High-Impact Tips for Tying the Knot at Your Home
When you host your wedding at home, you’ll be having one of the best moments of your life in a place you love with the people you love. You’ll also save money by doing it at home, and you’ll have a great time. Jill Matthews Photography shares a few low-cost tips for pulling off a fantastic wedding at home.
Preparations
While your home is a lovely space filled with great memories, it may not be perfectly suited for a wedding without a few changes. You’ll have to factor in space, catering, and other considerations. How will the ceremony be set up? Where will people park and where will the wedding party prepare? Thinking about these questions and many more are necessary in preparing the space.
As you’re preparing, keep in mind that the weather is unpredictable, and have a Plan B just in case it becomes necessary. Options include moving the ceremony indoors, or moving it under a large event tent that has been erected for the occasion. These tents range from formal to casual, so choose one that fits your style. You may also want to put a tent up if the weather is predicted to be hot and sunny.
Create a Staging Area
You can eliminate the need for lots of travel back and forth by having the wedding party prepare at your home before the wedding. Make sure their staging area includes plenty of lighting and an adequate area for the hair and makeup teams to set up their equipment.
You’ll also have to determine if the kitchen is large enough to provide a good staging and preparation area for the caterers. They will also have to let you know if there is enough light, electricity and water to be able to prepare the food in your kitchen or if they will have to bring in supplemental resources.
Prepping the Yard
As you prepare your home, don’t forget to spruce up your yard as well. Make sure the grass is cut and fill in any bare spots in the yard. You’ll want to have the florist prepare proper flowers. If you’re planning far enough ahead, you can actually plant the flowers you want. If you don't have time to spruce up the yard yourself, hire a professional to help create the ultimate landscape design that you can enjoy for your wedding and months beyond. Just be sure to connect with a reliable and well-reviewed expert to ensure you get the right person for the job.
Bear in mind too that beautiful landscaping, as well as a well-constructed trellis, have the added bonus of boosting your home's value. In the event you want to sell in the near future, keep curb appeal in mind as you make your changes. It could give your home's appraisal a substantial lift!
One final thought on outdoor prep: You'll want to think about how you will decorate for the ceremony. Plan out where everyone will be, as well as the decor that will match your big day.
Guest Quarters and House Prep
Because you are holding the wedding at your home, you will have built-in guest quarters for a few of your closest family and friends. Just make sure they know that when morning dawns on the big day, all of their stuff needs to be well out of the way since most of the house will be used for preparations.
To get the house ready for your guests and the wedding in general, consider hiring a cleaning crew to do the dirty work. This will free you to focus on what’s important while still getting the job done. You should also hire the same crew to come back the morning after the wedding to clean up and get the house back in order - that’s too big a job to just leave to whoever happens to wake up first.
Pet Plans
All of the hubbub is likely to make your fur baby pretty uncomfortable. Especially with so many people coming in and out of your home in the days and weeks leading up to the big event, though even more so on your wedding day. In the time leading up to the event, be mindful about securing your dog or cat in a durable crate to ensure they don’t accidentally escape through a propped open door and so they aren’t too overwhelmed. Your best bet for the big day is to send your four-legged friend to the kennel. This guarantees they’ll be well taken care of and ready for snuggle time once your nuptials are all wrapped up.
Getting married at home can be the perfect spot for one of the best days of your life. There will be many details to keep straight as you juggle guests, food and more, but you will look back on the day with great memories and joy. As your wedding approaches, keep the focus on what matters, and all the planning and work will pay off.
To capture all the beautiful memories of your wedding day, connect with expert photographer Jill Matthews. Reach out today for a consultation! (513)267-7973