Things to Consider Before Having Your Wedding at Home

So there really aren't very many of us who are graced with a home such as the one pictured above. But sometimes the thought of getting married in your own backyard seems like the best option for a variety of reasons. You can save money on a venue fee, it's a sentimental moment and what better place to have your wedding, or perhaps you are on a really tight budget and you think it will save you a lot of money. Whatever the reason, there is a lot more to having a wedding at home than most brides initially think.

The first big thing is how many guests do you plan on attending? Do you have enough room for them all, are there enough restrooms, where will they sit, where will you have the ceremony so everyone can see, where will you have room for enough food tables and tables for your guests, and where will you put them all if it rains outside?

Next you have to think about seating, tables, shelter from the elements, and possible restrictions enforced by the city or county where you live. Rentals can get expensive. Will you need a tent? Depending on the size you are looking at $500 to over $3000 to get a pretty tent with enough room for your party, dance floor, tent coolers, food tables, etc. That is before you rent any tables or chairs, linens or decor items, dance floors or lights.

Consider where you will store all the trash until it is time for it to be picked up by your sanitation department. What about parking? If you are serving alcohol, will you cut off service before it's time for the party to end so your guests can travel safely back to wherever they are going?

We love at home weddings because they are always fun, charming, and without a doubt have a little extra touch of sentimentality, but they are not for everyone. If you do decide to have your wedding at home, make sure you have a lot of people to assign tasks to beforehand such as getting ice for your caterer and lighting candles if you are doing your own decor. And plan on having someone in charge of overseeing all your rental set up and having people responsible for taking it down if you choose not to pay your rental company the fees for setting up and taking down your rentals.