In the wake of COVID and a mass scramble to reschedule and rethink the wedding business, I have seen more and more couples opting for small scale celebrations and backyard weddings. Now, if you originally wanted a lavish and grand experience for your wedding day, you may be feeling bummed out. It likely feels like you have to compromise your dream celebration for one that is low-key and less fun… but honestly, done right, backyard weddings can be SO memorable, SO beautiful, and the perfect solution to your dilemma.

First of all, you or a loved one already owns the venue. The money you will save by saying your “I Do’s” in your backyard can be put right back into your wedding and allow you to really “dress up” your event more than you previously could (nicer linens, better food, cooler decor, the sky is almost the limit here). But, if you still are uncertain that a backyard wedding can give you just as many options as an off-site wedding can… well.. let me just share some of my past weddings with you.

Starting off with the smallest of small-scale, a backyard elopement:

First things first, Bruna’s green wedding dress was probably my favorite part about this wedding. A sure-fire way to get me amped up about your big day is to break tradition, if I’m being honest. The other super cool thing about Bruna and Farrah’s elopement was that Bruna had sentimental ties to the blue shutters on their house, as it reminded her of her childhood home. It was also super quiet and intimate.

If you’re looking for a larger shindig as inspo, then you might want to take a look at Melissa and Geoff’s backyard wedding:

Melissa and Geoff just wanted a celebration with their friends and family. They were excited to get married and wanted to have fun in doing so, and so that’s what they did! The best part about a backyard wedding: not having to worry about getting everyone out by a certain time!

But maybe you want to see some more rustic backyard weddings? Well, Brian and Chelsea may not have gotten married in their backyard, but did have their reception there and it was perfect:

This wedding was so fun, so laid back, and everyone truly enjoyed being there. Isn’t that kind of what we all want in a wedding? One where everyone wants to hang out longer and no one is yawning and itching to leave? AND can we talk about the cute poms and twinkle lights decor? Super cute, super unique, and super special.

Last on my list of examples, is a backyard wedding with live music, TONS of dancing, and some dang good food from Mean Bird.

Pro’s to a backyard wedding: no curfew (party all night!), no sprinkler policies, get whatever food you want (and dude, that food truck was one of my fave wedding meals… just saying), and the ability to make your wedding uniquely yours.

I literally adored Sean and Kate’s wedding. It was fun, it was big, it was beautiful. But the coolest part was being around so many musicians and seeing them play throughout the night and watching the guests get super hyped about it! So if I could encourage you in two things: have that backyard wedding and invite all your musician friends!

Real Backyard Weddings to Inspire Your Celebration