Tips, tricks, hacks and help

We didn't have a backyard wedding, but my sister-in-law did and she said that it was about the same if not more than having a wedding at a traditional venue. My advice would be to price everything out before you commit to having a backyard wedding.

A lot depends on the number of guests you have and what style wedding and reception. The space available could be only enough for chairs to be shared between the ceremony and the reception. You may have to have people to move the chairs and setup tables. You may also need to rent toilets. Then the caterers may be done via food trucks which can add another logistics issue.

Things to consider with a backyard reception; cost (may not be cheaper), weather (rain/cold/heat) plan, flooring for dancing, power availability, washrooms/water sources, parking, furniture rental for catering and dinner seating, lighting, parking availability for the size of the event, pest and bug control, local noise ordinances, liability for provision of alcohol and food. This is just off the top of my head and not an inclusive list at all. Depending on the size of the event, I definitely would hire an experienced wedding planner.