Holding a wedding at home can be a great way to create a personal and informal atmosphere. It is not, however, something that should be entered into lightly. Holding your reception at home may well see you more involved in arrangements than you would be should you marry at a more traditional venue. There are many aspects to consider and not one of them is straight forward. Weighing up the following pros and cons should help you decide whether such an idea is suitable for you.
Reasons to have your wedding at home
The informality of a reception at home
Not every couple wants an elaborate wedding reception with a six course dinner; many just want to relax with their family and close friends. A wedding at home can be an informal fun occasion, with a simple barbecue or buffet instead of a more formal wedding meal. In your own home or garden you can do whatever you like without having to follow the usual wedding format of a hired venue.
The low cost of using your home as a venue
One reason weddings at home are gaining popularity is that couples are looking to reduce the overall cost of their big day. Although you will still need to hire items such as a marquee and furniture, you won’t have the cost of hiring a venue, and you can bargain with your own choice of suppliers to be sure of getting value for money.
Your home’s personal significance to you
Holding your wedding at home or at your parents’ house can make the day a very personal affair. Assuming that your parents have lived in their house for a long time having your wedding there can be particularly special as you will be surrounded by familiar trinkets and childhood memories.
But remember…
Weddings at home need something extra
While some brides are enchanted by the idea of getting married at home, others find the idea a bit boring. They want their wedding day to be magical, and they are concerned that being at their house or their parents’ house won’t be original enough for them. Weddings at home require a lot of time and attention to detail to make them truly special.
There may well be damage to your property
No matter how house trained your guests are, there is likely to be some damage to your home or garden should people be permitted to drink and dance in it. Even if the party is in the garden you may get some damage if guests are making their way through the house to use the bathroom or to get themselves drinks. Make sure you account for repairs in your budget. Don’t forget you will also have a lot of mess to clean at the end of the reception; you can’t just leave it to someone else to deal with as you would at a venue.
There are likely to be space restrictions
Unless your home is very spacious, there is always going to be a limit on the number of invitees it can comfortably accommodate. You may need to cut down your guest list to be sure you can fit everybody in, and you may need to rethink your ideal wedding set up. It’s unlikely you will have separate areas for a drinks reception, the wedding meal, and a dance floor as you may do with a booked venue.
Where will your guests go if the weather is bad?
You need to plan for bad weather, will you want all your wedding guests in your home if it starts to rain? A marquee is a good option but if your garden isn’t big enough then you need to think of alternatives.
