Backyard Weddings During COVID-19
If you were planning to get married in 2020, you might be feeling pretty disappointed. Thanks to Coronavirus, all kinds of plans have gone out the window, especially ones involving large gatherings of people. But as the pandemic continues and we come to understand that things aren’t going to be back to normal anytime soon, a lot of couples are choosing to make lemonade out of the situation by having a backyard wedding.
Sure, it may not be what you originally imagined, but it has lots of advantages. And the best part is you’ll be married after, which is the important thing anyway, right? So in the spirit of working with what you’ve got, here is a guide to having a backyard wedding during COVID-19. It may just be the wedding you didn’t even know you were dreaming of.
Advantages of Backyard Weddings
Even if you weren’t initially considering it, you’ll find that having a backyard wedding is actually full of pros. Here are just a few.
Saving money. This pandemic has hit a lot of us hard financially, and weddings definitely aren’t cheap. Having your ceremony in your backyard saves you enormous amounts of money that you would have otherwise spent on a venue. Other savings come from having a smaller guest list, not having to use venue-specific vendors, and not needing to pay for transportation or accommodations.
It feels homey. Feeling comfortable and at ease on your wedding day is a perk well worth considering. Being at your home with all of your loved ones will allow you to feel relaxed and calm so you can focus on enjoying your special day instead of getting caught up in the production of it all.
Focus on what matters. In this uncertain time, a lot of us are realizing what’s really important to us: our loved ones, families, and friends. A lot of the time, big weddings get so crazy, your attention gets pulled in a million different directions and you lose sight of the most meaningful part of it all: celebrating your love with your partner and people close to you. When you strip down all of the craziness of a big venue wedding, you’re left with the things that really matter, and it’s all the more worthwhile for it.
Backyard Wedding Ideas
If you do decide to have a backyard wedding, know that it doesn’t have to be drab or boring. There are plenty of creative things you can do to make a backyard ceremony just as magical as any other. Here are some ideas to consider.
Move from a venue. Being that there is an international pandemic at all, a lot of pre-booked wedding venues will allow you to cancel your reservation. See if you can work with your vendors to re-scale and move things over to your backyard. It may require a bit of finessing and flexibility, but you’ll probably be able to repurpose most of what you’ve booked.
Go with the green flow. Flowers are a wedding classic and they look even more at home in a green backyard. You can take inspiration from your backyard surroundings and have a natural wedding full of trees, greenery, wildflowers, plants, and foliage.
Focus on lighting. If your wedding goes into the nighttime, consider using lighting as a decorative focal point. Twinkly lights, lanterns, and torches are all super atmospheric as well as functional.
Keep it cozy. Going along with the casual vibes, offer your guest shawls, blankets, and pillows for wrapping up in as temperatures drop in the night. You can even crank the coziness factor up to one hundred by having a bonfire.
At the end of the day, there’s no place like home. Getting your plans shaken up a little and pivoting to have a backyard wedding may even be more of a blessing than a curse. As long as you go with the flow, have a positive attitude, and focus on what really matters, you’ll have a beautiful and meaningful wedding.
Just make sure that you and your guests stay safe!