There is something pretty special about having a wedding celebration at a family home. Whether you plan to marry in your childhood backyard, your own garden or the gorgeous grounds of your grandparents, the memories you’ll create at a private property wedding will be priceless. Here’s your guide to private property weddings.
If you are planning your wedding at home or on a private property you get to create your dream day from the ground up. Every detail will reflect you both perfectly.
A blank canvas for your dream wedding day
The idea of starting your wedding planning with a blank canvas, like a private property, is super exciting. Hang on, maybe that’s just me! I’ll admit that most couples find planning private property weddings are a little nerve wracking as well.
But believe me, private property weddings are the bomb. With the right team of wedding professionals by your side, your day will exceed your expectations and your wedding guests will be blown away.
I LOVE working with couples to create bespoke wedding celebrations at private properties, their home or the home of loved ones, no matter the budget. Whether the sky is the limit or you are after an intimate stylish celebration on a limited budget, you can be sure that your wedding planner will be on board and ready to help you plan a truly unique love celebration.
Private property weddings preparation
Unlike wedding reception centres, weddings at private properties have lots of separate moving parts.
That means some additional planning is definitely in order to ensure your wedding day is perfect.
Here’s some questions to ask yourself before committing to a private property wedding:
- Where will cars park and how much room is available on the property/adjacent to the property?
- Are there enough bathrooms to cater for our guest count or so we need to hire in portable toilets?
- How will we handle rubbish disposal across the evening?
- How will we serve drinks and how many bar and wait staff will we need?
- Will the event be a cocktail event or sit down dinner and where will the associated furniture go?
- Do we have enough indoor and outdoor space to accommodate all of our guests?
- What will we do in the event of inclement or super hot weather?
- Do we have enough fridge and freezer space or will we need to hire in mobile freezer units?
- Do we know our rights in relation to noise restrictions and are neighbours likely to complain?
- Are there any limitations on how many guests we can have at the property (in the case of a hired private property)?
- What heating and cooling options do we have? Will we need to hire additional heating and cooling equipment?
- Is our outdoor area safe at night or do we need additional lighting?
- Are the kitchen facilities appropriate for an external caterer to use?
- Do we need a marquee, tipi or some other structure?
- Where will we host key elements of the day like the ceremony, the first dance, speeches etc?
- What additional equipment will we need such as microphones, speakers and the like?
- Will we get bar staff in to serve drinks or will this be a self serve event?
- Who will liaise with all the wedding vendors that come to your home or the property (eg cake maker, florist etc)?
Private Property Wedding Hire
The world of décor and furniture hire has come along in leaps and bounds. Today there are some simply breathless wedding hire businesses that hire just about everything you need for planning a wedding at home.
Forget plastic chairs and satin sashes, and say hello to stylish, contemporary décor and furnishings that will have all your wedding guests swooning.
These days you can hire everything from chairs and tables to stand alone trendy bars, lounges, table décor and linens that will set Instagram alight.
With careful planning and the right team of wedding vendors on board, you can have a ridiculously memorable private property wedding.
Private Property Weddings – The role of a Wedding Planner or On the Day Coordinator
The first thing I would recommend if you are planning a wedding at home is to hire a wedding planner. Yes, I know that sounds like very biased advice given Hey Lovers is a wedding planning service, but hear me out.
Planning a wedding involves hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions. Having a wedding at home adds another level of complexity. More decisions need to be made and the logistics of your wedding require some careful consideration and planning. This is all very manageable with the right professional help. This starts with a highly capable wedding planner.
The other important reason to bring a wedding planner on board is to reduce the pressure on family and friends. It can be very tempting to carve off responsibilities to those you love in the hope that you’ll save a few dollars here and there. But the truth is that home weddings can be very stressful for anyone not familiar with large event set ups.
Your wedding day should be all about sharing your love with those closest to you. Don’t have your family and close friends racing around stressing about the wedding set up on your big day. Leave that to the professionals so you can ALL enjoy the day. At the very least, consider engaging an on the day wedding coordinator to bring your dream to life.
Time to start planning your private property wedding
It’s no surprise that private property weddings continue to be on trend. Couples have every opportunity to create their dream wedding day from the ground up. Hopefully this article has provided you with some helpful tips for planning your private property wedding. Now it’s time to start planning lovers!
Planning a private property wedding in Melbourne?
I can work with you to bring your vision to life, working with trustworthy, experienced wedding vendors who know their stuff. I can make recommendations for local wedding experts or work with the team you’ve already assembled.
Pulling together this dream team is the key to a relaxing and enjoyable wedding day for both of you, your family and your guests. Get in touch to learn more.
Planning a wedding in other parts of the world?
Check out the Hey Lovers Etsy store for wedding planning printables, including instantly downloadable signs you can use on your dream day.