Back yard wedding is it less expensive

It can be… but it's also more expensive than you think it'll be. If you have more than 50 people, you should think about more restrooms. You'll need power & sound, catering will have to bring in cooking equipment, you'll need to rent EVERYTHING, if you have more than 70 people you should consider valet.

Now, if you're thinking an intimate wedding for 30-40 people it's totally affordable and manageable.

Could be but not always. Everything Kims says and more. You'll need a tent, if you can't fit everyone inside too.

I love backyard weddings, but they are not usually the most cost effective way to go.....

My brother and sister-in-law had a backyard wedding... I don't know what their final total came out to.... it wasn't much, but it was really nice.

I think it just depends on what you want to do.

In most instances, a backyard wedding for more than a very small guest list ends up being more expensive than renting a venue. The problem is a) you have to have a backup plan in case of rain (which may mean a tent rental, or an alternative venue, and b) you have to rent everything from a sound system to flatware.

I agree - I am doing a backyard wedding/reception for 60 and I'm worrying if the size tent I may need will even fit back there!

Catering wasn't an issue - they just asked if they could use my kitchen to keep things warm and I said of course!

Luckily we have 3 restrooms in the house so I don't think we will need Rent-A-Johns and when FH put on the addition he was smart and built many electrical outlets along the deck so I think we will be ok for power.

It's a lot of work, so be prepared but it also can be quite intimate and lovely.

Yes I'm thinking a limit of sixty people the most I live in northern nj so the venues are pretty much out of my budget, my real budget is 10k total so I tought a backyard wedding will be much less maybe half ...

Mine is coming in around $7k for the same amount of people so you can probably pull it off for that. I am doing a buffet rather than plated meal and that saved me some money.

Nelly, if you want to PM me, I used to cater in north NJ; there are some really sweet rentable venues that have tables, chairs and kitchens. There are also some not too expensive venues that are not your typical 'halls'. I'd be happy to chat with you about some alternatives.

We looked into a backyard wedding, but having it at an actual venue was cheaper and it is less stressful.

I agree Elisa. If it has always been your dream to be married at home, it's not going to be SO much more expensive that it can't work, but as a budget cutting idea, it's probably not the ticket.

That being said, there are so many ways to put a wedding together; simply moving the time to an 'hors d'oeuvre' time versus a 'dinner' time makes a significant impact. Doing a casual fun BBQ rather than a more elegant dinner will too. A Sunday brunch could be very fun too.

Maybe half and half; I did an amazing wedding a few weeks ago; they had 80 guests for the ceremony and hors d'oeuvres in their yard (with a classical duo) and it was so classy and gorgeous! Then they went to a restaurant for lunch.

Perfect!

I think it comes down to.."what type of wedding are you looking for?" I am having a backyard wedding at our new home. We are having a rustic feel with a lot of DIY. Yes, we have a larger rental cost (chairs, tables, back up tent, etc). We are budgeting only around 3K. A friend had an extremely small backyard wedding for next to nothing with suggestions from other pp like hors d'oeuvres and such.

I think a backyard wedding is a ton more work, but it was important for us to start our lives at our new home. Are you wanting a backyard wedding? Or are you only looking at it for a cost efficient alternative? How many people are you expecting to invite? Can you estimate your costs with rentals and vendors to see if it is more cost efficient than another venue?

Just FYI, I was planning a backyard wedding because a) I wanted to keep costs down and b) I like the feel of it being simple and at home. However, after finding the costs of renting tables, chairs, etc. to be several hundred dollars and realizing I couldn't do a tent in case of rain because we have so many trees, I started looking into small venues in the area. One of my only demands was that I was able to provide my own food and alcohol (also to cut costs). I found a hall I could rent for $575 that provides tables, chairs, and clean up services. And I could bring my own food in. In the end, the cost is going to be around the same, but I don't have to worry about weather or clean up.

I thought doing a backyard wedding would automatically be cheaper, but it really isn't. I'm glad I did my research before committing to that because I think I saved myself a lot of headache!

I agree ladies. I had planned on having my wedding at an outdoor space...after looking at catering, and alcohol, flatware, tables...etc etc etc...it was outta contol....I ended up going to an all inclusive venue...I am getting the plated dinner I always wanted and my fh is getting the 4 hour open bar he wanted!

In addition to the number of guests affecting if a backyard wedding costs more or less, where you live can really affect the pricing. I live in the DC suburbs in VA, and DC, MD and VA venues for 100 people are expensive. In addition to the site fee (which ranged from $1800 to $7000!) many places still required that you rent tables, chairs, flatware, dishes, etc separate and required you to work with their caterers. I looked into local state park properties--which rent for much cheaper BUT there is no alcohol allowed.

So I am planning my wedding in my parents yard. My mom doesnt want 85 people going through her house if we can help it (if it rains, i'll just have to steam clean her rugs i guess), so for a tent, tables, linens, lights, and nice portable restroom trailers--$4k