Whether you want a wedding that is more sentimental and simple or if you are just looking to cut costs, having your wedding at your own home or a loved ones home can be a great option. However, with having your wedding at home there are a lot more details that you may find yourself needing to consider. Here are some of our top tips for saying your “I do’s” at home.

Consider Your Available Space

Firstly you will need to evaluate the space that you have and decide which areas will be best for different aspects of your wedding. You may want to have your ceremony in your backyard followed by cocktails inside and a free flowed reception. If you are having any aspect of your wedding in your backyard, you may want to consider also hiring a marquee. This will provide shelter from any rain, wind or harsh sun.

Prepare Your Landscape

One of the beauties of having an at home wedding is that your backyard can take care of some of your décor. Although, to have it in perfect shape you will need to start preparing it at least 2 months prior to your wedding day. Whether this is just mowing your lawns or reseeding, replanting and sodding your garden. You may even want to hire a landscaper for professional help and advice with this to get it as perfect and beautiful for your day as possible.

Lighting

Natural, as well as artificial, lighting is an important aspect to consider for your wedding. If you are having your ceremony outside, consider where the Sun will be so that you can have golden glowing light rather than stark light in your guest’s eyes. As it becomes dark, outdoor lighting is not only important for ambience but also for safety. To ensure safety, illuminate all your walkways and the dance floor with directional lighting. For beautiful ambience, hang lanterns and wrap stringing lights around your trees, fencing, and even the ceiling of your marquee.

Vendors

While you are having your wedding at home you cannot do everything yourself. Consider all the people you will need to hire including, caterers, people to help with set up and cleaners. For an at home wedding we highly recommend also having a wedding planner that can help you with the planning process, set up as well as taking care of any important logistics such as permits and insurance. Here at Harlow Garland we are wedding planners that can provide you with the utmost in quality and service.

Be Good Neighbours

Be sure to tell your neighbours of your wedding well in advance so that they can be prepared – they may even offer you their driveways for parking space. Be sure to also tell them what time your ceremony will be taking place so that they can be cautious of loud activities – such as mowing their lawns. We recommend gifting them a bottle of wine or box of chocolates to thank them for being understanding of any noise or inconveniences.