Having a yard for the kids to play in

Having a yard for the kids to play in

5 Considerations For a Backyard Wedding Reception

Wyatt Patterson

Your wedding day should be the most special day of your life, from beginning to end. Once the nerves of the ceremony are out of the way, it is time to let your hair down and celebrate your nuptials with your friends, family, and loved ones. And what could make the reception party more special than by hosting it in your own back garden? Instead of finding yourself in an unfamiliar space, you'll be able to celebrate in the home you will share as husband and wife.

But planning a wedding reception on your own property comes with its own unique set of considerations. Keep these things under check and you'll have the party of a lifetime:

Light it up. Lighting can make or break an outdoor space. Your lonely patio lamp isn't going to cut it for a whole outdoor function, so it's likely that you'll have to invest in some lighting or at least rent lighting from a party hire company. You should also think carefully about the way that you want to layer the lighting in your garden to create the most romantic effect. A few freestanding lamps mixed with lots of tea lights dotted around the tables and fairy lights strewn through your trees, trellis, and bushes will give beautiful layers of depth to an evening reception.

Keeping dry. Although Australian summers are predictably warm and dry, weather patterns around the world are becoming less and less certain, and you wouldn't want your guests to end up drenched by neglecting how you will shelter your guests in the event of rain. For this reason, it is essential that you hire a marquee. The marquee can just have a roof without sides so that you can still see the expanse of your whole garden and encourage fresh air to flow through the space. If you don't have a lot of trees of shrubbery in your garden, the structure of a marquee is also useful for stringing up lights.

Think outside the box. One of the best things about hosting a wedding reception in your own back garden is that there are absolutely no restrictions as to what you can and can't do because it's your place! So get creative and start thinking about all the amazing things you can do in your garden that might not be possible in a hired venue. Hang Polaroid photos of you and your spouse from tree branches, have a suckling pig turning on the spit as your catering option or you could even have a death metal band blaring out live music if that is what you are into — it's up to you!

Chowing down. When you book a reception venue like a hotel function room, it will often be expected that you use the on-site catering. But you can have lots more fun with the food in your own back garden. Because the party will be outdoors, you can do something a lot more informal, but still special and memorable, by hosting an epic barbecue or by laying picnic blankets on the ground and hosting a champagne picnic dinner with cute canapés and strawberries and cream to end.

The essentials. One thing you really don't want to forget in your back garden wedding reception are portable toilets. Having hordes of people traipsing in and out of your home to use the bathroom just isn't feasible. And what happens if there is a blockage or a leak? The whole party would have to be cancelled. You should also consider having a toilet attendant for the evening so that the cleanliness of the toilets can be maintained. Everyone will then remember what a good time they had at your wedding instead of referring to it as that time they had to hold their bodily functions all night because the toilets were so disgusting.

Contact a company like Alderley Hire if you have specific questions about party equipment and hire options.


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About Me
Having a yard for the kids to play in

I knew that the moment we bought a house with a decent yard I'd be ready to start having kids. I loved playing outside as a kid and since we've been in this house I think the kids spend nearly as much time outside as they do outside. That lawn has seen my babies crawl, my toddlers start walkings, the kids kicking balls around and playing chasey all afternoon. Keeping the lawn soft and green is so important to me as it let's us spend all that time outside. I'm always looking for ways to make it feel and look soft and green.