Rent A Backyard For A Wedding: (7 Things You Must Know)

Rent A Backyard For A Wedding

Renting a scenic location, like a large, beautifully manicured backyard for your wedding, adds class and visual appeal to your event. A private yard may be the ideal solution since you can’t always book the local venues when you want them.

What is the best tip to know about renting a backyard for a wedding? I’ll teach you everything you need to know to negotiate with homeowners and have your dream outdoor wedding.

The best tip to know about renting a backyard for a wedding is to check the weather. Like all outdoor ceremonies, rain, cold or high heat can be problematic, but good scheduling and intelligent planning will help regardless of the forecast. When you check in advance, you’ll know if you need a tent so you can make space.

Can You Rent A Backyard For A Wedding

You can rent a backyard for a wedding, and there are even professional services that can help.

Some homeowners have intentionally made their yards into venues for ceremonies and parties.

However, you cannot rent every yard. Some people aren’t interested in the income regardless of what you offer.

Homeowners may not feel comfortable with strangers in their yard, especially since it often means sharing their private bathrooms.

Moreover, there’s the cleanup to consider and other logistical and planning concerns.

Still, there are plenty of gorgeous backyards, and many people are happy to let you have your special day on their property if the proposal is reasonable.

Rent A Backyard For A Wedding Near Me

Destination weddings are lavish but sticking near home and renting a backyard for a wedding near you is a smart way to get the most out of your budget.

Plus, you get a lot of fresh air, sunshine (hopefully), and space to spread out. Of course, it depends on the backyard and your planning skills.

Below, I cover the three biggest concerns; how much space you need, where you can find it, and what special preparations and costs you have for an outdoor wedding.

Deciding How Much Space You Need

Planning an outdoor wedding in a backyard is a beautiful way to spend your special day.

However, you need to make sure you have enough space. Tables, chairs, tents, the aisle, a stage, and maybe even a dance floor are all things you need room for—the size of your party and guest list matters.

The general rule of thumb is 6 to 10 square feet of floor space per guest for row-seating.

Consult with a wedding professional about hosting a big event on property and they will give you insight into the possibilities.

Where To Look

Finding your ideal backyard wedding space is going to take some work. Before you can plan anything, you need to find a suitable yard and convince the owner to allow you to rent it out.

Below is a quick list of 7 places to start your search.

  • Friends and Family
  • Neighbors
  • Air BNB
  • Ads for Venues Online or In The Local Paper
  • Ask A Wedding Planner
  • Large Estates, Ranches, and Farms
  • Scout Around

Backyard Wedding Costs

Traditional venues have their perks. For example, they may have grand sweeping staircases, parking lots, and a stage with a podium in place.

When you set up a backyard wedding, you need to cover all those things and more.

Here is a list of needs that are unique to outdoor weddings and the general prices where applicable.

  • Parking Permits – Your guests need to park somewhere. If you don’t want them towed. You need to apply to the city for parking permits. The fees for this vary.
  • Pest Control – Mosquitoes can wreck any event. You’ll have to arrange this with the homeowners’ permission, and the size of the space will drastically impact the cost.
  • Tents and Umbrellas – Shade, protection from the rain, and more should always be in the plan. You can rent or buy, but expect to spend at least $1000 to $5000 on tents and outdoor umbrellas for most weddings.
  • Dance Floor – A sturdy outdoor dance floor can make things much easier. According to Weddings Cost Helper, “For a 12×12 dance floor rental (generally recommended for a wedding with 100 guests), a typical price range is $215 to $325 depending on flooring type. Individual sections typically rent for $5 to $30 each.”
  • Stage and Podium – Traditional venues have stages and podiums, but you’ll probably need to rent one.
  • Heaters or AC – Outdoor heating or cooling may be necessary, depending on the weather. You can respect to spend upwards of $2000 on maintaining a decent temperature in a large event tent.
  • Generators – You’ll need lights and power for things like the podium microphone. A good generator can provide that, but it costs anywhere from $800 to $3000.
  • Outdoor Lighting – Always plan for lights. If it gets cloudy and overcast, or you plan to hold your reception in the same yard, then you’ll need strands of lights. These typically run $5-25 per strand and vary in length, so it’s important to measure your space first.
  • Restroom Trailer – Homeowners who rent you their yard are not generally also renting out their house. A restroom trailer is much nicer than a port-a-potty, and you can park it with a permit.

How To Rent A Backyard For A Wedding

Renting a backyard for a wedding is no more complicated than renting any other venue, except you may need to convince the owners to allow it.

The trade-off is that you probably won’t have to schedule a year in advance to get a spot on the waitlist.

Follow the steps below to rent the perfect backyard for your wedding.

1 – Locate The Yard You Like

To decide which yards you like, start with the guest list and space needs.

A rough estimate of how large the yard needs to be will help you narrow down the possibilities. Then it would be best if you went scouting.

Don’t be afraid to add stranger’s yards to your list, but always have a backup plan.

A single yard is not enough of a list to work from. Instead, think about all the options, check Air BNBs, and put together five or ten good options.

Rank them in order of desirability and functionality and start at the top of your list.

2 – Create A Plan and Proposal

Before approaching the owners with your idea, make sure you have an operational plan and a budget-based proposal.

You will most likely have to compensate people for using their yard, so check the going rates to rent similar event spaces in your area.

Then put together a plan for how long you need the space and where your power, parking, and toilet trailer will go.

3 – Talk To The Owners

When you or your wedding planner approach the yard’s owners, you should have everything planned well enough to answer their questions.

They will want to know if you expect to use their home as well, which is unlikely to be available unless your offer is very high or they know you personally.

Expect to explain the toilet trailer, who is doing your setup and cleanup, and where you will get dressed.

4 – Check The Weather

Weather is unpredictable, but at least you can have a general idea of what to expect. It probably won’t snow in the summer.

You need a tent and sufficient shade, plus warm or cool areas for guests if the weather is hot or cold.

Don’t forget to consider the wind, or you could suddenly end up with no tent.

5 – Have Caterers and Other Services Scout The Location

Anything you plan to bring in has to fit in your event space. Moreover, you will need to ensure there’s a way to reach the location.

Yards with large fences can be tricky. Arrange with the homeowners to have caterers, tent rental companies, and even the cleanup crew scout the site well before the wedding.

6 – Arrange for Setup

Decide how far in advance your caterers, tent rental company, and other services need to be on-site.

You also need to arrange this with the owners. Even if you plan to set up your own event tent, you still need to be courteous and sensible about scheduling.

Plus, you need permission to be on the property.

7 – Make Sure You Clean Up

Once the event is over, you need to ensure that any cleanup is already arranged.

Renting the space is not the same as renting the owner’s services as your private janitorial staff. Hopefully, there won’t be any problems.

However, if anything gets damaged or broken, pay for repairs or replacements before going on your honeymoon.

Helpful Tips To Know About Renting A Backyard For A Wedding

Renting a backyard for your wedding can provide the perfect scenery. You can arrange things, so it’s small and intimate or massive and sprawling easily because you get to pick the yard.

Here are a few more helpful tips to know about renting a backyard for a wedding.

  • Be a good guest. It may be your wedding, but you are still a visitor on the host’s property. Make sure that you and your party are well mannered while you are on-site and leave everything in good condition. Doing this will prevent problems down the road and maybe give another couple the chance to enjoy the same lovely yard in the future.
  • Having an outdoor wedding certainly has unique challenges, but there are some fantastic benefits as well. For example, the chances of guests getting ill from a virus is lower thanks to all that fresh air.
  • If you are getting married in a city or town, remember to check the noise ordinances. That way, you don’t disturb the neighbors or get a fine and have the police called to your wedding.

Final Thoughts

Backyard weddings are more popular than ever for numerous reasons but finding the right yard can be a little tricky.

Not every homeowner is willing to rent out space, and those who are can be in high demand.

Still, you can easily get the space you need with a little effort and maybe some help from friends, family, or a professional wedding planner.

Plus, you won’t have to worry about competing for major venues in your area. Make sure you plan as thoroughly as you would for an indoor traditional-venue wedding, and don’t forget to check the weather.

Drew Thomas

My name is Drew Thomas and I’m the creator of Fun In the Yard, your one stop site for all your outdoor games, sports, party activities, outdoor gear, and lawn & gardening tips.

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