Planning a wedding can feel like a lot of work for many reasons. If you’re not thinking about the guest list or finding time to solidify all of the details, your mind is always wandering back to the financial aspect of wedding planning. To curb costs and keep things intimate, you might be considering a backyard wedding.
According to the 2021 WeddingWire Newlywed Report, nearly 25% of couples who got married in 2020 had an at-home wedding, up 20% over 2019. Of those weddings, 87% of couples opted for the backyard as their location of choice.
Although popularity is rising, it doesn’t mean there are fewer moving parts to manage when it comes to a backyard wedding. So, here is everything you need to keep in mind while planning your upcoming nuptials.
What Is a Backyard Wedding?
A backyard wedding is just like any other wedding, except the location is in your own backyard or that of a close friend or family member. Backyard weddings are popular for anyone who wants to have the freedom to do what they please with the venue and keep things casual. These days, outdoor weddings are a safe way to celebrate your love with a small group of people without having to do the entire event on Zoom.
What Do You Need to Plan a Backyard Wedding?
Like any wedding, you will need the usual plans in place for your wedding. From invitations (whether virtual or by-mail) to floral arrangements and decorations, you can go as big or small as you’d like when it comes to your backyard wedding.
The difference between this type of wedding and a more traditional wedding location, though, is the overall space you’re working with.
Confirm the Location and How Much Space You Have
First, you’ll want to get a complete picture of the amount of space you have to work with and how many people you can safely accommodate. Do the math to determine the square footage of the yard so that you can draw a mock-up and begin to estimate where everything will go on the big day.
From there, you’ll need to determine what bigger-picture items you need. Here are a few good questions to start:
- What type of vendors will you need?
- Will you need restrooms or porta-potty rentals?
- What are your water and electricity sources?
- Do you require a generator?
- Will you need to invest in heat lamps to keep guests warm?
- How will you manage garbage and recycling collection?
- What is your backup plan if the weather isn’t cooperating?
Because you are having a backyard wedding, it’s essential to do what you can to keep your guests comfortable. With many unknowns, like the weather or annoying bugs, there are plenty of things you can do to make your backyard feel like any other wedding venue.
Map Out a Realistic Budget
One of the main reasons many couples opt for a backyard wedding is to keep costs low. After all, according to the 2020 WeddingWire Newlywed Report, venues alone cost an average of $10,500.
In a recent survey, almost one in four couples (24%) admitted to taking on more than $2,500 in debt, in order to pay for their wedding day.
A small minority (less than 4%) sought out low-interest loans to cover nuptial costs, but most relied on high-interest credit cards. This may be a problem in the future for the almost 7% of survey respondents who now owe more than $25,000 in wedding day debt.
While backyard weddings are, on average, more affordable than venue-based wedding ceremonies, there can still be unexpected costs.
For instance, although you are saving money on venue costs, you may need to pull from that budget to cover things like lighting, catering supplies and decor – as most venues will typically include the cost of some of these items in their fee.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep costs low. Brianna Laroche managed to make her day in September 2020 work for just $600 USD. But, that meant doing most of the heavy lifting with a smaller team.
“Because of the pandemic, we decided to scrap our plans and had a bare-bones crew pull off the ceremony,” says Laroche. Just her and her husband, their officiant, her sister and her partner were in charge of technology, photography and support.
If you’re unsure how to budget for your big day, WeddingWire has a great breakdown of where you can anticipate your money going:
- Catering – 38%
- Photography and videography – 12%
- Venue – 9%
- Attire and beauty services – 8%
- Honeymoon – 7%
- Flowers – 7%
- Music – 5%
- Wedding stationery – 3%
- Wedding rings – 3%
- Wedding cake – 2.5%
- Transportation for you and guests – 2%
- Favours and gifts – 1%
- Officiant – 0.5%
- Tips – 1%
Using this list as an example, there are many places to cut back if you want to keep a more realistic wedding budget.
Do You Need a Permit or Insurance?
As you’ll be in a backyard, something to consider is whether or not you need any permits, and if so, what types of permits you can expect to purchase. From knowing any bylaws about noise to what parking availability is in your area, you may want to get on permits as soon as possible.
It’s also imperative that you practice being a good neighbour and let people around you know that you will be hosting an event. A small gesture of confirming the noise and the vehicles on the street can make others aware that you will do what you can to respect their privacy and community.
Laroche says that her neighbours even went as far as offering to let them set up a tent on the property adjacent to their yard, as well as host some parking.
Two common types of permits and insurances you may need are a special occasion permit, liability insurance and a liquor permit.
Most provinces have event or occasion permits that register your backyard wedding as a private event. This means that only your guest list will be attending, and there will not be any public advertisements for said event.
Although you or the homeowner hosting your backyard wedding have home insurance, typically, the policy is not enough to cover your liability for the guests attending your event. You should make sure to loop them into the wedding conversation to confirm your home is protected in an emergency. If you’d like the extra security, some companies will provide wedding insurance that will cover your guests, vendors, and all rental equipment.
Lastly, if your special event permit does not already include a liquor license, you must purchase one. Without a liquor license, authorities could shut your party down early and quickly, depending on noise bylaws.
Check your local municipality to find details on the rules and regulations for any event held on private property.
What Is Your Timeline?
Choosing a wedding date can seem like an easy or difficult task to check off your list of responsibilities. It’s essential to consider the weather, depending on where you live, and give yourself enough time to plan and prepare for the big day.
Underestimating yard work can be an easy mistake to make. For that reason, make sure that you give yourself enough time to prepare everything you’ll need and want to finish before the big day arrives.
For Stephanie Collins, throwing her backyard wedding reception in Alberta was a great way to stay on budget. But, the one thing she had wish she knew before starting her prep work was how much work it would take to get their home picture-perfect. “It was months and months of intense lawn care,” says Collins. “That, and so much pressure washing.”
With current unknowns given COVID-19, it can be hard to say that everything will go according to plan. Therefore, give yourself a replacement date if you’ll need to push things to a later date, and remember to stay up to date on current government restrictions and regulations that are in place.
Find Vendors That Are Comfortable With a Backyard Event
Lastly, don’t forget about the vendors who will help you set up and close out your big day. Typically, weddings can be an exhausting event for the newlyweds. “My husband and I were both a little overwhelmed with how much the two of us had to do both day of and the day after,” says Collins.
Finding vendors that can provide you with everything you need and share their expert opinion so that your day is covered from top to bottom can be a huge relief.
Laroche says an excellent way to determine what vendors you may need is to evaluate your strengths as a host. This way, you’ll know whether you need to outsource help from friends, family or local vendors.
She and her now-husband decided to handle all of the cooking for their guests. “If we did not enjoy cooking, we would have budgeted for catering,” says Laroche.
Some vendors to consider hiring include:
- Catering services
- Decor and furniture rentals
- Bathroom rental services
- DJ or small live band
Once you start researching each of the vendors, make sure you ask about their experience coordinating an outdoor event such as a backyard wedding. Your caterer, for example, should be able to tell you whether they’ll need additional power or lighting.
What Will the Day of Your Wedding Look Like?
No two weddings are the same, which means that your backyard wedding can have differences from those you may see online. When choosing a theme for your big day, make sure it falls in line with what you and your partner love.
Both Collins and Laroche shared similar advice in that you shouldn’t let anyone else’s opinion sway how you spend your wedding day.
“The wedding corner of the internet is beyond overwhelming,” says Laroche. “In my opinion, the simpler the plans, the better.”
Because you can’t always anticipate what your wedding day will look like, Laroche says you’re better off navigating the bumps if you aren’t inundated with too many details from the start.
5 Easy Backyard Wedding Themes
Not sure where to start? Check out these ideas to get your wedding planning off and running smoothly.
Eclectic
If you and your partner love a unique and funky vibe, an eclectic backyard wedding might be the perfect fit. You can go for bold, colourful patterns with a mix of modern lines. Not only that but adding furniture to a natural backdrop can make for the perfect feeling of intimacy.
Vintage
Given all the craziness in today’s world, it might be a perfect fit to transport your guests back in time with heirloom furniture, ice cream carts and candelabras. A vintage backyard wedding theme is a great way to unplug and reconnect with your closest friends and family.
Minimalist
For those who love simplicity, minimalist weddings can be exactly what we need to lessen our stress and keep a reliable budget for the big day. Embrace your less is more mindset and remove any elaborate details for your backyard wedding. Instead, choose neutral colours and sleek decor to keep things simple.
Rustic
Perhaps a perfect fit for any outdoor wedding, rustic weddings can be great for anyone looking to lean into the farmhouse aesthetic and mix modern and rugged decor into one.
Bohemian
If you wish you could have your destination beach wedding, but the pandemic has thrown in other plans, a bohemian wedding theme might be the way to go. Think oversized bouquets, mismatched decor and pampas grass. This theme works great with any outdoor venue.
Planning a backyard wedding can be as straightforward or as complicated as you make it. By taking time to plan out all of the necessary details and getting every permit you’ll need in line, you can make your day of celebration that much more perfect.
Survey Methodology
The Zolo: Wedding Costs Survey is an online survey conducted between April 10 and 15, 2022, where 250 Canadian newlyweds were asked about their recent wedding choices and costs. The estimated margin of error is +/- 6.19 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
