They say “marriages are made in heaven” and that two people who are destined to be together will eventually find each other. It is hence justified that when they find each other and decide to say “I do,” they must be surrounded by everything beautiful.
People are increasingly foregoing mega-wedding venues and events in favour of an intimate wedding ceremony that is tastefully planned in the outdoors of their homes. It is a trend that is catching up because of the various benefits such small events have to offer. If you are also inclined to get married at home without too much hustle-bustle, this article by Gharpedia is just for you, additionally, it also provides you with home outdoor wedding décor ideas.
According to Hindu traditions, the wedding season in India begins after Diwali. A report in CNBCTV18 states that the wedding season begins in November and lasts until February, with the sector expecting 3.2 million weddings across the country. With an increasing number of weddings, it gets difficult to find a hall, hotel, resort or even empty grounds, etc., to conduct weddings. Henceforth, creating the perfect outdoor wedding venue at home makes a lot of sense.
How to Create the Perfect Outdoor Wedding Venue at Home?
Creating the perfect outdoor wedding venue at home entails holding a house wedding where everything is in its proper place, and you get to enjoy and participate in each event/ceremony. To do this, everything must be planned systematically. Let’s get this party started.
Home Outdoor Wedding Space Inspection and Distribution
First and foremost, take a walk around your home outdoors and assess the available outdoor space. With this done, mark the areas that need trimming or touch-up. Do that as a priority. Then check for the availability of parking as per your guest list. If you do not have enough parking space, then you might ask your neighbours to give their parking space to your guest. And if you do not want to bother them, check out nearby public parking facilities well in advance and book it if that is an option.
Once you have tackled that, decide the location for each event. Divide space for the entrance area, event area, seating arrangements, food and drinks counters, stay and restrooms, portable washrooms, etc. When choosing the space for the main event, consider sunlight for natural lighting and better photos. Accordingly, set the events and timings. For instance, have morning rituals on the east side of your outdoors and evening rituals towards the west. Moreover, if there is a lack of space, and you have enough time in between events, then you can go for flexible décor and flip it for another event at the same place.
Select Intimate Wedding Theme
You’ve probably already decided on this, but there may be better solutions depending on the time of year, availability of the material for your wedding theme decor, space requirements and limitations, location of your property, and current situation of your outdoor greens. If the space for an outdoor home wedding is enormous, then you can even have different themes for different events. For instance, at an Indian wedding, there is a haldi ceremony (which is the application of turmeric to the bride and groom), which can be in floral theme with marigolds and other flowers, whereas, the sangeet event where people sing and dance can have a Bollywood theme. And if you want one theme for the whole wedding, then so it be. Various wedding theme options are – floral, white-themed, rustic, royal, beachy, Bohemian, spring/autumn, eco-friendly, and many more. Choose the one where you can get maximum advantage from your outdoor greens.
Setting the Centre Stage For Home Outdoor Wedding
The centre stage of the wedding is the area where the bride and groom will perform wedding rituals. The décor of this location should match the wedding theme. For the centre stage, you can either have a temporary stage erected or it could be a raised ground with proper hard flooring. Make sure this area is accessible and visible from every corner. Next, make the seating arrangements around the focal point/centre stage, facing the focal point. Seating arrangements can either be in rows or nuclear circles.
Dancing Island
It is a must to have a sturdy floor for dancing for outdoor wedding at your home. This will save you from getting your ankle twisted and let you dance your heart out. If you have PCC done outdoors, then decorate it for the dancing event; otherwise set up a temporary dancing floor with wooden sheets as shown in the above image. While setting up a temporary dancing floor, make sure to provide an even surface and that no nails or pointed objects are projecting upwards.
Food and Drinks
Once you decide on the centre stage, seating arrangement and dancing floor, you can use the available space for food and drinks counters. There are two options here, either a fixed food counter or serving cases/trays on every nuclear seating table. The choice is yours. Also, make sure these counters follow the theme decided earlier. As it is a home outdoor wedding venue with a smaller guest list compared to traditional big fat weddings, you can opt for the traditional cuisines of your home town. Grill barbecue is also a great option. Moreover, you can reduce the labour here by choosing eco-friendly leaflet cutlery over ceramic or melamine. Leaflet cutlery is one time use and you can decompose it easily.
Portable Water Closets
With advancements in technology today, there are various options even in portable or trailer water closets. Decide for the same for your beloved guests. Park these portables at regular intervals in the outdoors of your home. Keep an attendant always available there to check on cleanliness and maintenance.
Lighting
Lighting is the most important aspect of any event. The best option is to take maximum advantage of natural light, however, for after-sunset events make sure there is more than enough lighting. There are various lighting options available these days, so pick the one that suits your outdoor wedding theme and try to light every plant, tree and shrub. Keep all the areas well-lit and clean. Keep generators ready in case of power cut.
Backup Plan
Having a backup plan is a must while holding an open outdoor wedding at your home. No matter how much you plan to keep the weather forecast in mind, always be prepared for the worst. God forbid, if it rains, then you can switch to your back-up plan and make the event happen. Keep indoors equally ready or have an arrangement of temporary shade on standby for harsh weather situations. In case of cold weather, plan for enough shawls for your guests. This can also be your return gift for the wedding.
Post Wedding Cleanup
Creating a home outdoor wedding venue is fun until you must deal with the post-wedding clean-up. This starts the day when every single guest has left. The best advice here is to hire a team in advance for this work so they are available on time and start the cleaning work. They will carefully and mindfully do the task. Most importantly, segregate the waste and then dump it or store it accordingly.
Home Outdoor Wedding Budget
There is no price range or best guess here. However, one tip is if you are not an event enthusiast, then it is best to have everything on rent-décor, furniture, cutlery, etc so that you can return it after use. If events are a frequent occurrence in your home, you can buy things of your choice and store them for future use.
For details click the link below:
Home Outdoor Wedding Décor Ideas
Poolside Home Outdoor Wedding
The pool in your courtyard is an elegant location to host your wedding. The below image displays a beautiful poolside home outdoor wedding venue.
Floral Wedding Theme Mandap
One of the easy, eco-friendly and vibrant themes to have for a home outdoor wedding venue is a floral theme. Check out the below images for floral wedding theme ideas.
Elegant Entrance to Home Outdoor Wedding
Remember, the first impression is the last while inviting your guests to a home outdoor wedding. Impress them at the entrance itself by donning your entryway with elegance. The below image shows an entryway emitting elegance at each step.
Keep It Glowing
For all the events that are post-sunset, lighting is a must. Lights keep the dullness at bay, so spend an extra buck on lighting. The below image shows a seating area glowing with golden string lights.
Bring a Cart for Rustic Charm
If you have fancy carts, then why not include them in your home outdoor wedding decorations? Place a horse cart/carriage somewhere near the centerpiece. It can be the best photo booth option.
Wedding Chimes with Autumn Vibes
If autumn is your favourite season and you want to have all the vibrant colours of it in your wedding, then check out the below image for ideas. As shown in the image, use vibrant colour fabrics to decorate your event area and go for marigolds to add charm.
Keep it Classy with Glassy Seating
To make the small area look spacious, opt for transparent seating in fiberglass chairs, as displayed in the image below. Transparent chairs do not look clumsy, even when you place them closely.
Rustic Food Counter
Take into use the wooden old barrels and carets for setting up a rustic food counter, as shown in the image below. Add some greens to make it aesthetic.
On a final note, creating the perfect outdoor wedding venue at home is a great option, as there is no other joy than getting married in the outdoors you grew up playing. To avoid last-minute preparations, keep things ready well in advance along with a backup plan and enjoy the wedding sipping a cocktail in your hand.
Once your outdoors is ready you might also want to decorate your indoors. For indoors check out the link below:
Indian Weddings: 16 Tips for Your Home Decorations!
