Garden party for reception?

[Mummysharkdoodoodoo]

Has anyone done this? Wedding party is less than 20 so we thought about having a little summer garden party with food & drinks. Blankets and cushions on the floor, relaxed type thing!

We don’t have much seating so it’s only the really option. Most of the guests are my dps friendship groups who are quite hippy so they won’t mind at all 😂

[PotteringAlong]

What are you going to do if it rains?

[Ragwort]

Yes, I did that over 35 years ago, we did have a large marquee (scout tent ), fortunately it was a lovely sunny day ............... I thought it was lovely and informal. My (ex) MIL thought it was really poor show .

[Mummysharkdoodoodoo]

It’s in the end of July so fingers crossed it doesn’t! 😂

[Laska2Meryls]

We did for our small RO wedding many years ago now . We put up 2 Gazebos which we decorated ourselves ( the Dcs did actually ) with flowers ribbons and balloons and as many garden chairs as we could gather from friends in our suburban back garden . It was July and turned out really hot and sunny so the Gazebos were appreciated.

We served buffet type food (all bought from Waitrose and prepared ourselves with the help of MIL in the morning before we went ) and most drinks indoors , but french windows were open so easy access for people to wander in and out with plates and glasses . Played some music from our sound system through speakers outside (not too loud!)

We also got a couple of new dustbins and filled with ice (from supermarket in the morning ) and white wine /fizz/ beer / soft drinks ) ..

Married at 11.30 in RO 5 miles away and , everyone was back for buffet lunch by 12.30 and lots of people were people still there in the evening!! Several of our neighbours popped in later on with bottles (and we had tons of food!).

DH and I opened a final bottle of fizz in the garden at midnight after everyone gone and DCs and MIL who was staying over also, were in bed and sat there in the garden with the cat , going 'Heck! we are married' !!

[Hollowvictory]

We hired hay bales and out blankets on them

[Laska2Meryls]

oh and we stung up some lights also

[PotteringAlong]

It’s in the end of July so fingers crossed it doesn’t! 😂

In all seriousness, that can’t be your plan. So if you have no contingency for it tipping it down then I think it’s a foolhardy idea.

[Hollowvictory]

We had a gazebo and enough room inside to accommodate everyone if it rains. It's quite normal for it to rain in July in the UK. Last year was an exception.

[Celebelly]

I'd definitely make sure you have a gazebo or something. It would be miserable if it rained and there was no cover.

We are planning on getting married this year and doing a similar thing - hiring a small marquee to have in my parents' garden. It's not that expensive. Try your local scout group!

[Mummysharkdoodoodoo]

I will have a look, we have enough room for inside if needed :)

[Mummysharkdoodoodoo]

I think I’m going to see how the weather if a few days before hand, then if it’s bad I’m going to get a gazebo. Fingers cross it won’t be! I’m going to hire some hay bales too if weather is good!

[BluetonicIvy]

Yes we had a garden party reception. Got married in the registry office at 1pm and then everyone came back to ours. Bought loads of buffet food and one of our friends made some hot food, big pan of curry, chicken wings etc and we also did a bbq. We bought all the beer and wine and just asked people to bring a bottle if they wanted anything else. Our garden is just average size but we managed to put up 3 gazebos (borrowed off friends and family) and as many tables and chairs as we could get (also borrowed) so that most of the garden was covered and there were plenty of places to sit. I got loads of cheap fairy lights and bunting off amazon and put flowers in jars all around and it looked really lovely. In the end the weather was kind to us (August) and we had a lovely day. The party went on until the early hours and everyone said they had a great time!

[Atalune]

Your wet weather plan is a gazebo?!

This is the uk. You could anything from floods to a heatwave. A gazebo will do duck all in both.

Garden party- lovely idea but you need a piper wet weather plan and some seating would be nice.

[dietcokemegafan]

You need a proper wet weather plan. I got married in July and it was cold and tipping it down all day. A gazebo won't cut it.

[user1474894224]

Lovely idea. Enjoy every second. All go inside if bad weather.

[DonPablo]

We threw a 40th birthday party at the end of July a couple of years back. The weather was glorious until 7 when it chucked it down. We were grateful for the massive gazebo with sides that we'd put up!

We bought hay bales, there was a bouncy castle for the kids and a paddling pool full of orbeez (those gel balls that expand in water) and rugs and various stations.

We had giant Jenga, giant pick up sticks, and the food was huge bowls of pasta salads, quiches, pizzas and samosas. The drinks station was just buckets of ice, one for larger, one for wine, one for tonic and one for soft drinks. Loads of lemon and lime cut up and a variety of plastic glasses.

It was actually quite a lot of work, but we partied until the small hours and had a blast.

Just have a wet weather contingency plan!

Congratulations, you'll have a wonderful time!