Backyard Wedding Ideas

Outdoor weddings offer a sense of intimacy and warmth, and with the right backyard wedding ideas, you can have the romantic and memorable wedding that you dreamed of.

PLANNING

Plan your outdoor wedding for a time of day and year that promises good weather. Be sure to let your out-of-town guests know what type of weather to expect.

Regardless of where you live, the weather is just too unpredictable. So, make sure you have a backup plan - such as, a tent or canopy that is large enough to cover your wedding party or an alternative indoor location.

DECORATING

One great backyard wedding idea is to play up the beauty of your backyard. Focus on an architectural feature - like a gazebo, swing, arch or fountain. This should become the focal point for your ceremony.

Also, add areas of interest with statues and potted flowers in urns, crates or pails. Use sturdy plants like mums, calla lilies and sunflowers. Try to keep everything as natural as possible.

Some other inexpensive wedding ideas are to put sparkling lights around arches, windows and doorways. Even if your wedding is during the day, the extra lightening will add warmth to the backyard setting. You can also use Tikki torches and paper lanterns for lightening.

To save money try to borrow tables, chairs and dishes. If not you will need to rent these. Be sure to use a sturdy table for the wedding cake. You don't want any mishaps!

MENU IDEAS

A barbecue is always a big hit. You can decide whether to use caterers or do it yourself. Or you could serve dishes such as, lasagna or enchiladas with a salad.

Try to keep it simple!

For your beverages, serve beer, wine and champagne with plenty of sodas and water.

Click here for more wedding menu ideas.

Go casual!

Forget the ballroom gown and a train. Wear something light and with a shorter hemline.

If you do want a more formal look, then wear an empire or A-line dress made out of lace or organza. This goes for your bridesmaids too.

For the guys, go with Khakis and a sport's jacket.

If you do want them to wear tuxes, then have vests with a full back, so that it will look better when they take the jackets off.

FAVORS

When looking for ideas for wedding favors for your guests, go with the backyard theme. Hand out personalized paper fans or packs of bird seeds.

You could also hand out personalized bottles of BBQ sauce.

If money allows, you might consider putting umbrellas out for shade. You could also put a bucket filled with flip-flops for the women who wore heels to wear.

MORE BACKYARD WEDDING IDEAS

• Be prepared with plenty of bug spray. You can also burn citronella candles or use the OFF Lantern.
• Outdoor weddings should be simple and fun. For entertainment, let your guests play outdoor games like horseshoes and croquet.
• Be sure to let your neighbors know that there will be extra cars parked near your home. Or consider finding a nearby parking lot and shuttling the guests to and from your home.
• Post a sign with your names on it pointing the way to your location.
• Keep pets up or at least on a leach.
• If the weather gets cooler than thought, rent heaters.

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