Top Tips for Hosting the Ultimate Backyard Wedding Reception

When it comes to small, intimate weddings, one of your best bets is to host it at home. If you have a large enough outdoor space on your property, you can absolutely choose that as your go-to reception area. It’s intimate, private, and can be dressed up to become an absolute dream. Since the space is smaller, however, you do need to be mindful of a few things. These considerations don’t mean that you can’t have your reception in your backyard, but that you’ll want to use these tips to make it into the ultimate backyard wedding experience:

Check to See if You Need a Permit 

Your area may require you to obtain a permit to either sell or serve alcohol. These are two types of permits, depending on whether you have an open bar or not. Issues like noise, parking, and fire risks also need to be taken into consideration. Unfortunately, the rules for hosting a wedding in your backyard will vary drastically depending on where you’re located. Sometimes there’s a different party if you have a tent versus not, if you sell and serve alcohol versus not, and so on. Always check or work with a local party planner to make sure that your private event ticks all the legal requirements. 

Splurge on the Catering 

One thing that puts everyone into a much better mood during an event and can completely change the feel of your backyard wedding is the food. If you’re on a budget, you can host a pot-luck style family meal, but if you want the picturesque, classic wedding reception in the comfort of your own home, then you’ll want to look into the best hassle-free wedding catering near you. Catering means upgrading your backyard wedding with a delicious gourmet dining experience, which in turn sets the tone for the dinner, toast, and, of course, cake! 

Top Backyard-Friendly Activities 

Unless you live in a remote area, you’ll only have so much space to move around in your backyard. That’s why it’s important to choose top backyard-friendly party activities like: 

• Laying down a dance floor

• Having lawn games like Jenga 

• Creating a photo wall 

• Having ample sitting and lounging spots 

Organize Drivers to Your Home 

Chances are there that there just isn’t enough room outside your house to host everyone in terms of parking. That’s why you’ll want to organize a shuttle service that picks your guests up from a local parking lot and brings them to your home. This gives everyone the ability to safely park their cars and get to your property, all without dealing with the nightmare that is street parking. Not only is this more comfortable for your guests, it’s also far kinder to your neighbors. 

Start Early and End Early 

You’ll need to work around the noise rules and ordinances in your area. This may be from sunset onwards, or from 11pm onwards. Either way, work with those noise rules by making sure that you start your party early and end it early. This is kind to your neighbors and also makes cleaning up after easier overall.