Small Backyard Wedding Ideas on a Budget

Shannon Quinn - January 30, 2021
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Small Backyard Wedding Ideas on a Budget
Photo: Credit: Shutterstock
This pool has been transformed at this backyard wedding. Credit: Shutterstock

6. Turn Your Pool Into a Focal Point

If you have a pool in your backyard, some of you might be afraid of how you could possibly have a ceremony there. However, a pool can actually add a lot of style to a backyard wedding. This might be a good excuse to re-pave or add tiles to spruce up your pool. Some people have used their pool as the background behind the altar. Photographers who go on the opposite side of the pool can capture the moment when the image of the happy couple is reflected in the water.

This altar has been placed in front of the pool for a dramatic reflection effect. Credit: Shutterstock

If the party goes well into the night, adding lights to your pool can also have a magical effect. You might also want to buy special pool floats in the shape of a heart, or something else that matches the theme of the party. Just be careful, because it’s likely that someone might get drunk and want to jump in the pool at night. If you have a group of people anywhere near your pool, it’s best to keep someone on hand who is trained in CPR and lifeguarding.

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You might as well make your privacy fence part of the wedding decor. Credit: Shutterstock

5. Make The Fence Part of the Decor

A lot of backyards have a privacy fence surrounding the property. In fact, if you don’t already have a fence, you should probably consider building a new one with the money you set aside for your original wedding budget. You want to be able to enjoy the ceremony without the curious eyes of your neighbors staring at them. With a fence, it’s much easier to feel like you are having a private, intimate and enclosed ceremony that is just being shared with your family and friends.

In a backyard wedding, small details will add up. Credit: Shutterstock

Some of you out there might already have a fence. Whether your fence is new or old, you should always consider it part of your wedding decor. Give it a new coat of paint, or clean it with a power washer. Leading up to the ceremony, you can cover the fence with strings of light. Solar powered lights might be a good option if you’re far away from a source of electricity. Garland, balloons, and flowers are all great ideas for decorating a fence. And if you’re open to painting the fence later, a mural might even be a great option to try.

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Thus table is hanging from a tree at a backyard wedding. Credit: The Wedding Chicks

4. Tables Hanging From Trees

A unique outdoor wedding idea that you might want to consider is hanging a table top from a tree. This looks almost like a giant swing, so it’s perfect for a backyard wedding where you might be tapping into happy childhood memories. This might be a good option if you have uneven ground. If you decide to do this, make sure it’s suspended from an older tree with thick, strong branches. You don’t want a weak branch snapping in the middle of the ceremony!

A close-up on the desserts of this beautiful hanging table. Credit: The Wedding Chicks

For some people, this table idea may not make sense compared to buying a normal table. In some cases, it would be more expensive and difficult than getting a wooden table from your local thrift store. First and foremost, consider this a stylistic choice over something budget-friendly. However, if you recycle an old door or use inexpensive plywood from the hardware store to create a farmhouse style table top, this could be done very cheaply. At the end of the day, choose what makes your heart sing.

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The “Mr. and Mrs.” corn hole is a great way to bring a classic game to a backyard wedding. Credit: Shutterstock

3. Lawn Games

Backyard weddings are a great opportunity to have some fun lawn games to keep your guests entertained. If you are holding the wedding at your childhood home, this will likely have plenty of happy memories of playing in the backyard. This is especially important to have games if there are kids at your wedding. It’s important to keep them occupied, since kids usually get bored at weddings if they aren’t given enough to do.

These kids are playing with a giant Jenga game at this backyard wedding. Credit: Shutterstock

Some of the most popular outdoor yard games are corn hole, croquet, badminton, and horseshoes. These are all great options, and it’s easy to purchase any of these kits for around $50. Some of you might already have these games in your garage. Since we are worried about social distancing, it’s best to skip games like Twister, or anything else that would require people to be in close proximity. Try to stick to carnival style games where guests can throw from a distance, or approach the game one at a time.

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This wedding had a full-on pig roast in their backyard. Credit: Brackish Photography

2. Have a Backyard Barbecue

If you’re going for a very casual backyard wedding, you might want to consider having a barbecue. This is a very fun and easy way to cook food for a lot of people at once. You can even turn this into a potluck style dinner where multiple members of the family bring dishes for everyone to share. This can eliminate the need for you to hire a caterer. If fact, there’s probably a father or uncle in the family who would gladly take charge of arranging to cook the meat.

The backyard barbecue menu. Credit: Normandy Catering

Another great thing about a backyard barbecue style wedding is that you can get away with using disposable plates and cutlery. No one will think twice if you do this over a traditional table setting. This might not be the most elegant wedding in the world, but it is fun, memorable, and easy to keep on a small budget. Remember to rent a tent to help keep your guests shaded in the spring and summer, and to protect anyone in case it rains. Check out the Dollar Tree website for their barbecue products, and you can really stick to a small budget.

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These spinning sparklers are a magical way to bring joy to your backyard wedding. Credit: Shutterstock

1. Fireworks

Being in love is often described as “sparks flying” or “seeing fireworks”. So it only makes sense to bring that sparkle to your special night. Having fireworks at your wedding can be a really beautiful way to wrap up the end of the ceremony. In most places, you can really only get away with using something small, like sparklers. Fireworks typically need to be done on a very large property like a farm. These need to be set off at a safe distance away from houses and trees. You might also need permits in your local area to do this, and notify neighbors and law enforcement.

If you have a large property, you could set off fireworks. Credit: Shutterstock

Always make sure to follow local regulations. The last thing you want is for the police to show up to your wedding. Even if you spent a lot of money buying fireworks, skip them all together If the weather has been hot and dry leading up to the ceremony. The last thing you would ever want is to accidentally start a fire. In fact, one of the California wild fires was started because of a gender reveal party. Please don’t put your idea of a “perfect wedding” above the safety of others. Be safe, and have fun!

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