Plan a seamless Private Property wedding

Four years ago I wrote a blog post about how to plan your backyard celebration. I considered simply updating the post versus writing a whole new one, but I do love looking back and reminiscing. While many things remain the same, some are inherently different. For instance, in my backyard celebration blog I mentioned potentially getting a tent, and saying “they can be cute”. I cannot believe people ever did not have tents outside. But I’ve planned them, I’ve been to them. I’m so glad I no longer have to convince couples to rent a tent.

One consistent theme of private property weddings is the work. They’re work. They’re a lot of work. But through much trial and error, missteps and successes, we’ve (humbly) become experts here. So read on if you want to feel set up for success.

Determine a layout and base it on your tent location.

For your tent, you’ll need a flat surface. No hills. I cannot stress enough that you don’t want hills where people are sitting. I’ve had couples fully landscape and level out their property simply to avoid wobbly tables and chairs, people falling and a wonky dance floor. Avoid septic or water line areas. As much as you possibly can, avoid rock as well. Unfortunately, much of our local land here has rock/bedrock underneath the ground, making it hard to to drive stakes in. Tent companies will want to know if this the case and they’ll likely charge you more for the additional time and labour it will take.

Rent a tent for your caterer.

Ask them what they need, they’ll tell you. A 10x20 is usually just fine, but it’s important to ask. There tent will be no more than 20ft from the reception tent, so consider this while you’re noodling on your layout.

Ceremony tent?

Commonly if rain hits, guests will sit in their dinner seats and you’ll create a makeshift aisle and spot to marry under your large tent. If you don’t love the idea, a ceremony tent it is, just in case. 

Create a rain / weather plan.

This isn’t just for your ceremony, but for everything. Does your reception tent come with sides in case of torrential downpour, intense wind or a cold evening? Should you rent an additional tent for the lawn games you were hoping to play? Assure you have tarps, they’re always handy on rainy wedding days. Prepare so guests and vendors don’t freeze or get poured on while they’re sitting to eat, but also remember that your guests are grown ups, they’ll check the weather and they know it’s outside. So no need to go overboard and buy 100 clear umbrellas you’ll just get stuck with. You can also rent tent heaters. We’ve only done it once, but it was the right move. Stay open to it!

Get a tent permit.

Your tent company will guide you in the process if they’re local. If they’re not, call the county you’ll be married in and ask for direction. It’s simple, but it can cost from $50-$250 depending where you are.

Obtain Party Liability Insurance.

And potentially a Special Occasions Permit. If it’s a cash bar, you need an SOP, if not, make sure your caterer has a catering endorsement and is the one serving the alcohol. If you need more guidance, check your county and ask what their rules are. Visit PAL or another party liability insurance company to be walked through how to protect yourself here as well.

Provide shade.

You’ll have the tent for dinner and dancing, but if you have a DJ/ musician for your ceremony, make sure they have some shade provided. They’ll be set up long before your guests arrive and their equipment will need protection. Ask them what they prefer. The ceremony is short enough for guests to wear their shades and scurry over to cocktail hour, so don’t worry about that. For cocktail hour, make sure it’s located where there are at least some trees for guests to stand under.

HAVE A BUG PLAN.

Plan for the worst. Periodt.

Check noise ordinances + tell your neighbours.

Be sure that if you’re surrounded by homes, you check the county’s noise ordinance. Plan the end of your celebration according to that and tell your neighbours you’re having a wedding and when it will end. If you’re in the country and have neighbours a short drive away, make sure you let them know you’re having a wedding and what time you plan to party until. Bring them wine. They’ll be appreciative.

Provide lighting.

Light the pathways to the washrooms, parking lots and anywhere you want to be accessible when dark hits.

Rent Toilets.

Some companies require water, all will require power. Ask them, they’ll tell you what they need.

Rent generators if there isn’t access to ample power.

Your DJ / band, caterer, toilet rental company will absolutely need power. Along with the generators, rent extension chords. You can do this through Home Depot or Battlefield, check your area for local options. Get the quietest generator you can. If you have a DJ for the ceremony, the generator will turn on and off when the speakers turn on, it’s something to be mindful of for placement. As long as you get the quietest ones with some very long extension chords, you should be good to go.

Enlist someone to fill the generators with gas.

Get a lot of gasoline in a spare gas can. Enlist a friend/owner of the property to refill at some point in the night. It isn’t the responsibility of a vendor. You don’t want the DJ/Band to stop playing mid party or the food to not be able to cook, so a refill is necessary.

Shuttles.

Assuming you’ve reserved hotel blocks and you’re providing a shuttle. Make sure it’s easy for the shuttles to navigate the property and turn around. Signage for that may be required. 

Signage.

Depending how vast the property is, signage may be required. It’s likely that you’ll need parking, ceremony and washroom signs at the bare minimum.

Rent/provide trash cans and recycling. AND make a plan for how you’ll dispose of the waste.

Caterers will need garbage cans if they’re not bringing their own and so will your bar. Having a couple spread (but hidden) around the property isn’t a bad idea anyway. Less opportunity for people to just toss it on the ground, which, surprisingly enough, they do. Recycling that is clearly marked is also important. You’ll want to figure out if the caterer is taking the garbage and recycling with them, or if they expect you to do it, but it certainly should be a question asked to the caterer and bar!

Ceremony Chairs.

Someone has to move them from ceremony to reception and it’s a big task which will require many hands. You can ask your guests to each take their chair, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, check with your caterer, they often will staff and do this. OR consider ordering double the chairs and the ceremony chairs will stay there until you’re ready to move them the next day. 

Remember, YOU are the venue.

Your family or someone you designate will have to do the landscaping beforehand, fill the generators on the day of, and clean up the day after. When the rental company delivers all your items, they’ll set up the tents and leave the rest to you. Large set up items like tables and chairs or wine barrels/cocktail tables you rent will be your responsibility to set up. If you’ve hired a coordinator or planner, they’ll place table linens and all the decor, so it should be in place for them according to the layout. That is unless you’ve hired a production company or a planner with many helpers - check with them!

Hire extra hands if the extra responsibilities overwhelm you.

Private Property weddings are worth all of that work, I promise you. Getting married on a family property that holds meaning to you and being able to look back at photos for years to come and reflect on the memories as you visit the property is incredibly special. Just make sure to follow all of this advice and do yourself the biggest favour of all - hire a wedding planner who has experience with private property weddings. You won’t regret it.

A design note….

When you’re considering your design, plan for wind. For candles, don’t choose taper, unless there’s a stable base and glass that has a bottom. Chimney tubes atop taper candles will fall and break on the tables. Tapers without coverings will blow out and spread wax everywhere. Choose hurricane vases with pillar candles instead. For stationery and signage, make sure they’re weighed down in some way. For napkins, do a knot tie unless you’ll have something to weight it. If you have light bud vases, add rocks to the glass or ask your florist what they’d recommend.

Happy planning!