There's so much that goes into wedding, it's exhausting when mulling over the details of what needs to be done. Money is one's greatest fear and problem; will you overshoot your budget? Will you pay handsomely for something you didn't plan out wisely? Are you going to crib about it later, when you could have planned it out more shrewdly months in advance?
There are a lot of things to consider when putting a wedding together, and budget above all, is the crucial part. Without having a good plan in order, it'll all crumble down and leave you not only penniless but regretful and in some cases, bitter. Do you want your wedding day or someone else's ruined, because of a bad start-up plan? If you're obvious answer to both is no, then check out these backyard wedding and reception ideas that you'll later look back on, happily.
Backyard Weddings on a Budget
When you're planning a wedding on a budget, there are things that you can't overlook/compromise on, that will need a little extra cash thrown in like - the wedding decorations, renting out a space big enough to accommodate a large number of guests, catering, and of course your wedding attire as the bride/groom (you get one day to look exceptionally good, why lose out on that?). So before your palms get all sweaty, we'll help you through a series of ideas of how to plan the ceremony and wedding reception.
At the Church
The church asks for a small nominal fee, that isn't overpriced or unfair on their part, since they are specially catering to your special mass, by taking time out to be of service. Find out what these expenses entail and have them covered in advance, choosing your church location and booking the day you want your mass to be held. Be sure to chalk out the different parts of the mass the way you'd like it to play out. Do you want to decorate the church for your big day? These will cost you a little extra but not a lot. You can opt for fresh flowers on display which you can arrange for and have volunteers put up before the mass begins, and have simple decorative details lining the pews. It doesn't have to be extravagant, because the decoration that will adorn the area where the reception will be held.
Space
We know that for a wedding to be perfect, the space has to be big enough to fit all your guests, friends and family into. Consider your backyard space and work out the guest lists and see if everyone will be comfortable with the set up. If space is an issue, you'd need to have it in someone else's backyard that is larger and more spacious. The fact that you even want a backyard wedding shows that you have a big enough yard to cater to all your invitees. The first thing would be to make sure you have ample space in your yard, and permission from an authorizing figure in your area, to give you the green light about having it in the open. Things like noise and parking will be an issue to neighbors, so you need to be smart about how you're going to get permission first, before doing anything final about the event. If you can't have it in your own backyard, you can always look for an open ground to use for your reception. Just be sure to book it months in advance, since they are affordable and reasonably priced 6 months and more before your big day.
Renting/Hiring
You'll need to set up the backdrop for your ceremony, depending on what you want, like say those creative, handmade arches made of wood, weaved flower work with twigs and other accents. You'll also want to keep things like fresh flowers, banners, decorations, lighting, and other set-ups as a priority. Whatever you decide to go with, it should be placed at the focal point at the front of your yard where your guests will be seated, facing the area where the vows will be exchanged. The rest can be placed on each one's tables, carefully making sure you don't go overboard with table centerpieces or ridiculously lavish decorative art like ice sculptures or crystal on display.
You also need to rent out chairs and tables for guests, a generator in case the electricity gives out, (it is important to separate your expenses for these, concentrating on spending more here than anywhere else) and caterers who will provide the rest. You can't expect more than 200 guests to cram into your backyard, unless you have a sprawling bungalow to have them filtering through during the reception, so be sure to draw up a guest list with an exact figure that includes only close family, select colleagues, and friends.
Music and Entertainment
Booking a band can be steep for your expenses, but you can still try looking for one that is good, yet not overpriced; or you could always hire a deejay instead. Take at least a day or two to look for bands and other performers that you can use at your reception, since these things take time to zero in on. Any added entertainment that you see as wise to include, can still be squeezed in provided that you have a little more to spend as part of the budget.
Parking
Make sure you have a good valet system going during the wedding. You can assign this to someone in the family to take care of, instead of paying a bomb for those who can show up and direct guests while parking. Space is a big problem, so have yourself a chalked out plan on how they can park, and where exactly. If you have a ground nearby that is empty, you can find out if you can rent that space for parking for half a day, and see how you can take care of people's transportation.
Planning a wedding on a small budget, can be a pretty tricky situation since staying within the budget bracket will be a test of how good you plan things out, and manage costs. That's why it is important to plan ahead of time and do your research on people who plan budget oriented weddings, so that they can take the load off your shoulders with their suggestions. Fingers crossed I hope you have your backyard wedding ideas sorted out and executed without any glitches.
