13 Tips for Planning a Memorable Backyard Wedding

With as much time as we are spending at home lately, you might start to imagine hosting your wedding in the backyard. Envisioning your friends and family gathered together to celebrate your love in a place where you feel comfortable. It is a wonderful option!

However, there is a lot more to throwing a backyard wedding than figuring out where to have the ceremony. So we are here to give you some advice on the tricky points of a backyard wedding.

1. Hire a Wedding Planner or Coordinator

It is no surprise that we are proponents of hiring wedding planners as they allow you and your family to relax on the wedding day. For a backyard wedding, they are truly necessary!

You won’t have a venue coordinator, banquet captain, or other in-house staff to depend upon when it comes down to executing the logistics of your wedding day. A wedding planner will have the experience to handle any situation that arises and will become the go-to for the day.

2. Rent a Tent

There is something magical about having a night under the stars. However, you can’t predict the weather and if it will be a clear night or raining on your wedding day. As such, you should definitely rent a tent. They have beautiful, clear tents that give you lots of natural light, but a plain white tent can also be beautiful.

We suggest getting a tent with roll down walls so that you can keep them open if it’s a beautiful day or roll them down in the case of inclement weather. You don’t want all your guests cramming into the house if it rains.

3. Lighting is a Must

When renting your tent, talk to the rental company about the lighting options available. From chandeliers to string lights, there are plenty of options to give your guests the necessary amount of light to see where they are going. We suggest having the lights on a dimmer. That way they can be at full blast during dinner and then dimmed when the dancing starts.

Don’t forget about lighting the way from the tent to the restrooms or other parts of the backyard where guests will be walking. Have a walkthrough with your fiancé and planner to identify those trouble spots. You can invest in some tiki torches or solar-powered yard lights to help light the way.

4. Make Space for the Caterer

When creating your layout for your backyard wedding, you must include a dedicated space for the caterer. Whether a catering tent or garage area, your caterer will need space to set up food warmers, food prep, dish washing, etc.

Have an in-depth conversation with your caterer about their electric and spacing needs. You will especially need to know their electric needs for their warmers, coffee makers, etc. This conversation will allow the day to go as smoothly as possible.

5. Don’t Be Left in the Dark

One of the biggest logistical pieces of a backyard wedding is the power. You will definitely need power for the catering equipment, DJ equipment, tent lighting, and more. Each vendor will have their own specific needs, so make sure to talk to them about those needs.

Some homes have a separate power box that you can have vendors plug into. If not, you’ll have to rent a generator. Make sure to stock up on gas for the generator and tons of extension cords, so that you can place the generator far away from the guests. Generators can be very loud!

Lastly, dedicate someone to be your generator/power person. Something may go wrong during the wedding and you want someone available that’s on-site and as had the knowledge to troubleshoot quickly.

6. Rentals…You’ve Got to Have Them

Most of us don’t have enough tables, chairs, linens, tableware, etc lying around. In this instance, you have to rent those items. There are some amazing rental companies in town that are well-versed in backyard weddings and will know exactly what you need.

To save on the weekend delivery and late-night pick up fees, consider having the rentals delivered the week of the wedding and picked up the following week. This will also give you the time to find any rouge napkins or plates that might get misplaced somewhere in the house over the course of the wedding.

7. Bathrooms are Needed

One of the least exciting things to think about for a backyard wedding is…bathrooms. Yes, everyone will end up using it during the course of the day, but you don’t really want to have to think about it.

If you are going to have guests use an in-home bathroom, confirm that your plumbing is up to par to withstand a high level of use in a short about of time. We also suggest having a dedicated bathroom for your guests. A cabana bath is usually perfect for this if you have one.

8. Don’t Fear the Port-a-Pottie

Some homes don’t have a spare bathroom to dedicate to guests or the plumbing system can’t handle the guest count. For that, we suggest renting port-a-potties. There are nice port-a-potties that are on a trailer and require power for lights and water. They are more expensive, but worth the investment if your budget can handle it.

If you go with the regular port-a-potties, make sure to get lights for inside of them for when it gets dark. Trust us! We suggest battery powered, push lights that can be attached to the wall. Also, don’t forget the hand washing station.

9. Where to Park

You can expect the number of cars to be approximately half your total guest count (100 guests = 50 cars). For backyard weddings, we recommend offering valet. This will cut down on your guests having to search for parking within your neighborhood or having to walk long distances. Also, make sure to have clear signage for your guests on where to drop off/pick up cars. All this will drastically improve your guests’ experience.



If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, consider checking in with them on their policies on where guests should park for large celebrations. Some have designated areas you can park while others allow street parking. You want to make sure you are playing by the HOA rule book.

10. Sound Ordinances

Most cities have sound ordinances in place that let you know what time loud music must be turned off in residential areas. This is usually indicated by an acceptable sound decibel range.

What this means for a backyard wedding is that there is a hard stop time for the DJ to cease playing music. If you want to continue celebrating, then it will have to be with music that is within the specified range. Bluetooth speakers are usually fine to keep the party going.



11. Trash Disposal


Another non-fun, logistical piece is trash. The larger the guest count, the larger amount of garbage. Make sure to rent trash cans and stock up on black, heavy duty garbage bags. If you have recycling, designated certain trash cans for that.

At the end of night, you’ll have to find a way to dispose of the garbage. Some caterers will offer to take the garbage, but that it is unique to each individual company so you will need to talk to them first about that option. If not, you’ll have to drive it to the city dump or arrange for a special pick-up with trash collection. Make sure to have your plan in place prior to the wedding weekend!





12. Don’t Forget the Ice




If your backyard wedding takes place on a warm, sunny day (hello…we are in Florida), you can be certain that guests will be clamoring for iced beverages. Knowing this you will need to make sure you have enough ice for the entire party PLUS a place to store that ice.

You can schedule an ice delivery, but make sure to have some place to put all of your ice. From a garage freezer to lots of coolers to renting an ice chest, you need to make sure your ice is stays cool for the first drink all the way to the last. We recommend talking to your rental company before purchasing anything.

13. Wedding Insurance

When hosting a backyard bash, make sure to purchase event insurance. This is a great policy to have in place in case something happens during the wedding; especially, if you are serving alcohol to your guests. WedSafe is a who we usually recommend.

Also, check with your homeowner’s insurance policy. Some may cover special events, like a wedding reception, while others don’t. Best to know exactly what your policy states.

These are just some tips for hosting a backyard wedding. Let us know if you throw a backyard wedding!

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