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Picture of a marquee, a tipi and views of the insid looking out to a garden

Venue View: A Gorgeous Garden Wedding

Anyone who knows someone with a big back garden has considered the merits of using it for a party at the very least, but what about hosting a wedding?! Let's have a look at some of the pros and cons of doing just that…

Pro 1 - Your venue, your choice

By its very nature a garden you own, or owned by family/friends, is not tied to any particular set up, suppliers or otherwise. Want a yurt instead of a marquee? Then go for it. Want 5 different food trucks? Why the heck not (space allowing). Even quite small spaces can accommodate a marquee, which you can then decorate however you want.

Con 1 - how friendly are your neighbours?

Assuming you live close enough to worry about it, will your neighbours be invited or at least warned about it. If not, and you're not on speaking terms, they could try to get your party shut down. Invite them along, get them on board and you should be fine, just aim to finish at a reasonably friendly time rather than going on all night!

Pro 2 - hire someone elses garden

Did you know that there are 'venues' out there that are basically blank canvases for you to build from the ground up (see Borrow My Garden link below). Again, you chose what manner of set up (marquee, tipi, etc), how you decorate it, what suppliers you bring in, and most importantly, you should get a good couple of days before hand to do it all so no on-the-day panics (in theory!).

Con 2 - you need to organise EVERYTHING!

Well you would if you didn't bring in someone like me ;-). The choice really is yours, whether you visit wedding fairs or Google it all, you'll need to do the research. Read reviews, get recommendations, go on supplier finding sites like Bridebook. Make a shortlist of who you like the sound of and meet with them - I really can't emphasize this one enough, meet them in person (even by Skype), not just by email.

Pro 3 - save time and potentially money

Using your own garden, means no time-consuming trips to venues trying to find 'the one', no travelling here there and everywhere for meetings (get the suppliers to come to you!). Aside from the cost of travelling to your various meetings, you can shop around your suppliers so you can look for the best deals (not necessarily just the cheapest supplier!) and order what you need rather than minimum quantities that are often set by venues. PLUS, no venue hire fees for doing it in your garden!

Con 3 - the clean up

If you're hosting your reception at your home or in a blank canvas field/garden, the clean up will be your responsibility. You may need to recruit friends and family to help you with this, but you could instead hire in a cleaning company to do the hard work for you. Or someone like me who will be there on the night keeping things tidy (collecting up glasses and plates etc); with bin bag and head torch, I can stay as long as you need me.

Your wedding, Your way is fully achievable when using a non-traditional venue like a garden or field.

So long as the space is big enough to accommodate what you need and you can work out where everyone will park, you should be able to enjoy a fantastic day X