There’s nothing quite like spending one of the biggest days of your life in your backyard. Walking around the grounds of your childhood home, current residence or a family estate on your wedding day will remind you of all the wonderful memories you’ve had at that location. Because of your personal connection to the place, your wedding day will be extra sentimental and nostalgic. Plus, getting married in a familiar and private location provides a cozy, intimate atmosphere that everyone will enjoy. “It’s the ultimate place to feel at home on your wedding day and share a piece of you and your family with your guests,” says wedding planner Tory Smith, owner of Smith + James.

While getting married in your own backyard definitely makes the main event memorable, saying “I do” outside of your own home also simplifies many aspects of planning. Since finding a wedding venue can be a tedious task, especially when you’re touring locations outside of your own state or country, opting for a home venue will save you a lot of hassle and stress. Plus, venues are usually the most expensive expense couples spend their money on when it comes to weddings, so forgoing the deposit allows you to use the money for other bigger-budget things. Since you don’t have to adhere to some of the restrictions that standard venues often have, you also have more freedom and flexibility with the details and decisions.

While backyards have many benefits, you first need to determine if an outdoor wedding is even feasible. Smith advises checking to see if your backyard is large enough for your guest count and flat enough for all the rental items, like tables, chairs and a dance floor.

From there, you can start working on the details. To make the planning process as smooth as possible, we spoke to Smith, who shared essential tips and tricks for pulling off this private event at home. Read on for our complete guide to hosting a wedding in your own backyard.

Garden wedding logistics you need to plan

Unlike traditional wedding venues, your garden isn’t designed or used to hosting large groups, so you’ll need to deal with logistics like figuring out what permits you need and how to organize parking.

Permits and insurance

Since your home is likely in a residential area, you may need to obtain permits and purchase insurance to host your wedding there. The permits required vary by location, so be sure to check your county’s website to see what paperwork you’ll need. In general, the most common restrictions involve noise, parking, and fire—there may be rules prohibiting loud music, long events, or parking in the neighborhood, for example.

As for insurance, your home contents insurance may cover your wedding, but you may also want to consider purchasing event liability and liquor liability insurance, as well as comprehensive event insurance to protect yourself, your guests or your home from any damage or injury.

Park

Because parking may be limited, you’ll need to plan accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to have one parking space for every two guests. For example, if you’re inviting 100 friends and family to your wedding, you’ll need to provide 50 spaces for their vehicles. If your neighborhood doesn’t have enough space—which it likely will—you may need to rent a field, school parking lot, or other parking lot nearby. For areas that aren’t within walking distance, be sure to provide transportation to and from your home.

Toilets

According to Smith, most home bathrooms aren’t designed to accommodate more than 50 people. If you’re hosting a smaller wedding in a home with two to three bathrooms, you don’t need to worry about this detail. Otherwise, renting bathroom facilities is fine. One bathroom for every 25 guests should be enough.

Performance

Another very important detail that couples often overlook when planning their backyard wedding is the electricity requirements. Having an adequate power supply is a must for your music system, catering booth, and all other amenities to function properly, so you will likely need to rent generators.

Delivery availability

For your garden wedding, you’ll need to bring a lot of rental supplies, like table linens, glassware, chairs, tables and lighting. Smith stresses the importance of creating an accessible path for delivery trucks to unload these goods. “Not only should you think about staggered delivery times, but also any height restrictions, such as overhanging branches,” she stresses.

Tips for planning a garden wedding

Not only do you have to figure out all the logistics, but you also have to focus on the broader planning details, many of which are similar to a traditional wedding in another location.

Prepare your room

Since your yard will be the backdrop to your big day, a well-maintained lawn is in order. Hire landscapers to trim and maintain the space for your wedding. Smith also recommends not using sprinklers for a few days before your wedding to give the grass time to dry.

Set the layout

If your wedding is in your backyard, it’s probably big enough to accommodate a significant number of people, but you still need to figure out the best format for your event. Smith suggests imagining how the actual day will unfold. Picture where guests will enter and exit the property and how they’ll get from the ceremony to cocktail hour to the reception. This will help decide where guests will sit during the service and dinner. It can also be helpful to note landmarks you want to highlight, such as a beautiful oak tree in front of which you can exchange your wedding vows.

Coordinate a backup plan

Since a backyard wedding is outdoors, you’ll need to coordinate a backup plan in case of bad weather. If your home has enough space, you can always bring everyone inside if it rains or snows. Otherwise, a rented tent will provide shelter.

Establish a dress code

You can choose the dress code of your choice for your garden wedding. “In our book, there are honestly no rules when it comes to dress codes,” says Smith. For a casual wedding, ask your guests to wear formal attire. If your event is more upscale, black tie is appropriate. You can also invent your own dress code, such as “garden party chic” or “colorful summer wear” — as long as you provide a detailed description of what that includes. It’s also helpful to include information about weather-appropriate accessories, such as sensible footwear on grassy areas and sun hats in bright weather.

Choose your decor

Like any other wedding venue, backyard celebrations don’t have a specific aesthetic in mind. You can choose any decor that fits your vision and blends with the outdoor space. If you’re not sure how to decorate the setting, you can always take inspiration from the surrounding landscape and let the natural hues and textures dictate your color palette and decorative elements.

Lighting is always a must at garden weddings, both for aesthetic and functional reasons: place taper candles on your dining tables, hang chandeliers from the ceiling of your tent, and use lanterns to light the way to the restroom. Smith also recommends comfortable furniture for lounge areas, chic bars where alcohol is served, and large umbrellas to provide shade.

The comfort of your guests is our top priority

When planning your garden wedding, put yourself in the shoes of the guests and consider how you can make the experience as comfortable as possible. Perhaps you’ll create a lounge area where friends and family can rest between rounds of dancing. Perhaps high temperatures are forecast, in which case umbrellas or sunglasses can be helpful. For winter garden weddings, blankets and heat lamps will help guests stay warm.

Provide items to protect against the elements

To ensure your guests have a pleasant experience, offer shelter from the elements. If your event is in the spring or summer, set up a station with sunscreen to avoid painful sunburn and bug spray to ward off pesky mosquitoes.

Notify your neighbors

While this step is not mandatory, it is a considerate gesture to inform your neighbors about your backyard wedding. While there are likely ordinances you must follow out of respect for your fellow residents, letting them know about the matter will help them plan accordingly and mentally prepare for it.

Organize the cleanup

When you hold your wedding in the garden, the aftermath is usually a little messy. Having a cleanup plan in place before your special day will give you peace of mind. If your event is on the small side, you can always ask a few friends or family members to tidy up the place. If not, a cleaning service will do the job.