Hosting your wedding at home

[Juneisgreen]

Would you do it - Yes or no?

I can't find the 'right' venue and now think staying at home might be the perfect solution. We have a nice garden and a lovely view so could have a marquee and seating Outside. I've seen a place that will come and do catering and drinks.

Am I mad in thinking this is a good way to do it?

I don't know where to hold it either. There are so many options, but none seem particularly suitable. If there aren't many guests, I think having it at home could be a unique experience.

This is the ideal way to do it if you can. Do the legal bit separately and have a lovely celebrant instead.

The biggest practicalities to consider is parking and portaloos (all dependent on guest numbers).

I found the venue hire the most expensive bit, doing it at home gives you so much freedom and if you get decent caterers/marquee hire they'll be able to guide you through other practical things you need to consider.

We have a small holding and I thought about it. But you have to think about parking, seating, crockery and glasses as well as food, extra toilets, outdoor lighting, entertainment and decorations. Insurance. It quickly becomes expensive. We only had 25 people to our daytime part of the wedding, so we went home for champagne, nibbles and photos before going to a local restaurant for a meal, then a local hall for the big evening party for 200.

maybe see if a local farmer would rent you a field to put a marquee on - then you have space for everyone to be inside if the weather is bad and also you’ll have space for parking etc. I live on a farm so had my wedding at home and it was easy to organise.

I don't know where you live, but in England you can only get married in licensed venues. You could have a party/celebration at home, of course, if you wished!

Sounds lovely. I have been to several wedding receptions held in the garden of the bride or groom’s parents, with a marquee. All really nice. They did have caterers which I think you’d want to save yourself stress!

One couple also had a humanist ceremony in the garden, it wasn’t legal of course so they went to a registry office for the legal wedding.

You don't need insurance , outdoor lights , decorations or entertainment

For up to 40 people a single house toilet will be enough

Sainsburies rent glasses - pay for breakages

I did it at home or at least at my mum's home. We only had a small garden and a fairly small house, so it was quite crowded, but as it happened it was a glorious day and people could sit out in the garden. We were young and really hadn't considered the logistics too much. I did most of the catering and made the cake (which was pretty good if I say so my self!). Everyone seemed to have a good time, we did a couple of toasts, and fairly informal short speeches, just a party after the wedding really. A mixture of relatives and friends a day to remember. I don't regret not paying a fortune for a proper reception, not that we even considered it.

We had our reception at home after getting married in a local church. There were around 40 of us, we hired a marquee and got caterers in. Bought all the drinks ourselves and asked people to bring any other drinks they wanted. Only used the downstairs toilet although not a problem as far as I remember. We had a disco in the evening and everyone was invited for the whole day and evening.

It meant my sister's children (4 and 1 at the time) could go to bed there and i think everyone enjoyed themselves - we certainly did :)

The house was pretty isolated (we were renting a quite large detached house with a large garden) and I'm glad the weather was good as although we could all have fitted in the marquee it wouldn't have been as nice.

We did it and it really wasn't that difficult. Legals never occurred to us. People seem to have found ways to park.

(And plenty will arrive by taxi or together.)

Well, you can't have the legal ceremony there. But after sounds good

My cousin did this, it was lovely! They had the legal wedding beforehand with just them and a couple of witnesses but also had a wedding style ceremony at home followed by a reception.

So your marriage isn't legal?

I've been to a few marquee garden weddings and they've been fab.

You can't actually get married at home (unless you're licensed as a wedding venue) but holding your reception at home sounds like a lovely idea.

Obviously you will have people trapsing through your house to go to the loo and there will be quite a lot of clearing up afterwards as well as preparation beforehand. So do bear that in mind.

Be mindful of the neighbours as well as there will be a lot of cars descending on your road.

Sounds lovely - I’ve been to a few weddings in parents back gardens. They’ve all hired outdoor loos so no one had to go into the house & agree it’s worth thinking about where everyone would park.

If you’ve got neighbours close by then maybe think about a silent disco in the evening ??

And definitely make sure you’ve got family & friends who are up for helping set up and then clear away the next day

@longdistanceclaraclara oh no, a special non legal one just for us 🤣

Totally agree - so much choice but nothing quite perfect. I hope you find your dream venue soon.

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts.

Yes it would be non-legal. We could do the legal paperwork before or after.

We would have enough space for everyone to park and would probably arrange taxi vans for DHs (large) family who live 30 minutes away.

Our house is detached and we have no neighbours. The family that live closest would be invited too.

There will be a lot of children and I am thinking to make it more enjoyable all round we could probably have an earlier than usual start and end time. I was at a wedding like this before and it was fantastic. I was thinking we could have taxis to collect people at 11pm.

Portaloos would .definitely be needed

I have a call with an event planner tomorrow who does marquees and catering so I will price it up but I am starting to thing this will be the best option for us.

Just be sure you have a set up that works if it rains… it’s the UK I assume!

I’m a country girl and going to the local church followed by a wedding breakfast/party at home is how most people do it. The only people who hire venues, do so because they/their parents don’t have the space to host at home.

Some are still quite four weddings and a funeral but others are like little festivals with street food vans and different ‘venues’.

It's easy to hire garden furniture, portaloos, cutlers and crockery if needed. If you order the alcohol from somewhere like Majestic they will usually include glass loans and you only pay for any breakages.

Go for it!

11pm might be a bit early if everyone is having a good time. You could have fireworks.

I got married years ago but if I was to get married again then I would definitely have at home/garden wedding.

Congratulations OP and have a fantastic time planning and on the day. Keep us updated

Ireland so similar weather. Will definitely be opting for fully enclosed marquee. Last July was a total washout here!