Chances are pretty good that you haven’t planned a wedding before, right? Well, that’s why I’m here- to help you know all you need to know about weddings! But if you’ve decided to have your wedding at home, I’m not exactly an expert on at-home weddings, yet I still want you all to be informed! So I asked my friend Janice of Bellwether Events, and author of “The Elegant At-Home Wedding”, to share some excellent at-home wedding ideas with us today!   

An at-home wedding gives you the ultimate amount of flexibility to personalize your wedding day because there are no rules to follow. Want to play The Beatles at your ceremony? Do it! Want to toss rose petals? Toss away! Want to serve red wine all night long? You can! This lack of restrictions means you can customize every detail about your wedding day – and I encourage you to do so!

Welcome bag – This is not a new idea, but it is still a nice treat for your guests to receive a welcome bag when they check into the hotel for your wedding weekend. While I know it is easy to just go to Costco and buy a bunch of random snacks, I really recommend you filling the bag with items that are either local to where your wedding is and/or items that you and your spouse-to-be personally enjoy. You could also include a note about the history of the home where you are getting married along with the itinerary of the wedding day and weekend.

Shuttle bus hospitality – Some of you may not have enough space to park all the guests’ cars on site, so you may use shuttle buses to transport guests to the backyard reception. If this is a ride longer than 15 minutes, you could do a few things to make the trip more enjoyable. First, if the bus has TVs, you could make a video for your guests. Be it slideshow of photos or a narrated tour of the local surroundings, your guests will love it. You could also provide games to occupy their on the bus, like personalized crosswords, Mad Libs or word searches. And don’t forget a snack – bottled water with a custom label and small snack such as locally made trail mix, will be warmly received.

Welcome decor – As you know, it’s important to make a good first impression. And this doesn’t have to take up a lot of your decor budget. Balloons, streamers, flags, wreaths and bunting are all easy ways to dress up the space where your guests will arrive at the home. Take advantage of existing pieces at the home like urns or statues. Some of this can even be DIY-ed days before the wedding.

Guest Arrival – When your guests arrive they may need to drop off a gift or check their coat. Make sure your wedding team is ready for this. After guests have dropped off their gifts and coats, it’s time to put something back into their hands. If it is a hot day, this might be a ceremony program fan, a monogrammed parasol, or pair of fun sunglasses. You should also have drinks and possibly even a snack ready for your guests upon arrival. I encourage you to draw upon your personal favorites to make these details personal for your wedding. Do you prefer raspberry tea over lemonade or cucumber water? Serve it. Did your first date end with sno-cones? Offer those to your guests before the ceremony starts – they will never forget it.

Restrooms – I always encourage my clients to keep guests out of the house. Letting people into the home can lead to unpleasantness, so lock the doors and rent a restroom trailer. Make sure that you get a trailer big enough for your event – one stall per 50 guests is the minimum you need. I would recommend having one women’s stall and one men’s stall per 50 guests. You should set up appropriate amenities in the restrooms, like soap, lotion and nice hand towels. You can also set out extras like mints, bobby pins, or even a small first aid kit. Sunscreen and bug spray might also be appreciated. You should enlist your florist or landscaper to spruce up the entrances to the trailer with some large potted trees and shrubs. Don’t forget to hang some cute signs or banners on the doors!

Image by Kallima Photography

Landscape lighting – Unless you are hosting a brunch or a lunch, then the sun will set during your wedding, and guests will have to navigate the terrain in the dark. You will need to light the paths to the restrooms, valet station and catering area. Flood lights will work, but you can also take this opportunity to use some cute lanterns, luminaries or string lights.

Ceremony completion celebration – While I do believe that exchanging marriage vows is a serious and solemn occasion, your guests are ultimately there to celebrate. When it comes time to celebrate that first kiss and walk down the aisle, starting your new married life, you can give your guests something to toss like bird seed, petals, confetti or fabric poms. You can also give them something to make noise – bells, maracas and tambourines. All will keep up the celebratory tone that you are (probably) trying to create.

Music to set the tone –Take a little time to think about the music your entertainers will play. Most people do think about the ceremony processional and recessional songs, but put a little effort into the rest of the music as well. Pick either songs or a genre that are meaningful to you and use them to set the tone when guests arrive at the ceremony, when guests are entering the cocktail reception, and when guests are entering the dinner reception. And don’t forget to select the final dance of the night!

Bar Decor – My clients rarely have an unlimited budget for decor. So we have to make decisions and where to spend and where to save. I am a big proponent of spending your dollars in the place where your guests spend the most time. One spot that is often overlooked is the bar. All of your guests will visit the bar at least once, and you don’t need to do a lot to make it a little prettier. Maybe just a small arrangement at the two front corners, or a pretty garland hung in front. Don’t forget your bar menu, stir sticks or striped straws, and some personalized beverage napkins.

End of night surprises – You have multiple opportunities to keep the treats coming to your guests after dinner and dessert have occurred. There is the new trend of late night snacks. You can keep this sweet (milk and cookies) or savory (sliders and fries). You can also have the valet slip some treats into the guests’ cars when the guests depart. Or if you are using buses, you can place snacks on the bus – think gourmet popcorn and a mini bottle of soda .

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About the author: Janice Carnevale is the founder of Bellwether Events and the author of “The Elegant At-Home Wedding”. She relishes the opportunity to work with diverse couples who want to design a celebration that is a personal reflection of themselves. Over the years Janice has planned weddings in museums, gardens, galleries and hotels. But the weddings that are the most memorable are the ones she planned at private homes.

Go check out Janice’s e-book “The Elegant At-Home Wedding” and the special at-home wedding blog for even more tips and ideas!