The ultimate guide to plan your backyard wedding in Melbourne

How to plan and host your own backyard Micro wedding.

So you are considering hosting your own Micro wedding? We got you covered. The best part of an Micro wedding is the ability you will have to transform a familiar surrounding into an amazing place to host your Micro wedding.

Through this guide, we have attempted to describe everything we believe you should keep in mind when planning your intimate or micro-wedding in your own backyard.

Consider the location for your backyard wedding

1.- The  location: things to keep in mind when choosing the backyard for your micro wedding.

Not all backyards are made equally. If your backyard is not big enough, maybe you can consider the one of other family members or even members of your extended family or even friends. Another great option would be a restaurant that would have a court or access to an area that could be used for the ceremony.

-Let’s talk about the space: Consider the area and the amount of space you will need to host your guests. Maybe you could consider hosting your ceremony in a circle, by seating your guests in a circle you will give a better view of the ceremony to all of your guests.

- Remember to think about the accessibility of the spaces. You will have to consider if any of your guests need help due to mobility issues, you will have to keep in mind stairs and ramps. The access to the backyard in some houses is done through laundry or other constructed access point. This will make it hard for everyone that needs to come in and out on the day.

-The number of bathrooms. Depending on the number of guests you are planning to have for your wedding day, you can probably get away with the guest bathroom, however, you can also consider renting portable bathrooms if you have a bit of extra space and you are considering having a higher number of guests on your wedding day.

-A place to prepare and get ready. There are a number of catering options you can consider for your day, from food vans to chefs that come to your home. With any of these options, chances are you will need to consider having some space to prepare and handle food, as well as a space for you to get ready. It is important to consider if you will need to move furniture to make more space or what areas can be used to prepare on the day. You will have to communicate with your host in regards to the options of moving furniture or other changes you might need.

2.- Your ceremony space and how to consider:

Now that you have decided the location of your backyard intimate wedding it’s time to start working on your vision for your ceremony. Some of the most important things you will have to think about for this part of your wedding day are:

Your wedding arbor: over the last few years we have seen a trend emerging, more and more couples are choosing to have different shapes like circles, octagons, and triangles. You can choose from a variety of materials like wood, acrylic or metal. You can consider using macrame for a boho look, or greenery and flowers.

Seating arrangements: How many guests are you considering hosting? You will need to take this into account when considering where and how they will seat during your ceremony. You can rent seats or arrange an informal setup like hay bales and planks. When considering the position of the seats for your wedding ceremony try to visit the space at the time when you are thinking of hosting your ceremony to see where the light falls. It is best for your guests and the photography on the day to have a shaded area.

The aisle:  you can get creative even if the ceremony is in a backyard. You can consider using plinths to mark the place where you will be walking, or you could also use flowers or ball jars with little tea candles inside of them.

Keep your guests comfortable: depending on the time of the year you decide to host your backyard intimate wedding then you can consider ways you can keep your guests comfortable, like offering them comfortable shoes for the after-party or blankets to keep warm if you are hosting it in the winter months.

3.- Hosting your intimate  reception:

This is a great option to consider reusing the ceremony space. To be able to achieve this you will need to have a designated helper that will be in charge of changing things around after the ceremony and before the reception starts. When you start planning it’s best to start with the part of the reception that is the most important for you: is it the dancing, is the sharing a meal together or is it sharing cocktails with friends?

Here is a list of the things you should keep in mind when you start planning your intimate backyard wedding:

·      Cocktail or sit-down meal? If you are going for a meal, then when and where will it be served?

·      Catering: will you have an external company coming to do the catering? Maybe you could have a food van? This is a great option to avoid the catering company using a ton of space.

·      Where is your bar area going to be?  Will the guests be able to access it? A great option for you to consider is a bar van or a mobile bar company.

·      Live music or DJ: either option will need to have a space to set up and to use their sound equipment, and they will need a power source.

·      When planning the layout of your event it’s best to have designated zones for each area and maybe you can consider letting your guests know by having signs for each zone.

4.- Who will be there to help you?

It takes a village to host an event even if you are great at planning and you have all the time on your side. This is a great opportunity to involve members of your extended family or friends that are keen to lend a helping hand. If you can’t find any helping hands around your family and friends or if they are all far away, then maybe you can consider outsourcing some areas by having different wedding vendors. When recruiting friends and family members to help you out, remember to show them your appreciation by considering having a gift like a bottle of gin or wine. Also remember to give clear instructions and expect things to go a bit different on the day just in case, remember they are all volunteering.

5.- Timing is everything:

Outdoor events are weather dependent so it would be wise to have a plan B and the option to have a tent or marquee in case of showers.

Depending on the time of the year you have chosen for your wedding day it is important to consider what the sun will be doing. If you have chosen summer, then it would be wise to consider an early morning or late afternoon for your wedding ceremony to stay away from the scorching midday temperatures. If you are considering the winter months then keep in mind that the sun will set early around 5pm in some parts of Australia. When planning your intimate wedding, try to keep in mind roughly where the sun will be at the time of your ceremony, you don’t want the sun to be right in your eyes when saying your vows to your partner.

6.- How will you make your space come alive? Everything about the Décor.

Hosting your own backyard intimate wedding can be intimidating at first, but it can also be a great opportunity to think outside the box and create something that truly reflects you and that is both meaningful for you and your partner as well as beautiful.

A good starting point is to choose a theme or a type of feel you want to give your day that will represent both of you. Some of the current styles are:

·       Urban modern

·       Rustic

·       Romantic

·       Vintage

·       Boho

·       Adventurous outdoor

·       Minimalistic

·       Classic

·       Religious

Other great questions to ask yourself when you are at this stage of your plans are: Do you have a colour palette you are going with? Do you want your wedding to turn around a physical element of the location: is it near the beach? Do you have a majestic tree nearby that is important to you? Would you like to include a feature of the house that is meaningful to you?

Some elements of décor to keep in mind are: Can you add additional lighting like festoon or twinkle lights? Do you need any extra landscaping to be done ahead of your wedding day?

7.- Consider your supplier: Wedding vendors

Now that you have an idea on what your décor will look like, it’s time to consider your suppliers:

Yes it will cost a bit more but the biggest benefit of having a supplier is: they have done this before, and they will do the transport and installation for you. You might think that you are better off doing it yourself, but the day is so full of events that it’s best if you concentrate on your partner and not if the chairs have been placed for the guests to be seated at the ceremony.

Some of the things you can consider renting for your backyard intimate wedding:

·       Specialty chairs like Tiffany

·       Lighting (festoon lights)

·       Tableware (napkins, cutlery, wine glasses)

·       Plinths (for the ceremony that can then be reused for the reception)

·       Dance Floor

Other suppliers that will make your wedding day easier:

·       Food truck or catering company

·       Portable toilets

·       Wedding day coordinator

·       Photographer and videographer

·       Florist

·       Dj or musician

·       Cleaner for the next day

·       Marquee or Tent

·       Mobile bar

This list is only an indication of everything that is available out there in terms of services. I would start with listing your priorities and also before discarding any services, keep in mind that within these vendors there are also options for more affordable packages and different options.

8.- We are nearly there! Keep in mind the Logistics:

In this case you will have to keep in mind the access points that you have to your space: if your ceremony will take place in the outdoor area: is there access through the outside of the house or is it only available from the inside of the house?

For most things like music, blender for the bar, extra lighting, microphones and amplifiers you will need electrical or a power source. Consider your options and if you need to hire a generator. Will you need to place your generator in a specific spot undercover in case it rains?

We have prepared a small set of items that we hope will guide you in your planning:

Insurance:

·       Check with your Insurance if you need a specific cover for the day of your event in case something happens

Council Permits:

·       Double check with your council the type of permits you need for your event. Depending on the size of your event you might need to contact your local council. Here is the Bayside event permit page.

·       When considering foodtrucks, double check with them if they need a specific permit to be able to park their truck in your street, or consider if they are able to use your driveway as a parking spot.

Electricity:

·       Asses power source for the day

·       Consider hiring generators for the outdoor area

·       Consider where the generator will be placed and if it needs to be undercover.

·       Asses safety precautions around electricity and possible wind.

Bathrooms:

·       Consider if you will need to hire portable bathrooms and where will these be placed. This will be important to be consider if you are using someone else’s backyard and they don’t want the guests to be walking all around the house looking for the bathroom.

Neighbourhood:

·       Consider your neighbours and your neighbourhood. When planning your backyard wedding you need to accept the limitations in terms of time of the day and noises.

·       To have the neighbours on your side, consider having a little present for them, you can hand deliver it to them and explain that you will be having your event. Be respectful of their wishes to make sure that your event successful

Parking:

·       Is your event in the inner city? What options do your guests have in term of parking?

·       If your event is Inner city and parking is very limited then consider adding parking information on your invitation or a “how to get there” section if they need to catch public transport.

·       If your event is in the country, then consider having some signs to guide them to the parking area.

The Weather:

·       Melbourne can be all kinds of unpredictable. Consider having extra weight bags if the wind predicted is going to be a bit more than normal.

·       Consider if you will need portable heaters if you are hosting your event in the colder months.

·       Consider having a marquee in case there is a downpour on your day.

9.- The afterparty and the CLEANUP:

Although your loved ones love you to the moon and back it’s best to avoid testing them by asking them to clean up after your epic party. Consider arranging a cleaning company especially if you are holding your event in a property that is not your own. Avoid having to worry about anything the day after your wedding day, and make sure that you can just lounge and relax the day after by contacting a cleaning company that will be able to leave everything spotless for you.

When touching base with your catering company, double-check with them what type of clean-up do they do and the same if you are renting cutlery and glassware.

10.- Recognition and Thank you for all of those helping hands.

You will most likely come across lots of helpful hands-on your wedding planning journey. It is important especially for your close family and friends as well as your vendors to recognize their efforts by making a small present to your loved ones and a positive review or thank you card to your vendors. You might be thinking “but they know already how grateful I am”, well believe me this small gesture can be all the difference between a sour moment in your relationship and a happy ending. Emotions run high on wedding days as well as stresses and unplanned events and accidents, I have seen many meltdowns and from my experience, most of these misunderstandings could have been avoided with some recognition and words of appreciation.

I hope that these planning tips are helpful and that they are able to guide you when considering your backyard micro wedding!

Did you find that I left something out? Leave me a comment to add it on my next guide!