From the moment you said yes, you’ve been hearing the wedding bells ringing in your head, imagining how you’d look, what the music would be like and the colour of the decorations around you. However, now that the moment is here, you realize it’s not all rainbows and butterflies when it comes to organizing a wedding. The whole thing can be very pricey, and unless you want to start your married life broke, you might want to consider ways to be frugal about it. Having your wedding at home is a good place to start and here’s how you can do it.
For your at-home wedding to go smoothly, you have to plan it thoroughly and well ahead. Are the ceremony and the reception going to take place inside the house, or in your garden? Is the space big enough for all your guests? Are you serving plated meals or a buffet? These are all questions you need to know the answers to in order to make everything work.
You will need to choose a theme for your wedding since many of your decoration-related decisions will depend on it. Knowing exactly what you want is the first step towards a beautiful wedding. As soon as you set the date, you need to find a wedding officiant who will be available on that date and ready to perform the ceremony where you need them to.
Even though you’re trying to save money, hiring a wedding planner might prove to be a great idea. It could save you from making some costly mistakes and give you a fresh perspective in combination with valuable experience. Also, things like setting up tables and chairs, hanging lanterns, parking cars and cleaning up after the wedding should always be on your mind. Unless you pay for somebody to do all of them, you’ll need some help from your friends and closest family members. Bear in mind, though, that they are supposed to have fun at your reception, so hire waiters and any other staff to have all your guests tended to properly.
Before your guests arrive, you should clean your house and your garden and decorate everything. Even if you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, you still want to spruce up your house at least a week or so before the wedding. Other than cleaning it, you’ll want to get some stylish floor rugs and nice curtains, so that the inside of your home looks just as festive and cheerful as the outside.
Furniture selection can greatly impact the overall atmosphere of a space. Invest in sturdy, high-quality pieces like dining tables and chairs made of durable woods like birch or oak. The quality of the wood not only affects the durability of the furniture but also its aesthetic appeal.
As far as your garden is concerned, your grass should be perfectly cut and you should make sure that any plants you have there are in good condition. This is actually something you should start thinking about well before the wedding so that you can plant some flowers that will look their best at the exact time you need them to.
As big as your garden may appear to you, you have to be completely sure that all your guests will have enough room there at the same time. In case of a weather-related surprise, you should either get a tent for your garden or be prepared to host all of your guests inside your home. It’s important to add the RSVP part at the bottom of your invitations so that you are aware of the exact number of the people who are coming. This will allow you to order enough food and drink, as well as to provide enough dinnerware and barware, as well as plenty of space for dancing.
Some of your close friends or family members might want to stay at your house, but it’s not something you should deal with when you’re getting married. Instead, find a decent hotel near you for them to stay, since you don’t really want to trip over people and stay locked out of your own bathroom on your wedding day. You’ll have plenty to do without having to worry about what you’ll serve them for breakfast or where to put somebody’s suitcases before the reception.
Inform your neighbours about your party early enough, so that you avoid unpleasant situations, such as somebody having a barbecue next door during your reception, or a bunch of kids screaming around a swimming pool while you’re saying your vows. They may be flexible about your guests’ parking in the street, or even in their driveways. As a token of your appreciation, you could buy them thank-you gifts.
Organizing a wedding is a lot of work, but don’t let that discourage you. With a little creativity, patience and will, you can have your dream wedding in your own home.