Top 10 Tips to Getting Married at Home
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An at-home wedding can be a wonderfully personal celebration, but it requires a lot of advance preparation. Read our Top 10 Tips for getting married at home before taking the next step in your wedding planning process!
A wedding at home is a lovely, personal event that can sound simple enough, but as Steve Martin learned in Father of the Bride, it’s a little more involved than you may think. Whether you’ve contracted a private estate for the day or you’re saying “I Do” under your childhood tree house, keep in mind some important residential rules to weddings.
1. Cost
Can you afford it? A private estate wedding is typically more expensive than a hotel wedding, though there are exceptions. If you pay for a home rental, spend no more than 20% of your budget on that rental. Regardless of the property you pick, be prepared to bring in tables, chairs, extensive lighting, flatware, glassware, china, possibly restrooms, and more - all the elements that come pre-packaged in a hotel event.
2. Curfew
Most residential areas have a 10pm amplified music curfew. Talk to your city to determine if this applies to you. If it does, then at 10pm the music stops (as does the party), or sometimes it can go acoustic, or goes with you to an offsite after party.
3. Parking
Permits may be required for you to park guest cars on the streets. Bonded valet and enough staff may also be required or recommended for an easy flow of traffic. If your street doesn’t have enough parking, consider paying a nominal fee to rent a nearby parking lot (at a school, church or closed business) and shuttle your guests to and from the home.
4. Indoor/Outdoor Use
If you are contracting a private home, you may only be contracting the outside of the property. Find out if you are allowed to use the interior of the home for restrooms, event space, photo ops, a dressing area for the bridal party, or a wedding night suite for you and your groom. Typically a private estate rental does not include the use of the interior of the home, so make sure you know what you’re getting with your contract.
5. Kitchen Space and Restroom Use
Determine if the homeowner will allow the caterer to use the kitchen to prep, prepare, and plate the meal. If you are given access, speak to your caterer to determine if the space is big enough and equipped to fit their needs. You may be asked to incur the added expense of building a mobile kitchen onsite, so factor that into your budget in advance if needed. Or speak to your caterer about preparing the food offsite to save on expenses. The ideal situation is to always prepare the meal fresh on location, but you may not have that option.
For restrooms, determine if you are allowed use of the home’s restrooms, and if you are, determine if there are enough for your size of event. You may be required to bring in mobile restrooms for your guests.
6. Party Permits
You are likely going to be required to purchase a special events permit. Speak to the homeowner and ask for documentation to ensure that their permit is in good standing or determine if one needs to be purchased. And if one is in existence, check to see if the home is subject to a limited number of events per year, and make sure your event falls under that number.
7. Insurance
Always insure your event. If you are contracting a home, this will be a requirement. Make sure you’ve got enough insurance to cover damage, liability, and any other additional precautions. Typically you can add a rider to your homeowner’s policy for the event. Get in writing from the homeowner what your liability is for cleaning the site, and potential damage and repair of the venue. Are you responsible for wear and tear of the grass, cleaning up cigarette butts, and so forth, or just for possible disaster scenarios?
8. Electricity and Flame
Speak to your rental company, entertainers, and caterer to determine if you will need to bring in a generator to accommodate the event’s power needs. Speak to the Fire Marshal and determine if you are allowed open flame at the event or if you are required to show fire certificates for fabric draping and other possible flammable materials. The Fire Marshal may show up to inspect your event, so make sure well in advance that your design is within their guidelines and keep copies of all permits, certificates, and insurance policies on hand and close by with your wedding planner or a trusted relative.
9. Have a Back Up Plan
Put in place a weather contingency plan to tent, relocate, or redesign any portion of the event that may be affected by adverse weather conditions or an unforeseen loss of the home.
10. Know the Owner and Get it in Writing
Ask for legal documentation and proof that the contractor, owner or employee has the right to rent the space. Get in writing this information, as well as a guarantee that the home will not be sold or under construction before or during the time of your event. Also, get in print the time that you are allowed to begin prep for the event and when the cleanup must be complete, the maximum number of guests you are allowed to bring onsite and any and all other policies or parameters that may effect your wedding.
Follow this guide when getting started with your at home wedding and you’ll be fully informed, prepared, and prepped for that picture perfect private estate event. Then bring in a responsible event planner to protect you on the day of and all the elements will fall into place for your fabulous Father of the Bride fete.
