Making plans and enjoying milestones hasn’t been the easiest thing to do over the past year, but we’ve all seen people happily and safely thriving. Maybe you’re one of the many who have been hosting birthday celebrations, getting new jobs, moving to new cities, getting engaged, and having beautiful babies. If you’re engaged and looking to plan a wedding in 2021, when it comes to wedding venues, it doesn’t get more intimate and personal than a wedding on your very own patio or your in-laws' backyard.
An affordable backyard wedding might be the perfect option. With your creativity and a little help from friends and family, you can create a lovely day of ceremony and celebration. First, focus on communicating with your partner, especially in the initial planning stages. Sit down and make a wish list, either together or separately. If you don’t see eye-to-eye on your top priorities, find a compromise by choosing one top priority each and one that you both agree on. Remember to have fun and be flexible.
Continue reading for inspiration on how to make each element of your wedding budget-friendly. Now, let’s get to planning that backyard wedding!
The B word that will make the rest of the planning a bit easier.
Keeping the wedding budget in check will give you the peace of mind to be able to enjoy the rest of the preparation. It all comes down to organization and communication. The creativity of planning a backyard wedding is definitely the most fun part, but staying organized and communicating with your partner is key.
One of the best ways to avoid the stress of number crunching is by determining a budget, then breaking it down the total into smaller categories. Seeing it written down will help you stay on track as you allocate costs.
For example:
- Ceremony 25% or X dollars
- Reception 25% or X dollars
- Food 15% or X dollars
- Attire (her dress + his suit) 15% or X dollars
- Flowers and Decor 10% or X dollars
- Invitations 10% or X dollars
Find a reliable and willing friend who can serve as the wedding coordinator.
If you think about it for a few minutes, you know the exact person that can handle this job. She or he loves creating to-do lists, is always on time (or even early), and is always planning and/or hosting family get-togethers, game nights, or beach days. That person will be your go-to choice because wedding coordination includes logistical things such as cleanup, parking, permits, and a backup plan in case of inclement weather. The wedding coordinator also needs to think about extra electrical power, restroom space, neighbors, and yard maintenance.
Outsourcing this job can be pricey, but although it’s likely easier for a professional, if you can’t afford a wedding planner you will need an alternative. Take stock of your friend circle and figure out who could be your right hand (and sometimes left hand too!). It’s a big commitment that you’re asking that person to make, so choose wisely.
Decide on your setting and allow the backyard to guide choices.
Because you’re going with a backyard setting, you can open up options to the next level. Think of a spot that has meaning to you and your spouse-to-be or somewhere that you just love for the atmosphere. Backyards are one of the best options for a budget-savvy couple, because depending on who you count amongst your close family and friends, the "backyard" space could be a beautiful outdoor patio with a pergola, a gorgeous green space set against a mountain backdrop, or a private beach.
Even if it’s a place you’ve been to dozens of times, visit the area again and think of it in terms of a wedding venue. Does the area have potential to be awesome once you add decor? Is the ground level and suitable for dancing or will you need to rent a dance floor? Is the space large enough to accommodate seating for guests?
You’ll also want to have a cover for the possibility of rain or the beaming sun that may show up on your wedding day. It’s better to be safe than sorry. When guests need to use the bathroom, you’ll need to make sure facilities are accessible. Another thing to consider is parking: Is there enough space on the street nearby or will you need a parking alternative?
Figure out your theme and decorations.
When it comes to outdoor wedding decor, natural surroundings are your best friend because you can use what’s already there to guide you when decorating the rest of the space. The oak tree standing in the distance in the yard or the colorful potted plants on your patio provide a starting point. Adding seasonal flowers and wildflowers is a wonderful choice, and they’re typically less expensive than exotic flowers. Place single flowers in vases or bunches in crates or baskets. Create a hanging garden by placing mini bouquets in vases and hanging them from trees and doorways.
Whatever your theme, elevate the scene with candles and soft lighting, such as string lights and paper lanterns. Fill buckets with blooms, use textured linens for tables and seating. Another idea is to create an altar draped in flowers and fabric. Going DIY with decor will save lots of money and allow you to really customize a beautiful wedding.
Save on favors and wedding decorations by combining the two. For example, at the end of the celebration, give guests the succulents you use to decorate the tables.
Select a menu that's unique, delicious, and affordable.
A backyard wedding calls for tasty, easy-to-eat bites instead of a traditional plated lunch or dinner. It’s really up to you whether you want to do gourmet pizza and buckets of beer, a build-your-own taco bar, or a festive picnic of sandwiches and wraps, fresh salads, fruit, and cheese and crackers. You could also go for a casual cocktail reception with finger foods.
If it’s in the budget, have the caterer bring a smoker or grill for ribs, chicken, hamburgers, veggie burgers, and/or kebabs. For sides, go with classics such as potato and pasta salads, a green salad, grilled vegetables, mac and cheese, coleslaw, and a corn or fruit salsa.
If you have the space and can afford it, hire a favorite food truck to cater anything from a single item to the entire backyard wedding menu. An effective way to save money on wines and spirits is to offer a limited selection of alcohol, such as three varieties of wine and a few beer types.
Top the night off with interactive dessert stations, such as a build-your-own-sundae bar, a candy station, or a cupcake carousel. If your celebration will go into the evening, set up a coffee, tea, and hot chocolate station.
There are so many fantastic foods and drink ideas for a backyard wedding, and many of these menus are easy and affordable to put together yourself.
Hosting an intimate ceremony will help in a few ways.
Just invite your closest family and friends. By keeping the guest list small, you’ll be able to keep your budget in the happy zone. Besides reducing costs, an intimate celebration will allow you to really spend time with each of the guests.
Your dress doesn't have to break the bank to be special.
Getting married outside means you’re getting dressed for the weather, not in spite of it, so pick something appropriate for the season and environment. A summer wedding calls for something cool and casual, whereas you may want to wear a sweater, jacket, or faux fur stole for a late fall or winter wedding.
Whatever your style (classic, modern, boho, or vintage), you can find an affordable dress or wedding jumpsuit — one of the hottest trends of 2021 — of your dreams. Don’t count out eBay and Etsy as resources to find one-of-a-kind weddings dresses and suits for the special day.
Don't be shy about asking your closest friends and family to help out.
For day-of-wedding help, ask your closest friends and family to help with certain tasks. It’ll make them feel like an extra special part of the day if they can show up a little early and get to chat with you while bringing out the cake or putting flowers in a few vases. Spread out the tasks between them so no one misses out on actually enjoying the celebration.
Photos are so important. Use these tips to capture the memories.
Whether you hire a professional photographer or have a dedicated friend capture special moments, you don’t want to miss out on wedding day photos. If you can’t afford a professional photographer on the big day, consider hiring one for an engagement shoot. The cost will be a fraction, and because the venue is your backyard, you can still arrange to get some beautiful shots of the place where your nuptials are going to take place.
Also, don’t forget about friends or family who happen to have photography and/or video skills. That can be their gift to you!
After the wedding, keep guests entertained with fun activities and dancing through the night with music.
Get creative with keeping guests entertained. If you love wine, organize a wine tasting game for the adults. Do some couples trivia games or a scavenger hunt if there are younger guests. Whatever you do can serve as an ice-breaker to really get the party started.
This is another area where friends and family can come in handy. Have someone who loves to host? Make them the master of ceremonies to keep the wedding reception and activities flowing.
Provide music by creating a few wedding playlists on Spotify (make the playlists chock full of songs so you don’t have to keep checking that the music hasn’t abruptly stopped) and renting a small sound system. Have a father-daughter dance song on that playlist.
Let your neighbors know in advance that there’s a wedding celebration going on so they can make adjustments or head out for the night. You don’t want to be obnoxious, but you also want to be respectful of neighborhood noise ordinances.
Other details you'll want to consider ...
There’s so much to think about when it comes to planning a wedding, including who will actually perform the ceremony. You can have a friend or family member act as the wedding officiant or you can hire a religious or civil officiant. Civil officiants will cost about $300.
Although we’ve covered most of the big items, there are many other things you’ll want to consider when hosting a backyard wedding: silverware, tables and chairs, gifts, rentals, etc. The best thing to do is to work with the wedding coordinator (if you choose one) and follow a wedding planning checklist to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
