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Bringing it Home: The Joys of a Backyard Wedding

April 17, 2020
Jola Mulder, of Overijssel, is a wedding photographer for

Photo by: Jola Mulder, Overijssel, Netherlands

Oftentimes when people are considering a venue for their weddings, they search for a location away from home, whether that be ten minutes or ten hours, all just to find what they already have: a place that holds meaning for them, that feels comfortable, or that they find special and memorable. But what could hold more memory, meaning, and importance than your own home? For those looking for that perfect venue, it may not be any further than beyond your threshold.

Photo by: Cindy Brown, Georgia, United States

FAMILIAR GROUNDS

What’s nice about having a backyard wedding is the fact that in addition to being comfortable and memorable, they bring a heightened level of nostalgia to the ceremony. For many people, their homes are where they grew up, or maybe where they currently live and spent time with their partner. Since a wedding ceremony should be a celebration of your lives together, why not host it in a place that already carries so many important memories?

What’s more, you’ll always be reminded of your beautiful wedding ceremony every time you look out the window. Not many people get to say that, so not only does a backyard wedding make for a great story you can tell your future guests, but your special day will be truly unique and sentimental.

QUICK AND CRAFTY

Beyond sentimentality and nostalgia, though, a backyard wedding is perfect for the casual couple looking for an informal and intimate gathering. These kinds of weddings, because they take place at home, can be organized quickly and without much fuss while still being romantic.

Photo by: Indra Simons, Overijssel, Netherlands

This kind of wedding is also perfect for the crafters and DIY fans out there. You can customize and decorate your backyard however you’d like with no restrictions, but you can also take this chance to show off your crafting skills and really stamp your name on your at-home wedding. In addition to the money you’ll already be saving by getting married at home, using some DIY techniques will help you keep the wedding even more affordable.

Photo by: David Clumpner, Montana, United States

LET'S TALK SIZE

Having your wedding in your backyard allows you to keep it nice and small for the couple who wants to have a relaxed, private ceremony. You can keep it to a private ceremony for just the two of you, or have a small gathering of 10-50 guests. Just don’t forget to include your officiant, if required, and a professional wedding photojournalist.

Photo by: Benjamin Brette, France

Your backyard wedding will provide a beautiful, intimate scene, and the talented wedding reportage photographers of the WPJA are well-versed in capturing documentary-style photos that will leave you with beautiful, organic, un-staged memories from your special, personalized, backyard wedding.

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