There’s no doubt about it – weddings are expensive and the average cost of a wedding keeps going up. That’s why many couples are opting for at-home weddings. Of course, even an at-home wedding will be pricey (more so than most people realize), but it’s still a worthwhile endeavor if you’re looking for a little more intimacy and a little less financial stress. What follows are some tips to help you pull this off.
Space Requirements
First and perhaps most importantly, you will want to make sure your home can accommodate all of your wedding guests. This may result in you having to minimize your guest list, or possibly storing some furniture at a self-storage facility in order to free up some space.
This applies to the bathrooms too. The rule of thumb is to have 1 bathroom for every 30 guests. Thus, depending on the size of your guest list, you may want to consider bringing in 2 or 3 portable bathrooms.
Theme Considerations
You should also let the ambiance of your home dictate the theme or ambiance of the wedding. For example, if you live near the beach, then why not go with a beach wedding? If you have a lovely backyard in the country, then a country theme would be appropriate. And there are many other examples as well. Just keep in mind that if you plan to have an outdoor wedding, make sure you have a large tent set up in the event of inclement weather.
Don’t Get Yourself in Trouble
Another tip is to make sure you don’t get yourself in trouble. Generally speaking, an at-home wedding is akin to having a large party, so you’ll want to let the neighbors know what’s going on. Who knows, maybe you could even get them to let your guests use their driveway!
You should also check to see if you need a permit, and if there are any local noise ordinances that you need to comply with. Trust me, this is not something that should be left to chance…the l;ast thing you need is for your party to get busted prematurely!
Summary
I really like the idea of an at-home wedding, but don’t expect to pay only a small fraction of what a traditional wedding would cost – even at-home weddings can be expensive. But with a little planning and DIY elbow grease, you can save a decent amount of money.
Following the tips in this post will help you a lot. Pay careful attention to the size of your guest list and how it impacts your space requirements, make sure you have enough bathrooms, allow your home to dictate the theme, plan for inclement weather if necessary, and let the neighbors and local officials know your plans.
Do these things, and you’ll be good as gold. Avoid doing them, and you’ll be left with the proverbial lump of coal from Santa. So don’t risk it…follow the tips in this post!
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