Backyard weddings are perfect for couples who want a unique and entirely personalized day, for those who love the outdoors, or those who are on a budget! There are tons of benefits to having a backyard wedding – including cost, convenience, and flexibility – but that comes with some extra details that you will want to keep in mind and contingencies you should plan for.
Benefits of a Backyard Wedding
The Guest List
The guest list can be as big or as small as your property will allow. However, unlike indoor venues, the limits are sky high! Not to mention you can bring your furry family members too! With our own experience and client’s we highly recommend working with a one-stop shop like Vistaprint. They do incredibly reliable work and help with invites, table cards, and all the extras at very affordable prices. If you want to go with a more elevated and custom provider, consider our friends over at Jukebox for some really beautiful print work!
Budget
The best way to save money is to use a family member’s backyard. The cost of a venue is often the highest ticketed item on your list so removing this will be a huge cost saved. Also, with venues come deposits, rental fees, corkage, and the list goes on. You can also save on décor since you will have beautiful natural décor already available. On the flip side, you will likely need to rent all of the same things as you would at a venue, such as linens, chairs, etc. but overall the cost will definitely be less. Hiring a coordinator can significantly reduce stress and they can perform a wide ranging set of tasks that span simple day-of support, up to full in-house planning.
Dates are Flexible
People will always ask you what your wedding date is or when you want it to be. These are two very different questions. Often times, you are confined to the availability of the venue and couples are usually looking at weekend weddings and these often get book at least a year in advance. With a backyard wedding, you will be able to choose whichever date you please, especially if it is the peak of wedding season!
Logistics of a Backyard Wedding:
Like we mentioned earlier, you will have to think of some extra details when planning your backyard wedding as well as having some contingency planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. It never hurts to have a Plan B and Plan C.
Power and Electrical
You will likely be adding lighting, heaters, sound equipment, food equipment, etc. to your space and these will all require power. Having all of these plugged in will be a lot more than most homes can handle. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to blow a fuse or cause a power outage for your neighbours. So, the solution is to rent generators to accommodate your needs.
Blue Jay Rentals offers generator rentals with your portable washroom that can be used by other vendors for the duration of the wedding. Our generators are of the quietest on the market, so they will not disturb your intimate celebration. Which brings us to our next point…
Washrooms
Depending on the size of your home and size of your guest list, you will need to provide additional washroom facilities. Many homes can only support about 30 people safely. Our portable washrooms will keep your guests comfortable throughout your wedding. The washrooms are air conditioned/heated, have lights, mirrors, sinks, and are much more spacious than your average port-o-potty.
We can add additional decorations, lighting, and personal touches within the washroom to make our washrooms suit your event. Trust us, this will save you a lot of headaches *correction from above* – the last thing you want on your wedding day are overflowing toilets and busted pipes!
Lawn Care/Maintenance and Setup
One of the most important things to plan for in advance is that the ground is level. All vendors will want this for chairs, tables, a dance floor, and the portable washrooms. You may want to consider having a landscaper come to take care of the lawn and maintenance prior to the wedding so that it is one less thing for you to worry about. You will also want to think about cutting the grass about a week prior to the wedding.
Insurance/Contingencies
As much as you don’t want to think about anything going wrong on your wedding day, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Check your homeowner’s insurance to see what is covered. Vendors may also ask for event insurance for equipment.
Weather – something we do not have control over. It’s best to have a backup plan in case it rains or in case of extreme weather – especially being in BC! You may want heaters in case you plan to stay outside into the evening and if there is cold weather. Tents are always a good idea for hot or cold, these will keep your guests comfortable.
These are just a few things that we recommend you keep in mind for your backyard wedding. It can be very stressful to think of all of the things that need to be booked and planned for so hopefully this list has sparked some ideas for you.
We are happy to help you with your portable washroom and/or generator needs. All you have to do is email us or fill out a Quote Request form and we will take care of the rest!
