You can have a beautiful Backyard Fall Wedding on a Budget too!
Planning any wedding is stressful but planning a wedding during a global pandemic and widespread shutdown is beyond chaotic. But that is just what we did. We started planning our wedding before the world knew what COVID19 was. A few short months after placing our initial deposits the rules on gathering and masks mandates went into effect. Just like that we lost our initial venue and the money we put down as a deposit.
Two more failed venues and we were mentally and emotionally drained. We knew we were going to get married and that is all that truly mattered. But deep down we wanted a way to commemorate with our closest friends and family nearby. We had talked about a backyard wedding but, at the time, we were renting a house and the backyard was not suitable. We were just about to give up on our dream wedding.
That is when an amazing friend stepped up and offered her backyard as a venue. We would help them update the yard and they would graciously host our wedding. Now the fun begins. We had our venue and it was time to start the planning process to make it perfect. I won’t sugarcoat it, it was still stressful but not overwhelming.
After months of planning and preparing, I can honestly say I wish we would have just done a backyard wedding from the beginning. Losing a lot of money on deposits initially, we aimed to keep our wedding as cheap as possible. We created most of our decorations, aisle and so much more. We were able to have our dream backyard fall wedding on a budget and you can too!
Disclosure: I write about items, places and activities that I or my family have personally used and try to link those items or similar in my posts. Clicking a link sometimes leads to an affiliate link for which I receive a small compensation. At no point does this increase your costs!
We decided to have as close to a sunset wedding as possible for these lanterns and lighting alone. We loved the way it looked and knew it would be perfect for pictures. All you need is about 5-7 lanterns per side spaced evenly apart. The lanterns were purchased on sale from a craft store. The Shepard’s hooks were from amazon as well as the battery operated string lights. All in all it gave a beautiful ambiance!
Utilizing the space you have is imperative when planning a back yard wedding. A dance floor is also essential which makes the covered patio the perfect spot to get low.
Placing everything you want at your wedding is possible with some strategic planning. It will take a lot of rearranging, trial and error, and test runs but rest assured it is possible, even for smaller yards.
If children will be at your wedding it is always in everyone’s best interest to have some things for them to do. A fall wedding is perfect to set up a mini pumpkin decorating station. Throw in a few yard games, some arts and crafts and even a candy jar or two and the kids will be entertained for hours.
The groom, pictured below, wore jeans with a dark brown vest and burnt orange tie. While the ring bearers wore jeans with dark brown suspenders and you can’t forget the cowboy boots. As far as boutonnieres go, you can easily create your own with some fake flowers and some floral tape.
Making an arch is easier and potentially cheaper than it looks. It is for sure cheaper than renting our buying one. We used an old swing set we tore down and scrapped some wood from. Added a little cloth and some flowers and we had the perfect arch.
Our colors were based on having a fall wedding, with a rustic feel and a touch of elegance. Burnt orange was the main color and it was also the color of choice for the bridal party. Flowers brought in the deep green, wine red, and your blue/grays. The groom and ring bearers brought in the darker browns. It all meshed together perfectly.
Tables and chairs are easy to rent for a decent price. If you get white chairs, covers are not necessary. Add some EZ ups for potential weather changes and you are set.
For decorations going simple is often times just as elegant. For the table tops purchasing rolls of burlap and cutting them to droop over the edges works perfectly. Paint mason jars your color of choice, add a few flowers, tie a bow and there you have it. Simple, easy, cheap and adorable center pieces.
Chalkboards work perfectly for almost any wedding but specifically a rustic wedding. You can write a simple note or just initials and the date.
All pictures are thanks to the wonderful Austin Miller of AustinMillerPhotography
