At-Home Weddings

Looking for the ideal location to say "I do"?

Look no farther than your own backyard. Whether you choose to wed in the garden of your childhood home or on the back lawn of the house you and your groom will call your own, a backyard can be a lovely place to exchange vows. After all, what could be a sweeter send-off into married life than a family-centered celebration that unfolds in a place with such special meaning?

 

White fencing from a
home-improvement store
divides the ceremony and
reception sites.

Bear in mind, though, that an at-home wedding comes with its own set of challenges. You may need to rent tables, chairs, dishes, glassware, silverware, and linens. You'll also want your guests to have sufficient parking and restroom facilities. And unless you have an exceptionally large outdoor space and plan to hire plenty of professional help, it's best to keep to an intimate guest list for your homegrown celebration.

 

A backyard wedding is an opportunity to showcase gorgeous landscapes or inspiring views, so allow your outdoor environment to take center stage by keeping a simple color scheme for your decor.

In this case, crisp white combines with rich green and a panoply of purples to create a fresh palette that capitalizes on a velvety lawn and abundant trees. The result: a wedding venue that evokes the carefree spirit of running barefoot through the grass with the sophisticated ambience of a stylish garden party.

While Mother Nature provides the basics, yards of fabric and ribbon transform this backyard into a setting worthy of a once-in-a-lifetime event. Lavender satin and shepherd's hooks combine to create fabric backdrops for the ceremony and the cake table. Throughout the backyard, urns and vases holding garden roses, sweet peas, blue curiosa, hydrangeas, and bells of Ireland create a look that florist Catherine Conlin of Wiggy Flowers in San Francisco describes as "vintage romance."