7 Simple Tips for a Great At-Home Wedding

Posted on Sep 10 2020 - 9:15am by Editorial Staff

In the wake of coronavirus, at-home micro weddings are becoming increasingly common. Venues across the country are shutting down shop as states continue to enforce regulations on the number of people permitted in a particular space.

Couples who had previously planned weddings in churches, hotels, wedding halls, and other venues are changing dates and locations, and we can expect to continue to see a rise in the number of small-scale, home-based affairs.

There are many benefits associated with this: they cut costs, create a more intimate space, and offer ample opportunity to get creative. The right wedding preparation is key. With that in mind, here are a few tips for hosting a wedding at home.

Decoration is Key

Your home’s wedding decor is what really makes a ceremony feel just as legitimate as any venue ceremony. Candles, greenery, balloon arches, floral arrangements, centrepiece arrangements, and lighting are all great ways to incorporate decor. Don’t be afraid to use materials you’ve already got in your homes, such as rugs, art, and pillows.

Hire a Caterer

Even though you’re having an at-home, it doesn’t mean you should burden your kitchen. Hiring a caterer is a great way to relieve you and your family of taking on a huge task on your wedding day, and leaves the cooking to the professionals.

Be sure to reach out to your potential caterers in advance. After all, there are a few extra steps that your caterer will need to take. For instance, they’ll need to come in and make sure that the lighting, water pressure, and other resources are adequate enough to cater to any on-site essentials they’ll need.

Create Dedicated Dressing Rooms

The last thing you want to have to deal with is transportation on your wedding day. To avoid any back and forth, transform available rooms into dressing rooms. Make sure it has ample lighting, extra chairs and mirrors, space to move around, and power strips and extension cords. You may have to do a little decorating in these rooms, but it doesn’t have to involve a complete overhaul. Moving around some furniture to create an impromptu dressing area should do the trick.

Embrace Your Surroundings

When you’re hosting a wedding at home, you have to work with your entire layout, and ideally, you’ll leverage your surroundings as best as you can. Ultimately, this will help bring your wedding-day vision to life. For example, use your trees as focal points, decorating them appropriately. Trees, shrubs, poolsides, open lawns, pathways, and more can all be valuable real estate for decor.

Bringing the Venue to Your Backyard

It’s important for you to adapt your space to your guest’s needs. When you think of a traditional venue, there are two things that spring to mind: dancing/entertainment space and seating. Unless you have ample indoor space for both, chances are you’ll have to create an outdoor haven for these must-haves. Additional lounge seating, power generators, and outdoor restroom facilitates are all important elements as well.

Set Up a Tent

Consider adding a tent to your outdoor seating area. The reasons are multifold; they help protect against the sun; provide insurance in case of rain, and come in a wide range of beautifully resilient design options. Dress up your tent with cascading drapery for an entrance, and incorporate flowers and plants where you can. Don’t forget to incorporate a level surface for your tent and furniture. Bring the focus to the center, or height of the tent. You can achieve this with a beautiful floral arrangement or chandelier.

Create an Exit

Just because you’ve decided to host your wedding at home doesn’t mean you have to skip out on a grand exit—all you have to do is a plan for it in advance. A great send-off is a fantastic way to create a memorable last-moment experience. To do so, clear off space near your vehicle, perhaps using the garage parking as a send-off spot. Make sure that no one parks there, and have your send-off items ready to go, whether it’s rice or sparklers.

About the Author

Editorial Staff at I2Mag is a team of subject experts.