What are the benefits of having a wedding at your home?
Smaller Guest List
You can keep your guest list small because having a wedding at your home is very intimate. Remember this is your space and inviting your closest friends and family is your main goal. If you are worried about the reaction of people that don’t get invited just explain to them that space is limited. Consider live streaming the wedding for those that can’t attend or may feel excluded. This also helps you keep your costs lower.
More Dates to choose from
Having your wedding at your home is great! You do not have to compete with other couples on wedding dates at the limited venue options that most cities have. Want to have your wedding on a holiday weekend, check. Want to have your wedding on a week day? Do it. You can have your wedding when it’s the right time for you.
Will having our wedding at home save us money?
Having your wedding at home will save you money. The best part is not having to pay for an expensive wedding venue. Having your wedding at home may not come at no cost but it will be significantly cheaper. If you expect inclement weather, then renting a tent may be one cost that you should look into.
Decorating will be cheaper and can be done by you and some helpers. If you chose to rent seating and tables for the occasion, then you will still be in good shape with your budget. Chairs and tables can be rented per unit and you can provide your own table cloths. You can also have alcohol setup at in a self-serve fashion.
You will not have to pay for a bartender or the use of the venue’s license. Many other savings will add up to make your at home wedding a great alternative to renting a venue.
Can I have a wedding with animals? Should I have children at my wedding?
Sure you can. If you are having an at home wedding you can make the rules. Tell guests to bring their children or pets. This is your day and if you want to include horses in your wedding you totally should. Children are also the life of the party sometimes. A lot of guests will choose to stay home if they can’t find childcare. Bring those kiddos to the party, you won’t regret it.
What are some money saving options for our at home wedding?
Here are a few options to help cut down costs of your wedding and can be just as nice as a wedding venue.
Food and Drink
Plan on having guests bring a covered dish. If you don’t want to do that enlist your family and friends to help prepare the meal. Have a large assortment of items as appetizers so that guests can snack before the meal.
If you want to take the burden off yourself then order catering from a family restaurant. Most restaurants now offer catering at a low price and if you pick up the food yourself its cheaper.
Drinks are easy. Setup a drink station for soda, juice, water, or sweet tea. The options are endless. Make sure you have enough disposable cups for the amount of guests attending.
Alcohol is the same way. If you are having alcohol at your wedding have a small bar area picked out where guests can help themselves to coolers of beer or a liquor area. Stock the bar yourself or have everyone bring something to share.
Photography
You definitely want someone to capture the moments of your big day. If you have friends or family that are willing to help out and take photos for your wedding then consider this option. Make sure you thank them somehow with a gift or some type of monetary tip. Check out our post on how to tip.
Another great idea is to have everyone at your wedding that uses Instagram, take photographs and use a unique hashtag for your event. This site has a hashtag generator and an option to download all your photos off instagram. This way at the end of the evening you can look up the photos taken and save them.
DJ or wedding music
Having a DJ can be expensive. If you are trying to have a budget DJ then consider someone new to the profession. If you are just wanting music then rent or borrow a large stereo or PA system and play your own preselected tunes.
Wedding Invitations
Don’t forget savings in this area. There are many options for this category. You can make your own designs for free using the Canva.com or Canva App. You can also use Vista Print which offers a way to make your own invitations. Shutterfly, Zazzle, and Minted are also always offering discounts on wedding invitations. This is an easy way to save. Shop around and find your best money savings.
Wedding Favors
Its tradition to have wedding favors but honestly if you are having your wedding at home and on a budget is anything really traditional? The costs of wedding favors can vary but it could be simple enough to just get small bags of candy or make a wedding mix CD.
Wedding Tables
So you want your wedding tables to be pretty but want to stay on budget. You can get table clothes from the big box store and you can make simple table center pieces from items you can get from the dollar store. The possibilities are endless and you can make this cheap or expensive. If you are crafty there are tons of ideas on Pinterest.
Will my neighbors be okay with me having a wedding at home?
I don’t know? This is a question you should ask yourself. If you are close to the neighbors they may be at your wedding. If you are not close to them just go ask them what they think as a courtesy. Happy neighbors go along way and if you notify them of your intentions they are usually fine. Let them know the ceremony time and when you plan on wrapping everything up. Offer for them to stop over for a bite to eat or cake.
What to do if it Rains on my wedding day?
This is definitely something you should plan for. If you have a large enough area to have the guests come inside, then plan accordingly. The other option is having a tent to go under. Renting a tent is probably one of the best options I can recommend The price isn’t frugal but you will be glad that you picked this add on if and when it rains. You can also hide the guests from the blaring sun and decorating a party tent can look very pretty.
What are some things to consider when planning an at home wedding?
Power
Are you going to be close to your house? If so you can run the power from your house or outbuilding. If you are going to be in a field far from your house you can consider a generator.
Restrooms
There is nothing more frustrating than waiting in line for a restroom. You can rent a restroom trailer or have portable restrooms available at a small cost. This will keep the guests from having to use your personal space and they will be glad when there is not a line to use the restroom.
Insurance and Permits
If your local jurisdiction requires you to have a permit for a large party this is something you may need to look into. Many municipal governments will require a permit. If you live in a rural area this is less likely.
Looking into a onetime event insurance may be a good idea. If you own your home then adding a one time event insurance may be an option. Check with your current insurance agent and see if they have this as an options. You will need to provide the date, times, and number of people in attendance. There are many online resources for 1 day event insurance.
Parking
This really depends on where you live. If you have a willing neighbor, you can ask then for additional parking or if your property is large enough designate an area for parking. This really depends on where you live and how much property is available.
Another option is to hire a valet service. If there Is a parking area close by you can have the service run for a set amount of time to make sure your guests can safely get to your home. Make sure to express to your guests that they will have a window of time to be at the parking lot for pickup.
Whatever you do make sure its what you want.
Having your wedding at home can be a huge money saver. It will be more stressful as you won’t be paying for someone else to make sure everything is done correctly but if you can deal with the extra planning then you will really have a great wedding date and it will be more intimate since it is your space. Whatever you decide to do just remember to enjoy your day and company.
Good Luck! Be Happy! Be safe!
