3 Tips For Hosting Your Wedding At Home

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Wedding At Home

When couples imagine their wedding they usually think of sprawling grounds and church hall services, but that isn’t always necessary or even the best way to stage a ceremony. More and more couples choose to get married from the comfort of their own homes. This can be a cost cutting measure, but it also makes for a more intimate, friendly service.

#1 Decide where you’ll actually get married

Even if the bulk of the day is taking place at your home, you still have the option of getting officially married in an external venue. Some couples choose to do this with a small number of guests at a church and then head back home, others opt for a registry office. There’s no right or wrong answer, and it all depends on how you envisaged your big day. It’s even possible to bring a wedding official to your home and have the entire ceremony performed there. This option is cheaper than you might imagine and saves the hassle of having your guests commute between venues.

If you choose to stage the whole ceremony at home, then it’s useful to divide the house into different areas. You might, for example, choose your most luxurious room for the ceremony, arrange some seating and then have the reception in the garden. The upstairs rooms can be used for getting changed and putting on makeup, freeing up the downstairs areas for guests.

#2 Get the catering right

The biggest advantage of an external wedding venue is usually that the catering is taken care of for you. If you’re holding the wedding at home, then you’ll have to deal with that yourself. Always compare prices between catering services and make sure that they understand the layout of your home and the unique demands of your event. Unless your house is particularly large, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to provide a full three course meal, so canapés and snacks (usually in the garden) are your best option.

The bar is another area of interest. While it’s possible to ask guests to bring their own drinks, you can give your event a classier feel by hiring private bartenders. These will take care of mixing and serving drinks to your guests. External bar staff simply help the day to run more smoothly and mean that you won’t have to worry about the flow of alcohol!

#3 Manage the guest list 

It’s tempting to invite as many people as your home can fit, but also take into account other factors. Guests will need somewhere to park, they’ll all need chairs and some might even need places to sleep if they’ve travelled a long distance for the special day. This all takes up space and requires some logistical planning. 

You can save additional space by dividing the guest list into those attending the ceremony and those only coming to the reception. Family will make up a large portion of the list (and there are sure to be difficult choices!) but consider extending the wedding period over several days. Not everybody who you know needs to attend on the day, and you might be able to stage separate events for more distant friends.