Planning a wedding can be an extremely joyous yet stressful period of time. In order to turn a dream wedding into a reality, needs a lot of effort and sacrifice

If you are considering hosting your wedding at home, this would be a great idea for several reasons - it will provide an intimate ceremony with your closest friends and family; home weddings add a layer of comfort to the whole affair, and the cherry on top is that you will save a large sum of money as you won’t be hiring out a venue.

In this article, we look at 10 important tips to consider to ensure that your home wedding goes off without a hitch.

Create a checklist and timeline

When you begin planning your wedding, you need to create a checklist and timeline from the time of the proposal leading up to post-wedding day activities. Your checklist and timeline should be within the first few pages of your planning binder so that it is easy to refer to. This checklist will help guide you when you need to make certain decisions by, when to make bookings, what is required for trial runs, and when to pay deposits. This is one of the biggest tools to ensure that your wedding planning is as stress-free as possible.

Finalizing your guest list

One of the deciding factors on how many people you can invite to the wedding depends on the size of your yard that is available to use. If you already have a layout in mind, then this can help determine the amount of people your yard can accommodate. In the event of selecting guests, remember to prioritize people who are close to the wedding couple and are important to them. It is also important to remember that the amount of guests that you invite directly impacts the budget. The more people you invite, the more provisions need to be made.

Choosing your vendors

It is quite common for venues to have inclusive packages that feature multiple vendors that are in partnership with them, by having your wedding at home, you will have to identify vendors individually and book them for your wedding. You need to ensure that you identify potential vendors as early as possible. This is so that you can clarify them providing services for a home wedding, and go over any required test runs before you can book them.

Landscaping

Making sure your yard is aesthetically pleasing will be an important drawcard for your wedding. It can help play into the aesthetic and theme of the wedding, or alternatively, it can serve as the inspiration for the theme instead. Landscaping efforts need to be implemented as early as possible and maintained consistently. Your landscaping initiatives can include planting flowers and shrubbery to add dimension, raising flowerbeds for easy access and aesthetics, or adding short walls to add a little oomph to the area. When installing pathways or paving areas utilize metal edging in your landscaping to prevent weeds and plants from growing through the areas and to minimize your maintenance time.

Ensuring your home is photography-ready

Your yard is not the only area of your home that is going to be in the spotlight. You need to ensure that all areas of your home are in tip-top shape. This includes painting, roof maintenance, and making repairs to any structural issues in the home. This is mainly because guests will be visiting multiple areas of the home and it needs to be presentable. In addition, other areas of your home may end up being the backdrop for photographs and videos of the big day. It will give off a good impression and look aesthetically pleasing.

Permits and licensing

Depending on the state and area where you live, there may be by-laws that you need to adhere to and licenses that you will need to obtain. This includes licenses for loud noises going into late hours of the night, parking permits, tent regulations, portable restroom authorization, and some others. This needs to be done as early as possible, to ensure that the permits are provided on time, and to ensure that you do everything as required by the law.

Parking allocation

Parking permits are one thing, but you may also need to have space for your guests to park their vehicles during the ceremony. If your home has enough space to accommodate for vehicles and the ceremony then it is fine. An alternative option would be to park off at a designated parking lot and to be shuttled to the home.

Accessible bathrooms

If your home does not have enough bathrooms to accommodate the guests that will be attending, you will have to consider hiring portable toilets to be installed at the wedding venue. You would need to ensure that the company you hire from adheres to sanitation and hygiene standards.

Guest accommodations

The comfort of your guests is important. If they are travelling from a distance, or if the weather is uncomfortable, you need to ensure that they are comfortable while they are at your home. Ensure that guests have snacks and refreshments in between the reception and ceremony. If children are attending the ceremony, you would need to have activities to keep them occupied - in addition to this you can have entertainment and activities for the guests to engage in to make the event a memorable one.

Anticipating weather troubles

One thing about the weather is that it can be erratic and can be unpredictable leading up to the wedding day. If it is going to be hot, ensure that you have enough shaded areas to seat your guests and consider providing fans. If rain is forecasted, you may need to consider obtaining a tent to prevent the decor and guests from getting wet.

Final thoughts

Planning a wedding is a fun way to host your dream event while feeling comfortable and close to your loved ones. There are many ways to ensure that the ceremony is perfect and lives up to your hopes and dreams - this includes having a checklist, ensuring that your home is in tip-top shape, and considering your guests’ comfort in your home

Here are some other related blog posts that can help you in your wedding photography: