Why You Should Choose a Backyard Wedding
Weddings are such a special celebration, but a backyard wedding is one rooted even further in sentiment, authenticity, and connection. What better way to celebrate your love than at home or a childhood home?
As a Southeast Michigan wedding photographer who’s photographed a lot of weddings, I’ve been seeing an increase in couples choosing intimate celebrations over large gatherings at huge venues. Couples these days are craving connection and simplicity, and I’m all here for it.
Hi, friend! I’m Catie Eovaldi and I’ve been photographing weddings for the past 3 years. Heading into my fourth year of wedding photography, I believe your wedding photos should truly showcase the emotions, the details, and you in your wedding day. Choosing a venue is really just the first step in wedding planning and bringing your vision to life. What better way to pick a venue that truly aligns with you than your own home?
I love a good backyard wedding celebration. With these celebrations rooted in connection, these weddings tend to be a bit more laid back and centered on having fun rather than focused on providing a big spectacle. Couples I’ve worked with for backyard weddings seem to be a little more relaxed and at ease throughout the day as well when they’re at a place they know.
6 Tips for Planning a Smooth Backyard Wedding Reception
Have a Weather Plan
As a Michigan wedding photographer, I’ve worked in all types of weather- rain, sunshine, extreme heat, and snow. If you’re living in Michigan, chances are you know just how fickle our weather can be. It’s important you have a plan for bad weather in the event it happens. Tents can be susceptible to damage in the event of high winds, yards can flood in rain, and nights can get cold.
Most backyard weddings are in the heat of a Michigan summer or during a breezy fall. I recommend having some supplies for your guests on site for these weather events. Things like parasols for outdoor wedding ceremonies to avoid direct sun, ice water everywhere, fans to gently blow through the tent to create a breeze for summer weddings. In the fall I would consider things like a coffee/hot cocoa bar, warm blankets, heating lamps, or even a bonfire.
As a Michigan backyard wedding photographer, I work in all kinds of weather. If you’re planning a backyard wedding I’d love to connect and check my availability for you. Connect with me here!
Get a Dance Floor
Renting a dance floor is often possible through the company supplying your tent for your backyard wedding. Having a dance floor will avoid the awkward question of “where’s the party”. Your guests won’t wonder where they can and can’t dance. They’ll know exactly where to go once they’re ready to party. A lot of female guests also wear heels to weddings and a dance floor will prevent them from sinking into the grass during dancing.
Have Games for Guest Entertainment
For the ultimate guest experience, have something for entertainment for all ages. Not everyone loves to boogie down on the dancefloor, but they could get down with a good game. Cornhole and ladder ball are popular choices for backyard weddings. You could easily create custom cornhole boards to celebrate your day.
Set Up in Advance
Not all venues allow you in early for set up or allow for late tear downs, but you know what venue does allow for that? Your backyard one. I highly recommend starting set up the day prior if weather allows. Think tent, tables, chairs, arches, etc. Focus on the layout first, and then shift to decor if possible. I would wait until day of your wedding for decor such as florals, tablecloths, etc. to avoid them flying in the wind or getting dirty.
Even better- set this space up to double as your rehearsal dinner space to test out the flow of your wedding day. I often work wedding rehearsals in the same spaces as wedding celebrations- you can connect with me here if you want rehearsal coverage!
Make Sure You Have Parking Onsite
I’ve been to some backyard weddings with no parking and yikes was that a long walk. I highly recommend before hosting a backyard wedding making sure you have space for parking nearby. If no parking, I highly suggest providing some sort of transportation either in the form of Uber Credits or a shuttle to and from a location. Sometimes this is from a hotel to the wedding location, or from a ceremony location to the home for reception.
Talk to Your Neighbors
The worst thing you could do for your backyard wedding is surprise your neighbors with your celebration. If you live out in the country (like me), this probably isn’t a huge deal because of all the space between you. However, I’ve photographed backyard weddings in the city and this is an important conversation to have with your neighbors! A simple heads up to them notifying them of your event is a kind gesture that will leave them knowing what the music/noise is and also if you have guests parking right outside their home (which you should definitely have a conversation about prior to your wedding day). An angry neighbor is not something you want to deal with on your wedding day!
Be respectful of the neighborhood as well. Follow noise ordinances to respect your neighbors’ peace, especially late at night!
5 Vendors to Hire for your Backyard Wedding
Wedding Planner
If you’re hosting a backyard wedding, I highly recommend working alongside a wedding planner. Venues often have venue coordinators that help with the venue side of the day: movement of furniture, ensuring on-site catering is on time, and even directing guests at times to certain spaces. When hosting at home, you do lose this service venues offer.
A wedding planner will keep track of all your vendors, fix decor as needed, keep the timeline moving forward, and fix any last minute issues that my pop up (oftentimes without you knowing there was a problem in the first place). I am always happy to make recommendations to couples working with me. If you’re interested in checking my availability for your backyard wedding, you can check here!
Party Rental Company
In lieu of a venue, a party rental company is going to be who you contact for your rental needs. Oftentimes this consists of tents, tables, chairs, and sometimes even heaters. I recommend having a maximum guest count and size of your space when inquiring to a party rental company. They will be able to give the appropriate quote based on tent size and will usually share information about set up during this process! Sometimes these companies also have dance floors to go with tents.
Bathroom Rentals
Bathroom rentals are so incredibly important for a backyard wedding. Regardless of if you live in the city or country, your home plumbing is not meant to support the waste of 20-250 people. This is a prime way to absolutely ruin your septic lines. Renting bathrooms will protect your personal restrooms indoors and are easily hauled away after your event.
These rentals are also usually quite nice. These are more than just a port-a-john and include locking doors, a sink with hand soap, and flushable toilets.
Valet Services
A majority of the backyard weddings I’ve worked as a wedding photographer haven’t had this feature, but the one that did lives absolutely rent free in my mind. Hiring valet services to park cars and get them for your guests is such a great touch to an already personable day. This was a feature to a countryside backyard wedding, so they already had a field prime for parking but it was a bit far for guests to walk. Guests were so delighted to not have to walk far to get to the reception space, and the valet services were actually pretty quick!
Wedding Photographer
As a Southeast Michigan wedding photographer, I believe photography should be one vendor you prioritize booking. I capture moments all throughout your day that you get to look back on. Your wedding photos will be the ones living on the walls of your home. They’ll be the legacy your kids flip through one day in a photo album. You want to hire a photographer experienced in documenting wedding days authentically and also one rooted in connection like you are.
Backyard Wedding Cost
Is a Backyard Wedding Cheaper Than a Wedding Venue?
The short answer is sometimes but not always. I’ve seen some debates on social media over what the cost of a backyard wedding should be, and I’m here to say that your wedding day is truly how you make it. It doesn’t have to be over the top expensive, but it also doesn’t have to be “bottom of the barrel” cheap either.
There are different costs associated with hosting a backyard wedding that you won’t see when hosting at a venue. Table, chair, and bathroom rentals are one cost you typically won’t pay for when working with a more traditional wedding venue (because it’s usually included). Oftentimes, once you’re done paying for tent, table, chair, and bathroom rentals, it can cost just as much as a traditional wedding venue.
Average Cost for a Michigan Backyard Wedding
Budget is often times centered on the guest count due to size of space needed and cost of food per person. For a 150 person backyard wedding, I would recommend a budget of $20,000-$30,000.
Meet Your Backyard Wedding Photographer
About Me
Hi friend! I’m Catie Eovaldi- author of this post and your Southeast & Mid Michigan wedding photographer. I often travel for wedding days all over Michigan and specialize in capturing moments rooted in connection and authenticity. My favorite part of wedding photography is documenting a day as it unfolds- the emotions as dad walks you down the aisle, the tears mom has in her eyes seeing you as a groom, your dog running down the aisle in excitement to see you. Every wedding has been so unique and special in its own way and documenting it is such an honor.
Backyard Wedding Photography Services
I love working with couples hosting a backyard wedding. There’s something so special about having such an intimate celebration with your closest loved ones at home! I have 2 packages that are perfect for backyard weddings.
My Partial Day Package has been crafted for those wanting 6 hours of coverage. This package is popular for couples hosting smaller backyard weddings. It includes:
- 1 photographer (me!) for up to 6 hours
- Film & digital photography
- Mini Polaroid album delivered day of
- 30 day gallery delivery
- 24 hour sneak peeks
- Timeline and other planning assistance
- Travel within Michigan
My Full Day Package has been crafted for couples wanting the entire wedding day documented. This package is the favorite of my couples. It includes:
- 2 photographers (me plus my trusted second)
- Up to 8 hours day of
- Engagement session
- Film & digital photography
- Mini Polaroid album delivered during our time together
- 30 day gallery delivery
- 24 hour sneak peeks
- Timeline and other planning assistance
- Travel within Michigan
You can connect with me here to check my availability!
