Essential Tips for Having Your Wedding at Home

Whether you’re thinking of having your wedding at home because of finances or current world events, we’ve got you covered!

Below, we’ll talk about some of the benefits of choosing an at-home wedding.

Then, we’ll go over some things to consider that you may not have thought of.

Let’s get started, shall we?

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Benefits of Having Your Wedding at Home

One of the most stressful parts of the wedding planning process is choosing a venue.

Instead of dealing with this hassle, choose to have your wedding at home!

There are several benefits of having your wedding at home, but these are the main ones:

Choose any date

Having your wedding at home gives you the freedom to choose a date that works best for the both of you, without having to worry about booking a venue a year in advance.

Intimate setting

An at-home wedding is cozy, charming and intimate.

There’s nothing quite like celebrating your big day with those that you hold nearest and dearest.

Saving money

Having your wedding at home will save you some money since you won’t be paying for things like security deposits and venue costs.

Vendor flexibility

With most venues, you have to work with an approved list of vendors, especially when it comes to the caterer.

However, by having your wedding at home, you can choose to work with local, organic or smaller vendors, if you so choose.

Things to Consider for Your At-Home Wedding

Along with the things that go into planning a venue-based wedding (flowers, dresses, vows, etc), at-home wedding options require a few additional considerations. Let’s break them up into indoor and outdoor considerations.

Indoor considerations

Bathroom situation

When it comes to bathrooms in your home, a good rule of thumb to follow is to have one bathroom for every 25 guests.

Also, guests will need to wash their hands, as well as check their hair and makeup in the mirror, so ensure the bathrooms are well lit.

Add a personal touch to each bathroom by including an amenities basket with items such as Band-aids, breath mints, cotton balls, hair spray, hand sanitizer, safety pins and tampons.

Consider how much space you have

If you are having your wedding ceremony indoors, do you have enough space in your living room to set up folding chairs and leave enough room for a wide aisle?

The general rule of thumb here is to have 6 to 10 square-feet of floor space per guest.

Determine if your kitchen is adequate

Ask yourself these questions- First, is your kitchen large enough to prepare the food for your wedding (if you are doing it yourself) or to accommodate a catering staff?

Second, is your kitchen properly equipped with enough counter space, ovens and sinks for food preparation, baking, cooking and cleanup?

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Outdoor considerations

Best time of day for your ceremony

If possible, have your wedding ceremony in the late afternoon or early evening hours, when the sun isn’t at its peak.

When the sun is at its peak, it can affect your pictures, as well as cause your wedding cake to melt and your flowers to wilt.

Check into permit requirements

Check with your city officials to see if local noise ordinances require a permit or if a permit is needed to park vehicles along your street.

Consider outdoor bathroom rentals

Consider that each guest will take three bathroom breaks during their time at your wedding.

If you have 25 guests, that’s 75 bathroom trips and if you have 50 guests, that’s 150 bathroom trips.

Since most septic systems can’t handle all that, portable bathrooms are a necessity.

Your options range from individual portable restrooms, with flush units and sinks to portable restroom trailers.

The latter is definitely a bit more elegant than the first (which are basically porta-potties), but also significantly more expensive.

Have a plan B for unexpected weather

Unexpected weather, such as rain, hail, wind, heat and cold temperatures, happen whether we like it or not.

The last thing you want is to find yourself postponing your wedding due to unforeseen factors!

So, you’re going to need a plan B just in case unexpected weather threatens your wedding day.

If your house can accommodate your guests comfortably, move the party inside.

If not, consider renting a tent for the backyard.

Be sure the tent has sides to keep out the rain, hail and/or wind. Portable air conditioners can help to beat the heat, while propane heaters can help to keep your guests warm and cozy.

Think about parking options

Most driveways can fit 4-8 vehicles, depending on the size.

So, you’ll want to check your local laws for street parking, since some communities have certain time that street parking is allowed.

If there’s a parking lot nearby, maybe one that is owned by a church or community center, ask them if you can use it (for a donation, of course) for the hours of your wedding.

If using a parking lot, you may consider arranging for a shuttle or valet service to transport your guests to and from the wedding.

You may need a generator

Most homes aren’t able to handle the amount of power needed for things like extra lighting, food preparation equipment and sound systems.

So, in order to avoid a power outage, you’ll need to rent (or purchase) a generator to handle the extra power.

You’ll likely need a home standby generator, which range from 5,000-20,000 watts and run on natural gas or propane.

Once you’ve considered all these less glamorous (yet super important) factors, the rest is up to you!

The great thing about at-home wedding options is that you can make it as fancy or simple as you want.

Keep it to just close friends and family or invite the whole town (as long as it’s allowed, of course)! Totally up to you!

Did you have a wedding at home? Share your tips below!