Ideas for a Budget- friendly, Nostalgic Backyard Wedding & Reception « The Seasonal Home Ideas for a Budget- friendly, Nostalgic Backyard Wedding & Reception. Written by Eileen on Thursday, June 5th, 2. Did you know that the “average” cost of a wedding is now $3. WOW… in most areas, that’s a down payment on a house! And just in case you think you have to spend that much to have a memorable celebration,this blog post will show you how to create the same beautiful memories for (drum roll please)… less than 1/1. Case in point…I recently hosted an old- fashioned backyard wedding & reception for my son & new daughter- in- lawand to my pleasant surprise, we received a TON of compliments (from guests). Considering the fact that one of our original goals was simply cost- savings, imagine our delight when,one after the other, guests told us it was the BEST wedding they had ever attended…. NICE! They loved the nostalgic venue choice andfour other things they mentioned (most) were the: laid- back atmosphere(recommended) casual dresscozy setting and all the personal touches. So, our casual, backyard setting helped everyone feel relaxed,which evidently laid the perfect foundation for wedding success. Encouraged? I hope so! And to help you plan your own budget- friendly, nostalgic, backyard wedding & reception,this blog post outlines the steps, details and numerous helpful hints that I used to create a memorable celebration formy wonderful son & his adorable wife. Full disclosure: planning a wedding & reception is a large undertaking,but with the help of my backyard- fresh experience,you’ll find it doable and rewarding. A backyard wedding doesn't have to be expensive! Here's a complete recap of ours - from invites to menu - with a complete budget breakdown. Find out more about the cast of the Hallmark Channel Original Movie "Backyard Wedding," starring Alicia Witt, Frances Fisher and Markie Post. Sentimental? Yes. Simple? Not always. Here's what you may not know about planning a backyard wedding celebration. Both intimate and elegant, a backyard wedding can provide a familial feel to your big-day celebration. Hosting your union at home not only allows for a more relaxed. And best of all, the money saved can be used on something else… like a Honeymoon! LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Wedding Location/Venue Rental costs are $5. UP! Cost to use the backyard for your Wedding & Ceremony – $0. HELPFUL HINT: Check rainfall averages (in your area) to choose the best time of year for perfect outdoor weather. In case it does rain… keep your guest list to a manageable number, inside or out, as Plan B. Hopefully, the photo (below) gives you some idea of the usable space (apx. I had to work with. Believe me… it wasn’t much! But a little advance practice, with table angles, helped me create perfect seating for 7. PARKING) HELPFUL HINTS: Send reminders (email or Facebook) to everyone attending to please carpool. Let your neighbors know about the wedding (ahead of time) and you may be surprised at how helpful they are… mine offered up the use of their driveways! ORGANIZED PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSBecome your own Wedding Planner! If you’re not good at entertaining & crafty details, ask family and/or friends (who are) for help becausethe cost of hiring a professional will set you back between 1. Cost of taking on this task yourselves – $0. HELPFUL HINT: stay organized (throughout the entire planning process) by creating a CHECKLIST, broken down by who will be responsible for each task. BONUS… it feels great to check things off, as you inch closer to the big event. To create a CHECKLIST, insert a table (into Microsoft Word). HELPFUL HINT: Categorize the tasks to ensure you don’t miss anything. D. I. Y. – DO THINGS YOURSELFOnce you have a backyard chosen & your list created,start working on the task list right away so you have time to tackle as many as possible yourself. Doing so avoids last- minute rushing and believe it or not… accomplishing things (yourself) also creates cherished memories. Backyard Wedding PicturesBegin by creating your own wedding invitation. Insert photos, the wedding details, RSVP & registry/gift info into text boxes. We created two 4″w x 9″h templates (in Microsoft Powerpoint),for the front and back sides of a 2- sided invitation that fit easily in a #1. BONUS…. the opportunity to reflect yourselves by including photos of your choosing…. HELPFUL HINT: For a whimsical photo idea, place the wedding rings on your pup’s nose. Consider asking for help… creative family members & friends might surprise you with some great, usable photos. I felt very honored that my Son & D. I. L. chose to use four photos I took when creating their invitations. Take the finished product to a local office retailer (i. Kinko’s) to be printedon double- sided glossy card stock. Cost: Ea. set of 4. SPRUCE UP THE BACKYARDChoose a focal point, in the yard, to hold the ceremony. You might be tempted to utilize the patio, if you have one, but I recommend saving that to use as a dance floor. If you don’t have an existing structure – like a pergola – out in the yard,create an altar under a large tree or garden arch (there are lots of inexpensive versions of these).
Do this early so you have time to place a floor underneath itfor the happy couple to stand on (during the ceremony) and sit on, while eating. I chose my pergola, and without any experience,used some leftover bricks & pavers to create a floor under it. Cost (1 bag of sand) – $3. Also, think about what needs a little touch- up cleaning or looks worn. Ask for outside opinions, on this, too. Backyard Wedding Hallmark MovieIf you have a patio to use (as a dance floor), pressure wash & possibly paint it. Also, clean and paint the surrounding fence & yard furniture, if they’re looking dirty or worn out. Cost to rent a pressure washer – $3. Fence & Furniture Paint – $1. Now, the yard is ready for some art! The best art I know of is courtesy of Mother Nature, so plant plenty of flowers. Check your local discount or garden store and choose (what you like) among the least expensive flowers. Also, consider a few large flowering plants, to plant in specific spots, for huge impact. Cost for 6. 0 potted flower plants & 3. HELPFUL HINT: During the weeks leading up to your flower planting, rinse & save eggshells (in the freezer). Pulverizing them in a blender is an inexpensive & easy way to fertilize & enrich the surrounding soil with calcium. Cost – $0 (plus, you’ll be recycling!)BONUS… nature’s “art” created beauty in my yard, even after the wedding! LIGHTING! Think about where the wedding couple & their guests will be gathering and concentrate most of the lighting in those spots. I met both of those lighting needs with something everyone already has on hand…. Christmas) lights. I utilized nearby power sources & grounded extension cords to light them up and then, strung them around both areas. It was easy & quick to string lightweight miniature strands of lights, end- to- end, around structures and between the house & trees. Cost – $0 Then, light up the remaining garden beds with torches,filled with citronella fuel to alleviate potential outdoor (flying) pests. HELPFUL HINT: Lit torches should be kept away from low hanging branches (fire hazard) & not too close to your guest’s mingling areas (due to a small amount of smoke the burning fuel produces). Keep in mind, torches can pull double- duty as decorations if you paint the outside bamboo holders ORare lucky enough to find them in colors that match your wedding decor. Amazingly, I found these budget- friendly yellow & orange metal (canister) torches at the Dollar Tree…and they matched our wedding color palette perfectly! Torches & Fuel – $2. Next was the table lighting. HELPFUL HINT: Check with other people who have had weddings to see what they still have things that you can borrow. I borrowed several mirror tile squares (from someone who had purchased them to use for their wedding)because I knew their reflective qualities meant I would only need small, votive lights on each side of my flowers. And mirror squares are pretty inexpensive (6 for $1. DIY (hardware) store. HELPFUL HINT: Check out clearance sections in stores that have several locations in your area. That way… if you find something that works with your decor, but they only have a few left, you can ask the store staff to check their other locations for more inventory before purchasing. On my first stop, I found these votive candle holders in the clearance section of a local craft store (Michael’s), for only 5. I needed from 3 of their local stores. I also found a $6 box of 2. Votives & Candle Total – $2. DECORATIONSOnce we received all of our RSVPs (who gets almost 1. Yes? Evidently, us! LOL),we created a seating chart to determine how many tables & chairs we still needed to borrow. We asked neighbors, friends & family & added their outdoor seating to what we already had. It all worked out perfectly! The tablecloths were a lucky find… purchased on clearance also for . Table, Chair & Tablecloth Cost – $3. Floral Centerpieces. Consider simple glass vases that can be recycled later (vs. Ball Jars. They are inexpensive (usually . BPA- free and are made in the good ol’ USA. BONUS… they can be used afterwards for canning, to store small items in, or as drinking glasses. To decorate them, I used an inexpensive ($1) roll of twine, which I wrapped around the rim & finished with a tied bow. One week prior to the wedding take a look around your yard and the yards of family members, neighbors, and friends to see what hearty greenery & blooming flowers they have (in quantity)and wouldn’t mind you trimming… to create floral centerpieces for the reception tables. HELPFUL HINT: Test your (chosen) flowers & greenery, for wedding reception- hardiness, by cutting a few early, placing them in water & letting them sit outside for a few hours. HELPFUL HINT: Don’t forget to check out herb gardens because some of those also make great (greenery) filler in between the flowers. If you can’t find enough flowers to fill your vases, purchase inexpensive grocery store bouquets to split between the vases. Here’s how ours turned out…. Total Cost (jars, twine & flowers) – $3. MY FAVORITE PART…. DECORATING! ?Once you’ve chosen the color scheme for your wedding & reception, you’re ready to shop for decorations. I found affordable paper lanterns & tissue flowers at my local ‘Party City’ store, but NOT in their wedding aisle (LOL).
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