my family's ranch in Colorado. We would need to rent a tent (and the proper size tent would have been $2,000+). Everything was WAY MORE EXPENSIVE because they had to travel on a dirt road out of town to set it up. Plus we would basically have to provide transportation (which we did anyway) since it was a rural drive. The cost of renting bathroom trailers, generators, lights, spraying for bugs, etc. was just way too much.

I had my wedding on my family's ranch and I loved it. The rentals do add up, so be sure to research nearby rental places.

I had catering and my cake from a local restaurant and bakery, which kept the costs down a lot.

Around how many people are you inviting?

View Quoted Comment

Yes, I'll definitely be getting quotes for rentals. It'll be an intimate wedding of around 40 people!

View Quoted Comment

That sounds lovely!! I don't have any advice beyond what the others have said. I just wanted to tell you that I think it will be just as special--and maybe more so--to get married on your home property! I also think having an "intimate" wedding will help you keep costs down. Good luck, and happy planning!!

I totally get you on food and beverage minimums/in house requirements. Google helped me find a site that let you look for venues who don't have catering attached, which has been helpful...but I think Mayflower Venues is just for New England. I hope you can find something in your area! Try looking for venues for "meeting spaces" in your local town.

If you could do barbecue roast at home for $23 a head and buy alcohol from the local discount liquor bulk place, I think your budget is really reasonable given other variables like bathrooms, parking, and comfort level of other people in your home.