Outdoor Weddings

Backyard Wedding???

My fiance's grandparents just offered to host our wedding in their huge yard in Wisconsin.  They have more than enough space to accomadate our 300+ guest list and I figure it would cut costs a lot and be fun to plan!  However, their house is 2 hours away from an airport and most of our family will be flying in from the East Coast.  We'd have to rent a shuttle bus to get them all there, and plus I'm just worried that a lot of people won't come because flights will be too expensive.  Is it even worth it??

Re: Backyard Wedding???

  • wont they have to fly anyway even if it wasnt at your grandparents.
  • Keep in mind how much work it is going to be to bring in and set up/tear down tables and chairs for 300,  not to mention bathroom facilities.  Are they really set up to host 300 or is there just a lot of property?  There's a big difference there.  You will also need to worry about a tent, a back up rain plan, electricity, lighting, etc.
  • need worry bout day of insurance
  • vendors are not allowed.  reported.
  • Before you make a decision, check in to rental companies and figure out how much it will cost you to rent tables, chairs, nice bathrooms with flush toilets, glasses, china, silverware, linens, chafing dishes, a portable kitchen if you need one, possibly a generator --  in other words, everything down to the salt and pepper shakers.  And don't forget the shuttle bus. 

    Is there a hotel nearby, or is that two hours away, too?  That would be a deal-breaker for me.  I wouldn't want to be "stuck" at the reception having to wait for the bus to depart, then have to drive two hours back to the hotel.

    You might find it simpler, and even less expensive, to simply have the wedding at a location that's more convenient.
  • Along with what Peavy mentioned, you would definitely have to have someone handling parking of all those cars.  surely they don't have hard surface parking for 130+ cars so what would you do if it was muddy?  Someone would  need to be directing people in and people out, just like they do at the fair.
  • i am planning a backyard wedding and finding that some things cost way more to rent than i thought and some things alot less.  for instance the tent is turning out to be fairly cheap but the restroom trailers are expensive.  all i can say is make sure you do the research and someone else already mentioned it but it bears repeating.  you need to rent EVERYTHING. a good rental company can usually accomadate and let you know what you;ll need.  before you commit maybe see if a representative from a rental place will come out to the site and give you a rough idea of the cost and hassle.be prepared to hire help for serving, prep work and clean up. all the staff that a catering hall would have. you don't want your guests or attendants or worse even yourself get stuck working on your big day.
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