Hosting Backyard Receptions and Weddings-the Little Touches that Make them Special

Some couples are fortunate enough to live in climates where backyard receptions are perfect venues for creating the dream come true fairytale wedding. And with some chic backyard wedding decoration ideas, your own back yard can come to life and be as beautiful as what you would see in any storybook wedding.
Themes for backyard receptions can be based on the season, favorite colors, favorite sports teams, just about anything you can imagine. Just use your imagination!

The first idea is to rent an arbor, if you don't already have one in your back yard. The arbor can be placed in the location of the yard where your guests will enter. The arbor can then be decorated with flowers, vines or even streamers and balloons in your color theme.

Backyard receptions and often follow backyard ceremonies, so if you're having your wedding ceremony at your home, followed by the reception, you can place a decorated arbor in front of the chairs and say your vows at the arbor. Decorated arbors make elegant backdrops for photographs too, especially if you're able to situate the arbor near trees or a garden.

Backyard Wedding Invitations
Invitations for backyard receptions and weddings can be handcrafted and more casual than sending out imprinted invitations made for you by a retailer. You would word the invitation the same as if you were having your ceremony at a church, and simply put the address of your residence in place of the address of the church.

If you're having your ceremony at your home too, then state that the "Outdoor Reception Immediately Follows the Ceremony," or "Our Outdoor Ceremony Will Be Immediately Followed by the Reception," to indicate that both events are being held in the same location - and that they're being held outdoors. This will allow your guests to plan accordingly for an outdoor event.

Decorating Ideas
Backyard wedding decoration ideas are actually easier than trying to decorate a banquet hall or even other outdoor locations like a park where you may be restricted as to what you're allowed to do. But in your own backyard, you can be a lot more creative.

For instance, if your yard has a fence or gateway, you can add streamers and balloons if you're going for a fun, casual and festive look, or simply drape some tulle around the fence and gate for a more sophisticated and elegant touch. You can add the same to tents or pavilions as well, if you've provided these in case of inclement weather.

Backyard Wedding Favors
Favors for backyard receptions should be fun and festive and coordinate with your outdoor wedding theme. Wedding favor bookmarks are an excellent idea for an outdoor wedding since you can coordinate them to your invitations and ceremony programs, and they've favors that guests will want to take home after the festivities are over.

Choices for wedding bookmark favors are outdoor garden scenes and flowers, or you can just choose background colors that match your theme and have a pretty verse and thank you message on them.

Other Necessary Guest Accommodations
Depending on where you live, you may not be able to ask your neighbors to make their bathroom facilities available to guests during the event. In that case, it may be an excellent idea to provide portable facilities.

If you rent portable bathrooms, make sure to locate them out of sight of the ceremony and reception areas, for instance on the side of house or behind a garage, away from the food too of course. You want your guests feeling comfortable about using a portable facility, especially if you've either made only one indoor bathroom available or you've decided to keep indoor facilities inaccessible during the event.

You can make your guests feel even more appreciated and comfortable about using the outdoor facilities by renting portable bathrooms that are equipped with a sink, towels and a liquid hand soap dispenser. You can also add some special touches by placing a scented air freshener inside the facility and some hand lotion or waterless hand sanitizer.

The Little Touches Enhance Backyard Receptions
If you're really handy and have planned well ahead of time, you can build a wooded enclosure to house a portable bathroom and place a decorated sign on the outside indicating that the little addition next to the house is the rest room. Then place a twig and flowered wreath on the outside as well.

Make sure the outer door locks from the inside and place a small table just inside for women to sit their handbags while they're inside.

If you've made your indoor guest bathroom available, add a little extra decor with a small bowl of dried lavender with some hand lotion on the counter. Place a small vase on the counter with some fresh cut flowers from your garden and have hand towels that are in your wedding theme colors.

Backyard Reception Menus


If you're having your reception catered or you're having family provide the food, use your computer and create a menu to be placed at each table setting. You can add an extra touch by laminating the menus, punching holes in the top and tieing ribbon or tulle to the menus.

Backyard receptions can last into the evenings, so having citronella lamps strategically placed around the yard and citronella candles on the tables will add a beautiful evening glow to the affair as the sun goes down while providing some relief against nighttime flying insects as the festivities wear into the later evening.



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Backyard Wedding Ideas

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