5 Secrets to Planning the Perfect Backyard Wedding

With thanks to social media there is more pressure on us than ever before to create a stand out event.

But how do you do it? The answer is easy, bring the venue to your own backyard and treat your guests to a personal, relaxed affair that reflects the style and essence of who you truly are and what you value.

If you love the idea of having an event at home but are terrified of the process, don’t panic - by following these 5 tips and using our expert advice you will rock this!

ONE - ASSESS YOUR GUESTS

Taking a close look at the demographic of your guest list is crucial to the overall enjoyment of the day.

Selecting music that will appeal to the majority of your audience will help you to avoid them running out the door as soon as the speeches are over. If you have a large number of young friends coming then a DJ’s or iphone playlist with some dance tunes might be a great option, but if you have a large number family coming along then a quieter acoustic duo might be a better option. If you have a small backyard then your favorite seven piece band from the local pub, who are probably great, might also be way too loud for your guests to chat - not to mention your neighbors will probably shut you down.

It’s also important to consider your furnishings in order to meet the various needs of all of your guests. It is clear that the food truck trend is here to stay, and whilst we all love a relaxed festival vibe, your Grandparent’s probably don’t. A combination of furnishings is very on trend but also very practical. Tables and chairs with backs on them are essential for older relatives to sit and eat, lounge chairs cater for breast feeding friends and antisocial people that are more comfortable sitting from the side lines. High bar tables and bar stools provide opportunities for women who are strutting around in their killer heels to rest their poor cramping feet for a while and men, well let’s just face it, they will stand from start to finish, so a few wine barrels to drop a beer glass onto while they eat is just perfect.

TWO - DESIGN
When designing a backyard event there are a few key layout elements to consider.

The three essential things that guests need are food, alcohol and toilets. Ensure that all of these amenities are close at hand so they have no excuse to disappear and that way your party wont get segregated.

The bar is the number one social spot for the evening but it’s design is often overlooked. Men like to lean on it, women like to gossip by it and someone has to work behind it, so make sure it’s a good height, it’s stylish to draw people in and it’s functional with good lighting.

THREE - WEATHER

You may be willing to brave the weather to get that Instagram worthy photo, but trust me your guest’s wont like you for it. Be realistic about the weather predictions for the day and implement a solid back up plan early. Book an extra marquee or extend the length of the marquee if it looks like wet weather is coming, and talk to your hire company about having heaters and umbrellas available and on hand to bring in at the last minute if required.

Wedding websites and group Facebook pages are a quick and easy way of notify all of your guests at once that you are changing location.

FOUR - ATMOSPHERE

Atmosphere is everything! It is the art of making people FEEL the event.

Lighting is key! Low hanging pendants give extra lighting during meals that can be turned off later in the evening and dimmer switches are very useful in pairing back the brightness to set the mood for the party. Real flames such as candles and outdoor fire pits give that beautiful flickering romantic lighting.

Scent is having it’s day in the wedding industry at the moment, real flowers and local foliage such as gum provide a floral aroma as guests walk into the space. However some couples are taking it that step further and creating a personalised scent for their event - fragranced candles, incense, what ever you please but you can almost guarantee that when you smell that fragrance again, you will be transported back to that magnificent day.

FIVE - THE AFTERMATH

Okay so this is the bit that nobody likes to think about, talk about or even plan for, but trust me when I say that if you don’t prepare yourself, it will put a huge dampener on the entire event. Ensure that you have a plan for rubbish removal, washing dishes and pulling down decorations to prevent those nasty tasks sneaking up on you the next morning when you are feeling a little under the weather.

Weddings during coronavirus

During these very uncertain times we really feel for all of you out there who have had to make the tough decision to postpone your big day due to coronavirus. All of that planning and excitement has been building leading into your special day and now you have to put those feelings on pause with so much uncertainty around when and how to reschedule.  And it’s okay to feel sad about it, but feel strength in knowing that you are not alone. 

The wedding industry is also grieving very heavily right now.  Such a large percentage of the industry is made up of small businesses and sole traders, people who rely heavily on income from weddings alone, who have now had all of their bookings pushed back into later in the year and later into 2021.

The community of wedding suppliers that surround us have banded together and are supporting one another in amazing ways.  They are being innovative, creative and just downright awesome. One thing is for sure, when weddings return they will be back with a bang, and we can’t wait for all of the festivities to begin.

Check out this very talented photographer who kept herself sane by re-creating a wedding using toys – so entertaining! - Agnieszka Marsh Photography

In the meantime here are a few ways that you can help you suppliers.

Postpone – Don’t cancel

There are lots of good reasons to postpone rather than cancel.  Firstly you are staying committed to your team, you are giving them confidence that weddings will return, and that all of the work they have put into discussing and planning your special day so far, will be rewarded in the future. It also means that your entire team can move with you. Trust and relationships with your wedding vendors has already been established, so rather than going through the process of finding new suppliers that you love and trust, you just simply re-book them for a later date that mutually suits everyone.  A lot of venues are suggesting Sunday to Thursday weddings to ensure availability. If you are set on a Saturday date then you might have to wait even longer to find a suitable time.  We watched a webinar recently where the host said “nobody looks at your wedding photos and asks what day of the week your wedding took place”, he also said that “wine tastes the same on Thursday as it does on Saturday”.  I think there is a lot of truth to this, your family will be so grateful that they too are out of isolation and finally get to celebrate your wedding day, that they will be a little more understanding of a midweek wedding.

Pay a larger deposit or installment

If you are in a financial position to do so, why don’t you make some extra installments towards the final payment. It will spread the finances out for yourself so that you are not hit with such a large amount the week of the wedding and you will provide some extra cash flow for the suppliers that don’t have much coming in right now.

Is there another service that your wedding supplier offers that you could support

Wedding bloggers Polka Dot Bride have come up with the fantastic initiative called Wed With Them and it’s just the creative thinking we all need to have. Check out their facebook page here      Wed With Them         

Can you buy a bunch of flowers from your florist for Mother’s Day?

Does your photographer sell their printed images or could you do an engagement shoot? 

Does your caterer offer takeaway meal packages?

Does your band have an album you can purchase?

These are just some of the ways that you can keep the industry alive.

And what if you just can’t wait to get married – Should you go ahead with just 5 people? Here is what you need to know.

Right now it is still possible for weddings to go ahead as long as there are no more than 5 people present – the celebrant, the couple and their two legal witnesses.  This means that you cannot also have a photographer and a videographer present unless they are your witnesses.  You must also abide be the 4 square meters per person and strict social distancing rules of at least 1.5m separation between peopled.  There should be no kissing, hugging or hand shaking among guests.

Although this doesn’t sound very intimate and romantic it does mean that you are now legally married and can start your married lives together right away, and when all this madness is over you still have your wedding reception as planned.  Celebrants and venues are offering packages to re-do your vows in front of everyone again so you can still have that moment of walking down the aisle.

If you are reading this and you are just planning your wedding for the first time – now could be a good time to jump into an elopement package and get married without all of the fuss, expense and extended family that you felt obliged to invite. 

When will restrictions lift?

Although nobody can answer this question the Victorian Government did state that the restriction on social gatherings would be in place for at least 6 months, so we can’t see weddings returning to normal until at least after September.  The Northern Territory have just relaxed their restrictions and weddings can now take place but only outdoors.  It has been questioned if a marquee or temporary structure with the walls open would classify as an outdoor event, however we would like to report that unfortunately no.  In a media statement from the Prime Minister on the 18th March, he provided clarity into the classification of an indoor event – see media report here

An indoor gathering refers to a gathering within a single enclosed area (i.e. an area, room or premises that is or are substantially enclosed by a roof and walls, regardless of whether the roof or walls or any part of them are permanent, temporary, open or closed).

If Victoria follows suit then we are caught in the predicament of balancing the wedding going ahead outdoors and the challenging weather conditions that mother nature throws our way in Spring.  Maybe it is just safer to reschedule until 2021 and rest assured that when your special day does come back around, it will be perfect in every way.

How to celebrate your postponed wedding day?

With restrictions on dining out and traveling how can you find a special way to soften the blow on the day that you should have been walking down the aisle.  Here are a few of the ideas that we love.

• Talk to your wedding team and ask them to help.  Order a menu tasting to go from your caterer, a box of rose petals from your florist, loads of candles from your hire company, ask your band to put a play list together for you and settle in at home for an evening to remember.

• Book an appointment with your hairdresser or makeup artist and surprise your partner with a make over and sample of your wedding day lingerie.

• Have fun creating a signature wedding cocktail together. 

• Order a bottle of your wedding day bubbles and take a big soak in the bath together.

• Or cuddle up by the fire and binge of those soppy love movies on Netflix.

No matter what option you choose, it’s sure to end in one way, and when your wedding does come back around again, you will be grateful that you already got to share your “wedding night” together in a beautiful, intimate, stress-free way.

If you have any further comments or questions please reach out to us at info@overthetopevents.com.au

Regards

Kristie & the crew at Over the Top Events