When you start planning a backyard wedding (or any wedding that is outside), it’s VERY easy to picture it the way you’ve seen it in the movies. A cool breeze, the string lights, children laughing and maybe even a dog in a bow tie. LOL. And when you see the venue fee (or lack of one) you heart does a happy dance. Then the rental quotes start coming in…
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The problem? Hosting a wedding or any event outside often means you have to bring EVERYTHING IN. Every. Single. Thing. From the tables and chairs to the catering and kitchen equipment and yes, even the toilets! That stuff adds up. Fast.
Don’t get me wrong, a backyard or outdoor-only wedding can be absolutely beautiful. But they often cost way more than couples think.
I know when my husband and I were looking at venues in Nashville (where we were living at the time) we initially wanted to get married at a beautiful stable we often drove past. The owners would allow people to rent their barn for events, but it came with nothing.
We met a caterer and wedding planner at the event and they laid out the sad truth: It was going to cost way more than our budget would allow. And way more than any traditional venue we had seen. Not because the rental fee was crazy, it wasn’t. It was that the venue was just…bare. Everything we needed to host a ceremony and reception had to be brought in, and that adds up fast. This quote pretty much sums it up:
“What people tend not to realize is you have to rent every FORK you need if you don’t want to be in a venue. Tents, tables, chairs, plates, utensils, glassware, food, alcohol, cake, lighting, dance floor, DJ/live music, sound system, decor….ALL that is on you and it gets mighty expensive.”
— via Reddit.com
In fact backyard weddings can cost just as much if not more than a wedding venue. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great one! Some of my favorite weddings have been at home. You just have to be a bit more strategic about the whole thing. (Check out our backyard wedding planning guide for even more great tips.). In the meantime, here are the ten mistakes we see couples make most when planning a backyard wedding.
1. Assuming the Backyard Is the Cheap Option
The trap is thinking “backyard” means “free.” A venue fee looks scary on paper, but it’s covering tables, chairs, a kitchen, bathrooms, power, and a roof, and in a backyard you rent every bit of that back.
“I did a backyard wedding and regretted it for about 6 months leading up to it. It was so stressful. I had no rain plan. Had to rent literally everything. And because I still wanted it to feel like a wedding I overspent to give it formal touches. I think if you are truly ok with a bare bones casual event then it’s affordable but I ended up spending the same as I would for a venue.”
— via Reddit.com
Reality check: Price out both options fully before you decide, every rental included. Our wedding tent cost guide and the pros and cons of wedding rentals are a good gut check.
2. Doing the Bathroom Math Too Late
One house bathroom cannot handle a hundred guests, and your septic system really cannot. A lot of backyard plans fall apart the moment couples get the restroom trailer quote.
“Those things are NUTS expensive. I squashed my backyard wedding because I realized that between the tent and the bathroom I was already out $2500 before literally anything else and that’s the price of a venue anyway! Found a lovely picnic shelter with huge accessible bathrooms for $53, couldn’t be happier. In case you’re tempted to forgo it, just one day of super excessive septic use if you’ve got a septic tank can destroy your drain field to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. No, really.”
— via Reddit.com
“After having to use a porta potty in heels, in the dark, in October, we splurged for the bathroom trailer at our own wedding. lol”
— via Reddit.com
Worth it: Get the nice trailer with real sinks, not a sad porta-potty by the fence, and plan on roughly one stall for every 25 guests. Book it early, the good ones go fast.
3. Expecting the House to Power the Party
The DJ, the string lights, the caterer’s warming trays, the coffee maker at midnight. Plug all of that into a house already running its own appliances and you’ll trip a breaker in the middle of the first dance.
“You may need an additional generator for power. Lighting a tent/powering a PA system for a DJ may be more than some farmhouses can handle. Something to look into maybe.”
— via Reddit.com
“Power and parking are the 2 I see people forget. Make sure you know exactly where electricity is coming from for catering, music, lighting, etc, and whether you need extra generators.”
— via Reddit.com
Trust this: Walk the yard with your caterer and DJ before the day, and use proper outdoor-rated cords, not the orange one from the garage.
4. Skipping a Real Rain (and Cold) Plan
A tent is not a rain plan, it’s a roof. It does nothing when the wind drives the rain sideways or the temperature drops twenty degrees after sunset, so the couples who sleep at night have a true backup sorted months ahead.
“We went to a wedding that was…honestly miserable as soon as the sun went down. Our silverware was freezing cold to eat with during dinner (which got cold right away) and we all huddled around the heaters during the dancing part. Most people got heavy coats from their cars. I distinctly remember seeing a grandpa wearing a parka and beanie. Don’t underestimate guest comfort on this aspect!”
— via Reddit.com
Watch out for: Tent walls and heaters are usually a separate line on the rental quote, and they book up first when a storm is in the forecast, so lock them in early. Our wedding day rain tips cover the rest.
5. Forgetting Where Everyone Will Park
A hundred guests means about fifty cars, and a residential street fills up fast. The bigger trap is the sprawling property where the ceremony is a long walk from the driveway.
“How are people getting to the space that’s 1100 ft into her property? Making trips back and forth in the golf cart? Only one golf cart, so if you have to pee you’re going to be waiting a while til it gets back. That’s a long drive on a bumpy golf cart for people that have to pee and will probably put it off because it’s so far away, especially if anyone has any hidden disabilities/has given birth/is older.”
— via Reddit.com
The fix: Frame a shuttle as a gift, not a rule, with a line like “Due to limited parking, shuttles will run from the hotel all evening,” and most guests are thrilled not to drive home in the dark after an open bar. Here’s everything to know about wedding day transportation.
6. Underestimating How Dark It Gets
A backyard at golden hour is magic. That same backyard at 9 p.m. is pitch black, and your guests can’t find their table, the bar, or the path to the bathroom.
“A backyard wedding is a LOT of work. And mine didn’t end up saving me any money. Yup, $1000+ for a bathroom trailer (do NOT go the port a potty route!), and don’t forget about lighting! We had to have someone string up lights. Then had to bring in an extra generator for said lights.”
— via Reddit.com
Outdoor Edison String Lights (48 ft)
The thing that makes the whole yard look done. A couple of strands criss-crossed over the tables turn a plain backyard into a reception, and the shatterproof Edison bulbs hold up to a little drizzle. Hang them the weekend before, not the morning of, so you’re not up a ladder in your robe.
Pro tip: Light the paths too, not just the party, so grandma isn’t crossing a dark lawn to find the bathroom. Our post on outdoor wedding lighting ideas has the rest.
7. Not Telling the Neighbors (or the City)
Your town almost certainly has a noise ordinance, and a lot of them shut the music down by around 10 p.m. Some areas also want permits for a tent or a restroom trailer, and your homeowner’s policy probably won’t cover a 100-person event.
“When the couple down the street had their backyard wedding (100 or so guests, tent, DJ, vendors, etc) they put notes in our mailbox the month before, gave contact info for their MOH and BM in case there was anyone blocking a driveway, music to loud or a lost guest. Their wedding was loud, but at 10pm everything got quiet.”
— via Reddit.com
Heads up: Get the event insurance, and give the neighbors a name and number for the night, like the couple above did.
8. Ignoring the Ground Itself
The yard you love is rarely as flat as it looks, and soft grass swallows a stiletto heel in two steps. If your guests are going to be in grass all night, be sure to have them wear appropriate shoes.
Smart move: Lay a real floor for the dance area so nobody’s heel disappears into the lawn mid-song.
9. Letting the Bugs Crash the Party
Mosquitoes peak right at dusk, which is exactly when your reception gets going. There’s nothing romantic about guests slapping their ankles through your toast, and the yard needs a bug plan.
Thermacell Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller
Worth it for the dinner hour alone. Each one puts out about a 20-foot zone with no smoke and no citronella smell, so you tuck a few around the tables and the bar and turn them on 15 minutes before guests arrive. Set a basket of bug spray by the gate for anyone who wanders to the edge of the yard.
Don’t skip: A pro mosquito treatment a day or two before does the heavy lifting on a wooded or waterfront yard, and the repellers and fans handle the dinner hour on top of it.
10. Forgetting Someone Has to Set It All Up
At a venue, a staff you never see resets the room. In a backyard, that staff is you and your family, the morning of and the morning after.
“If you can find catering companies that bring their own mobile kitchen, that may be helpful! My parents have a sprawling 1970s house with plenty of room for people, but their kitchen is open concept and not equipped for professional catering. Our caterers will be bringing their entire mobile kitchen/prep space that they’ll park in the side yard & curtain off.”
— via Reddit.com
“a backyard wedding is not always cheaper but it is almost always more stressful because it usually involves a lot more DIY than a venue wedding.”
— via Reddit.com
So, Should You Still Do It?
Yes, if you go in with your eyes open! Getting married should be as stressless as possible for EVERYBODY involved, especially you, so keep it simple where you can (our micro wedding inspiration and Smart Wedding Planner both help). One bride summed up the whole thing better than I can:
“Backyards get expensive only if you try to turn them into venues. Let the yard be the yard and you’ll be just fine.”
— via Reddit.com
