Home is where the heart is–and also, where your wedding can be! We have kept our eye on 2021 wedding trends. And this year, we predict a surge in couples hosting beautiful traditional weddings, as well as intimate celebrations in their own home. Sometimes called a backyard wedding, this is a bit of a misnomer. An at-home wedding doesn’t always mean picnic tables and benches. On the contrary, with no costly site fees and the ability to dream up a vision without venue limitations, your residence provides more budget for the elaborate details. Whether you’re planning a small at-home wedding or something grander and more opulent, follow these tips to plan the perfect wedding at home.
Set Your Priorities
You may not know exactly how much to allocate for your dream wedding, and that’s ok. The first step in setting your priorities is sitting down with those who are paying to make sure everyone is on the same page about what you are envisioning. Do you envision a tented wedding? Do you want to cover your pool to make an extended dance floor? Do you want to splurge on the best champagne or over-the-top florals? Knowing your priorities is an important first step. Then, you can turn over your vision to your wedding planner to help you establish a budget and bring your big day to fruition without missing any of the most commonly forgotten wedding budget items.
Hire Professionals
Just because you’re hosting a wedding at home doesn’t mean you can cut corners. You should still hire a wedding planner to help coordinate your catering, any parking or valet required, power and lighting, as well as other key vendors such as your photographer, florist, and band or DJ. Hiring professionals to help manage your big day will take the pressure off you and your family and allow you to fully savor each and every moment. Moreover, your planner will help you appropriately allocate your budget to ensure you don’t make costly mistakes.
Set the Tone With Stationery
Nothing tells guests what kind of party they’re to expect like your wedding invitation. The font, paper, colors, and style will set the tone of your big day. You can elevate your at-home wedding with luxurious papers, ribbon, and wax seals, or create a more whimsical event with watercolor illustrations and hand-written calligraphy. The tone you convey through your wedding invitations shows your guests that this isn’t your ordinary backyard wedding.
Establish a Dress Code
Just because it’s an at-home wedding doesn’t mean your guests can’t dress up! In your invitation, indicate the required dress code (i.e., black tie, cocktail, etc.). If you want to dress up, ask your guests to do the same. This way the party will feel fabulous all together.
Choose Over-the-Top Floral Installations
In my opinion, there is no such thing as too many florals. For a luxury at-home wedding, add a beautiful entrance arrangement to set the tone for guests from the beginning. Create a dramatic floral installation for your ceremony backdrop, and guests can use it later as a photo-op! Hang greenery garland throughout your dinner tent. Embellish your tables with cascading florals. Wherever you dream of having flowers, floral arrangements or installations can be added. We encourage you to go wild!
Spruce Up Your Getting-Ready Room
Don’t skip on a bride or groom’s room! You’ll still need a space to get ready and can have fun making the master bedroom a bridal suite. Make a fun wedding playlist, have a bridesmaid create a breakfast charcuterie spread, and relax. Don’t forget to designate a space for your hairdresser or makeup artist, and make sure you have decent lighting. This way, you can even snap some gorgeous bridal portraits with your bridal party while getting ready. It’s really lovely knowing you won’t have to be transported anywhere else–other than to your own stunning party downstairs.
Accessorize to the Nines
Don’t stop at the fabulous dress ideas, elevate your entire bridal look with couture headpieces, a veil, jewelry, and stunning shoes. Consider even a sparkling tiara. Casual chic is cool, but if you want a more luxurious at-home wedding vibe, adding luxe accessories will do the trick nicely.
Make Room for Rentals
Work with your planner to figure out how you want to utilize your space based on your guest count. Determine if you want to rent a reception tent or if you need to build a stage for that 15-piece band you’ve always dreamed of. You can create a night to remember with a beautiful outdoor lounge, elegant tables, and an awesome bar. Curate that stunning tablescape with specialty linens, china, and glassware. Your smaller at-home affair makes these elements accessible to any budget, so don’t skimp on rentals when designing a night to remember!
Upscale Local Catering
Having a wedding at home means that you can look into some fantastic local catering options. On the heels of COVID-19, many restaurants have modified their offerings to keep their business afloat. This means that your favorite restaurant might be happy to cater an exclusive evening just for you! Or, get creative. Look into a food truck for a more interactive approach. Go formal or casual for whatever dining experience you think would best suit your space and the tone of your wedding.
Elevate Your Space With Ample Lighting
String lights and candles will elevate any backyard setup. Wrap string lights around trees, use them to hang high above the dance floor, or string them throughout your tent. You can also add beautiful pendant lights and tons of candlelight to enhance the setting and create a romantic environment.
Plan Your Luxury at Home Wedding with HauteFêtes
Ready to plan an elevated at-home wedding? Whether you’re planning a micro wedding or the wedding of the century next year to celebrate COVID in the rearview mirror, an at-home wedding can be both extremely meaningful and convenient. While several considerations go into planning an at-home wedding, the upsides include cost savings and priceless, special memories. Dream up your wedding vision, turn the legwork over to your planner, plan to wear a killer dress and, in turn, you’ll be hosting the ultimate wedding dinner party in style. We can’t wait to hear your at-home wedding vision! Connect with us today to learn more about our planning process.