Glorious Events

You don’t need to own a country estate to have a perfectly beautiful wedding in your own backyard. As with any other venue, it’s the right guest count that makes all the difference. Backyard weddings also do not need to look like you are hosting a BBQ or children’s birthday party. With the right planning and sprucing your wedding can be as elegant and upscale as you want it to be.

Most backyard weddings need the same space to do double duty – usually serving as both the ceremony and reception area – because making everything fit is usually one of the biggest challenges. To keep everything flowing smoothly you will need to have an additional space where the guests can go during this transition from ceremony to reception. Typically this is the space where you hold your cocktail hour.

You will also need a separate ‘staging area’ where food is laid out and your guest tables set up and ready to be moved once the ceremony is over. The staging area should be screened or out of sight of your guests if possible. Your cocktail space should also not be in the middle of the transition pathway or where your guests have to watch the proceedings.

Sometimes it helps to have a fresh pair of eyes take a look at your property before you make your final decision. A space that you consider unusable, may strike your caterer or wedding planner as the perfect place to hold your cocktail hour or serve as the staging area and give you that all important traffic flow. The reverse is also true, the backyard that seems huge to you may not have enough of the types of spaces you need to let people mingle easily.

First I’ll talk about space. Areas you want to plan for are Ceremony, Reception, Cocktail Hour, Buffet Service, Staging area, Dance Floor, DJ or Band, Cake Table, Bar, Gift/Guest Book Table, Escort Card Table and possibly extra bathrooms. Basic minimum needs include:

• Ceremony space – 18” x 42” per chair in each row plus a 4’ center aisle and 3’ at the side of each row. Add an additional 10’ depth for the wedding party. For 100 guests you would need a width of about 35’ and a depth of about 40’ to have seven rows of 14 chairs each (one row would have 16 chairs).
• Reception space – Using 60” round tables that seat 8, you will need a 12’ x 12’ space for each table. For100 people, you would need a space of about 40’ x 60’ for the round table set up. If you plan to use 6’ rectangular tables that seat 8 by using both sides for seating, then you need a 10’ x 6’ space for each table. For the same 100 people you would need a space of about 30’ x 55’ if you placed 3 tables end to end in each row to seat your guests.
• Cocktail Hour – with a mixture of tall cocktail tables that guests would stand around and some 48” rounds (with seating), then for 100 people you will need about 800 sq. ft. or about 15’ x 50’ plus an additional 6’ x 8’ space for each the bar.
• DJ will need about 6’ x 6’
• Dance Floor – For 100 people you will need an 18’ x 18’ space or about 325 sq. ft.
• Most cakes fit nicely on a 48” round table.
• Buffet Service – Each 72” rectangular table with servers needs a 6’ x 9’ space though most caterers will use a 10’ x 10’ canopy to cover the food area.
• Staging Area – a minimum of about 300 sq. ft. (slightly smaller than a 2 car garage)
• Gift card & Guest Book Table – an 8’ rectangular table works well and can be tucked against a wall.

Other Considerations:

• Give yourself plenty of time to complete the inevitable projects you and your family will decide are essential to create the atmosphere you want for the day. This includes everything from permanent fixtures like arches, pergolas, gazebos, patios, terracing or koi ponds to new landscaping and painting.
• Remove patio furniture, play equipment and BBQ.
• Make sure your automatic sprinklers are turned off.
• Especially if your guests will be walking over uneven ground or dancing on a deck, let them know to wear comfortable shoes
• The Bride and Wedding Party should consider getting ready someplace else – perhaps in an out-of-town guest’s hotel room – so you won’t be tempted to keep running out to see how things are going and guests won’t be tempted to visit with you before the Ceremony.
• Check with your caterer and DJ to make sure you can supply the power they need to operate. If not, you may need to rent a generator.
• Check with local government officials for permits you might need, parking regulations or noise restrictions.
• Extra bathroom facilities. The general rule of thumb is one bathroom for every 35 guests.
• Touch base with neighbors to let them know the date and time of your wedding well in advance of the big day. You will want to know if they are planning to hold a party on the same day. Also politely ask them not to mow their lawn at the same time your ceremony is taking place and if they have a dog that likes to bark, perhaps they could keep it inside during your ceremony.
• Don’t leave the cake in the sun but also don’t put it under a tree unless you have a canopy over it.
• Create an inviting outside entrance to your wedding celebration rather than having guests come through the house.
• Wind can always be a factor so make sure your decorations are properly secured.
• Mother Nature has a habit of upsetting even the best laid plans so be sure to have a Plan B in case of rain. If Plan B involves going to a different location, then make sure to include the address in your invitation and how guests will be notified if a change of plans occurs.
• Use your décor to enhance your surroundings rather than try to turn your surroundings into something else. Expect to have one look for a Versailles style garden and another for a beach cottage. While candelabras make gorgeous centerpieces inside, open candles generally don’t work as well outside.
• Strategically placed pots of flowers and battery-powered candles, luminarias or lanterns can add a wonderful ambiance to your garden wedding.
• Talk to your insurance agent about whether or not you need a supplementary policy to cover any mishaps.
• Find out where the sun will be at the time of your Ceremony and decide if you will need umbrellas or a tent to cover the area.

Backyard weddings are a wonderful way to fill your wedding with happy childhood memories. Enjoy planning your special day!

I’d love to hear about your backyard wedding plans!

Here’s to Love,

Bonnie Phelps