How To Plan Your Dream Backyard Wedding

Planning your wedding is really exciting but you can quickly hit bumps in the road due to expense and the availability of your dream venue. 

For this reason, lots of couples choose to save cash and hassle by getting married at home and, in this article, we’re sharing our step by step guide to planning your dream backyard wedding. 

What is a backyard wedding ?

Exactly as it sounds, this is a wedding which takes place in your home, your garden or your backyard (although many people choose to use the home of a parent or family member if their own place is on the “cosy” side. 

The benefits of a backyard wedding include: 

• More cost effective
• More control and freedom
• Less hassle
• More intimate 
• More convenient for many guests who live locally

How to plan a backyard wedding

Although a backyard wedding will almost certainly be cheaper than getting married in a hotel, church or registry office, it will often take a bit more planning as you’ll be doing everything yourself. 

In this section, we’re showing you how to plan your backyard wedding in 2024:

Local laws

Before you even start thinking about the details of your backyard wedding, you need to find out if you’re actually allowed to do so. 

Different countries have different laws on outdoor weddings – for example, in the UK, outdoor weddings have only been legal since April 2022. 

Additionally, weddings in the UK are only permitted at licensed venues – which means that you won’t be able to get married at your home or anybody else’s. 

Before committing to your backyard wedding, you’ll need to get in touch with your local council or authority to check the guidelines on this. 

Booking your registrar

If you live in a country which allows backyard weddings, the next step in planning your backyard wedding will be to book a registrar.

Just like weddings at any other venue, you will need a registered officiant or registrar to conduct your ceremony. 

This is usually done by getting in touch with your local authority or council.

You will, in most cases, be required to attend a meeting at the offices of your registrar in order to satisfy him or her that you are a real couple and are marrying for legitimate reasons.

The guest list

Once you’ve got all the official stuff locked down, it’s time for the fun to begin.

Your first step here is to take a long hard look at the backyard in question to ascertain how many guests it can’t realistically accommodate.

You can then go ahead and start making a list of the guests you would like to be present to witness your nuptials. 

Depending on the size of your yard, you might have to be prepared to make some tough decisions on who to invite and who to leave out. 

How to plan backyard wedding seating

In order to have a wedding you do, of course, need seats. 

Draw up a plan of the yard in order to figure out where the aisle will be, where the registrar will stand and where the couple will take their vows. 

You’ll then be able to figure out where the guest seating will be. 

Seating for your wedding can usually be hired locally at a fairly reasonable price – but be sure to shop around. 

How to plan your backyard wedding reception

Here you need to decide what format your wedding reception will take. 

For example, you might choose a standup buffet – in which case you’ll need to hire trestle tables. 

On the other hand, you might want a traditional sit-down meal – in which case you may need to hire tables to go with the chairs that you’re using for your ceremony.

How to plan your backyard wedding decor

Planning your wedding decor is a fun part of your nuptials but one you need to take particular care with when looking at how to plan a backyard wedding. 

To begin with, you need to factor in the size of your backyard – if you have a teeny yard, large decorative items will swallow it.

Also, you need to consider whether or not any decor items might blow away or become damaged during inclement weather. 

For a backyard wedding, it’s usually best to keep your decor relatively simple in order to allow the beautiful simplicity of the garden to speak for itself. 

Dried flowers, rustic touches and a general wildflower theme work really well with a backyard wedding. 

Planning food and drink for your backyard wedding

As with your decor, it’s best to keep things simple when planning food and drink for your wedding.

A classy buffet will work really well as this allows you to save money and space by not having waiters in your backyard. 

The same goes for wine which can be displayed in order for guests to help themselves. 

If possible, it’s a good idea to hire crockery and glasses in order to protect your own but, otherwise, you can get some really good quality plastic glasses and plates online. 

Managing toilet facilities at your backyard wedding

With a backyard wedding, the last thing you want is guests traipsing in and out of your home in order to use the loo – particularly if you only have one bathroom in the house.

You may, instead, want to consider hiring portable toilets for the occasion to ensure that nobody gets caught short !

How to plan a backyard wedding

A backyard wedding can be a magical event – but it does take a fair bit of work. 

Always do a trial run first with your decor to ensure that everything will work the way you hope it will. 

As with any other type of wedding, enlist the help of your bridesmaids and best man to ensure that your backyard wedding goes without a hitch – or rather, with the only hitch that matters !