The short answer
A wedding at home needs what a venue would supply: power, restrooms, parking, lighting, a weather plan, rentals and someone to run the day. Before you book anything, walk the property with your caterer and rental company, ask your local authority whether any permit applies, ask your insurer what your policy covers, and talk to the neighbors. Then get a quote for each piece.
What do you check on a property walk-through?
Walk the property with the people who will work there, such as the caterer, the rental or tent company and the photographer, and ask them what they need. Look at where guests arrive and park, where the ceremony and the meal will be, where the caterer will cook and plate, and how trucks will reach each spot. Measure the spaces, and take photos to share with vendors who cannot visit.
Look at the ground too: slopes, soft lawn, sprinklers, tree roots and drainage after rain. Ask the tent company whether the ground suits stakes or needs weights, and whether anything is buried where they would put them, such as pipes or cables.
- Where guests arrive, park and are dropped off
- Space and ground for the ceremony and the meal
- Where the caterer cooks, plates and cleans
- Truck access for rentals and catering
- Power: outlets, circuits and where a generator could go
- Water: taps for the caterer and for cleanup
- Restrooms: the house, or rented units
- Lighting after dark
- Neighbors, noise and trees
What does a venue supply that a home does not?
A venue’s price can include things you would otherwise rent or arrange yourself: tables, chairs, linens, a kitchen, restrooms, power, lighting, staff to set up and clear, trash removal, insurance and someone who knows the space. At home, each of those is a line in your plan, with a vendor, a quote and a person responsible.
Make that list before you compare a home wedding with a venue, and get a quote for each item. The table and chair calculator can count what you need from your guest numbers and table sizes.
Do you need a permit for a backyard wedding?
Whether a permit applies depends on where you live and what you plan, and this guide does not state the rules. Ask your city or county, and your homeowners association if you have one, about events at a private home, tents, amplified music, parking on the street, open flames and the number of guests. Ask the tent company too, since it may know what the local office asks for tents.
Tell the neighbors early, with the date, the hours, where guests will park and a phone number to call on the night. Ask whether they would like to come, if that suits you, and check the end time against any local noise rules you were told about.
What is the weather plan for a wedding at home?
Plan for rain, heat, cold and wind as if each will happen. A tent with sides you can lower, flooring for soft ground, heaters or fans, and a dry path between the house and the tent are the pieces to price, and each needs a decision date, a cost and a person who makes the call on the day.
Ask the tent company by when you must decide on sides, heaters or flooring, and what it costs to add them late. The rain plan guide covers how to set the weather call and who makes it.
How do you plan power and restrooms at home?
Ask each vendor what power they need, in writing: the caterer’s equipment, the band or DJ, lighting, heaters and the tent company’s own. Give the list to an electrician or the rental company to check against your home’s circuits, and rent a generator if they advise it. Keep cables covered or taped down where guests walk.
Ask the rental company how many restroom units to plan for your guest count and hours, and where they should go so they are easy to reach and to service. If guests will use the house, decide which rooms are open and put a sign on the rest.
Who is responsible for insurance, cleanup and damage?
Ask your insurer what your homeowner’s or renter’s policy covers for an event at home, and whether you need an event policy for the day. Ask your vendors for their certificates of insurance, and read your rental contracts for who pays if something is damaged or lost.
Decide who clears up on the night and the next morning: trash and recycling, rentals stacked for pickup, decorations, and the lawn. Put the rental pickup time in your plan, and check the returns against the delivery list. The returning rentals guide covers what to check.
Home wedding plan
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Item | Needed | From whom | Quote | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tent, sides and flooring | — | — | — | — |
| Tables, chairs and linens | — | — | — | — |
| Restrooms | — | — | — | — |
| Power or generator | — | — | — | — |
| Lighting | — | — | — | — |
| Catering kitchen | — | — | — | — |
| Parking or shuttle | — | — | — | — |
| Trash and cleanup | — | — | — | — |
| Permit or notice | — | — | — | — |
| Event insurance | — | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Hi, we are planning a wedding for about [number] guests at a private home on [date]. Could you visit the property, or review photos and measurements, and quote for [tent, tables, chairs, restrooms, power]? Please include delivery, setup and pickup times, anything the ground or access needs, the power each item needs, and what happens if an item is damaged.
Common questions
What does a backyard wedding need that a venue provides?
A backyard wedding needs what a venue would provide: tables, chairs, linens, a kitchen for the caterer, restrooms, power, lighting, staff to set up and clear, trash removal, insurance and someone to run the day. List each one with a vendor, a quote and a person responsible before you compare costs.
Do you need a tent for a backyard wedding?
Whether you need a tent for a backyard wedding depends on your weather plan and your space. A tent with sides you can lower covers rain, sun and wind; without one, you need another dry space for every guest. Ask the tent company by when you must decide, and what the ground needs.
How many restrooms does a backyard wedding need?
Ask the rental company how many restroom units to plan for your guest count and the length of the event, and whether to add any for the caterer and vendors. Decide whether guests will use the house too, and where the units go so they are easy to reach and to service.
Do you need insurance for a wedding at home?
Ask your insurer what your homeowner’s or renter’s policy covers for an event at home, and whether an event policy for the day would add cover. Ask your vendors for their certificates of insurance, and read your rental contracts for who pays for damage or loss.
How do you tell the neighbors about a backyard wedding?
Tell the neighbors about a backyard wedding a few weeks ahead, in person or with a note: the date, the hours, where guests will park, and a phone number to call on the night. Check your end time against any local noise rules, and thank them afterward.