Private Property Wedding Tips

There’s a common misconception that backyard weddings are cheaper and simpler. This can be true if you’re inviting 10 friends or family members over and grilling out in your backyard. If you’re simply opting for family property in place of a venue and keeping most other aspects of a typical wedding- there’s many things to consider.

Permits

There’s some legal jargon that goes into hosting a large event. You’ll need to make sure you’re fully aware of any noise ordinances and rules regarding tenting. If your venue is in a more suburban area, this will be super important as nothing could kill a wedding vibe more than having the cops called.

Rentals

With a private property wedding, you often have to have all the rentals- tables, chairs, dance floor, tent, bathrooms and dishware. This often will counteract the money saved by not having a traditional venue. You’ll want to ensure you account for chairs for both the ceremony and the reception and if you plan to reuse chairs, you’ll want to navigate that in your day of logistics and timeline. You’ll also need bathrooms. This is probably you’re most important rental. Nothing is worse than not having enough restrooms. There are plenty of bathroom rental trailers. You will need to check requirements for distance to outlets and any other needs for the bathrooms you choose to rent.

Trash and Clean Up

An item often overlooked at weddings is trash and clean up. For a private property wedding , you may need to rent trashcans and a dumpster. Weddings produce a lot of trash- even sustainable weddings. Make sure you have a plan for bussing tables and taking out trash if this service isn’t provided by your caterer.

Transportation and Parking

Whether your venue is easily accessible by Uber or Lyft is important to consider for guests but another often overlooked factor at private property weddings is parking. Between wedding vendors and guests, you can expect a need for quite a bit of parking which means there needs to be a good amount of unused space that won’t obstruct your wedding or photos. One way to alleviate this some is to provide a shuttle for at least majority of your guests.

Private property weddings are often super sentimental and special because the places couples choose to hold their day are typically places special to them or their family. There’s typically more freedom with a private venue and there CAN be some cost savings but there are definitely logistics to consider. If you’re planning your day on private property (or not) we would love to chat!