The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Backyard Wedding in Michigan

Top Tips

January 28, 2024

Welcome to the ultimate guide to planning a backyard wedding in Michigan! This will likely be one of the hardest things you ever do, but it is equally as rewarding. Before we get started it is important to note a few things, the most important one being that backyard weddings do not necessarily save you money. Yes – we are going there right away! This is a common misconception, so I wanted to put that out there from the get-go. Prepare yourself now for sticker shock on all levels. In addition to this, there are endless logistics to consider because you are building a venue from the ground up in your backyard. Not to mention, the weather in Michigan is unpredictable so you will need to prepare for all circumstances. This is no easy feat! But have no fear, if this is something you want – it is yours! And I am here to help you along the way!

Now that we have gotten the scary stuff out of the way I will say this: having a backyard wedding is such a special way to celebrate this life-changing transition of marriage! It is a big deal and it deserves to be celebrated with everything in you. Holding your wedding in a special, sentimental place can add to your day in the best way! So if you are up for a challenge, let’s do this thing! I am going to take you through my top tips for planning a backyard wedding, Whether you are a bride working on a smaller budget, or going above and beyond, we can plan the most beautiful day.

First things first, regardless of budget, you will need to make sure your yard is prepared for the event. Is the ground level? Is the grass watered and freshly trimmed? Do you want to do any backyard projects such as adding lighting, a new fence, concrete pads, or a garden? Will this contribute to your wedding budget or is the wedding an excuse to finally check these things off of your to-do list? These are all things to be considered as you lay the ground work (quite literally) for the pop-up wedding venue that you will be building.

Now that we have determined that your back yard is suitable for your event and you have a plan to follow for the year to prep the yard for your wedding day, let’s move on to my top tips to ensure a smooth outdoor wedding planning process.

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Planning + Coordination Packages

Top Tips to ensure a smooth wedding planning process:

1. Hire a wedding planner (or a coordinator at minimum): I may be biased, but I truly believe that hiring a wedding planner is crucial to ensuring your backyard wedding goes off without a hitch. As you have seen, and will continue to see in this blog post, backyard weddings are a huge undertaking. As your wedding planner, I will offer a wealth of knowledge throughout the entire process. I will help you with all of the nuances of a backyard wedding and make sure that nothing is missed. Your wedding planner will be YOUR advocate when it comes to navigating vendor + family communication. Your vision and desires for the day will be at the forefront of your planner’s mind, doing everything to make sure this day is planned to a T and is executed flawlessly.

At minimum, a ‘day of’ coordinator is absolutely necessary. Your coordinator will communicate with your wedding vendors PRIOR to the wedding to ensure everyone is on the same page and that all loose ends are tied in a pretty little bow before the big day arrives! Your coordinator will also be there for the entirety of your wedding day helping with setup and managing vendors, bridal party, and guests.

2. Hire a Full Service Caterer: This step will save you a HUGE headache in the planning process. When you think of a caterer you typically jump to what food you want served at your wedding and maybe you’ll check to see if they include china and linens. Have you put any thought into the level of service you are going to receive from your caterer? For example, a food truck can be a really fun way to serve your food if the wedding is more laid back and casual. Is your caterer going to take care of providing and setting up china, trash removal, clearing dishes off the tables, filling water glasses, serving food, dismissing tables, etc? If not, each of these tasks (among others) are going to need to be delegated elsewhere. Save yourself the headache of trying to make sure every task has been delegated by hiring a full service caterer. It is a logistical nightmare to try and build your own catering team and make sure that every task has been accounted for. A professional will do a much better job than your teenage cousins who won’t understand that their job isn’t over when dinner is! Trust me! In the event that you are hiring a drop catering service or a food truck, consider asking if you are able to add services with their team to create a full service experience. Just know that this will cost more money and in the end you might end up spending the same amount, had you gone with a full service caterer from the beginning

3. Rent your linens instead of buying them: Just trust me on this one! If you are renting a standard, floor length polyester linen you will spend approximately $18 per linen. This means upon pickup, your linens will be cleaned and pressed specially for you. At the end of the night all your coordinator needs to do is put the dirty linens in linen bags and you will return them to the company a day or so later. If you decide to buy your linens, you might save a few dollars but this means you have to iron or steam each of them and this takes forever to do! You will also have to clean them afterwards. So unless you are really penny pinching and have a big team of people who are eager to help iron each and every linen, just spend a little bit more and rent the linens!

4. Hire a professional DJ or band: I have heard many people say they are just going to create a Spotify playlist and have their brother hit play when it is time to start dancing. Without a full understanding of a DJs job, I can see how this might seem like a great alternative and will save you $1,000+. Before making this decision, I’d like to inform you about what your DJ will take care of for you on your wedding day. Your DJ will provide all of the necessary equipment (speakers, microphones, etc), help manage your timeline, make sure your family/bridal party are ready for grand entrance, cake cutting, speeches, and special dances. Your DJ will be the life of the party and ensure your guests are ON the dance floor! He/she will make announcements throughout the night (such as “dessert table is open” or “the first shuttle will be arriving in 10 minutes to take guests back to their hotel”) and the list goes on. A professional DJ is SO much more than just hitting play. They play a crucial part in ensuring your day goes smoothly and your guests have an amazing and memorable experience at your wedding.

5. Create a plan for parking: You will want to make sure that you have a designated place for your guests to park for your wedding. Since you are not at a traditional wedding venue with a parking lot, you will likely need to get creative. I would recommend finding a local church, school, park, etc to rent out for the day. From there you can have your guests shuttled to the ceremony/reception location. You will want to make sure that it is crystal clear to your guests exactly where they need to be and when they need to be there. I recommend pointing your guests to your wedding website on your invitation details card. For example: please see our wedding website for more details on parking and shuttle schedule. On your website you will want to post a map and an address locating the parking lot. Let them know if there are any specific instructions for parking. I also recommend having a shuttle sign up sheet. The reason I recommend this is because the majority of your guests are going to want to catch the last shuttle so they don’t have to wait around for the ceremony to begin. If your first shuttle is leaving the parking lot at 2:30PM and your ceremony isn’t until 4pm, it won’t be your guests top choice for a shuttle time. Most of them are going to want to get on the 3:15PM shuttle. However, if the shuttle can only fit 40 people at a time and 75 people show up at 3:15, this is going to result in 35 guests being late for the ceremony. By having a shuttle sign up sheet your guests are ensured a seat on the shuttle during their designated time slot. The guests who sign up for their time slot promptly will get the time slot that they want and then the guests who drag their feet will likely be on that 2:30PM shuttle ride. Some additional things you can do day-of is have plenty of signage in the parking lot so that people know they have arrived to the correct place. It is also helpful to have a couple people on-site (family/friends or hire someone) to help guide guests from their car to the bus and answer any questions they may have. Have your guides remind guests to bring their gifts with them to the wedding because these are commonly left in the car with no way to access them during the event. At the end of the night your DJ can make announcements every time the shuttle arrives to pick up rounds of guests and take them back to their cars. Typically, a shuttle sign up sheet is not needed at the end of the night. However, I would recommend at minimum printing out a shuttle schedule to put up at the bar so people can plan for what time they want to leave. As a courtesy to your guests who take the earliest shuttle, consider having a hydration station with water, lemonade and iced tea available. You can always kick it up a notch and have some snacks or alcoholic beverages available as well. This is up to you and the type of wedding you decide you are going to host.

6. Reserve portable bathrooms: For every 100 guests at your wedding you will need one luxury portable bathroom. These typically include 2 women’s and 1-2 men’s restrooms. If you are going with cheaper porta-potties, you will need 3 for every 100 guests. I would absolutely encourage reserving these luxury bathrooms unless you are having a small gathering (25 people or less). Any more than 25 people is too many feet tracking through the house to use your bathroom. Make sure you have someone who is tending to the bathrooms to make sure they stay stocked with toilet paper and that there are no plumbing issues. These bathrooms will likely need a water hose hookup as well as a generator. You can check with the rental company to determine exact needs.

7. Have a “staff only” spot: Your vendors will appreciate this more than you know and it is necessary for them to be able to execute their jobs properly. This area can be an extra tent with tent walls, a garage, or a room in the house. This area will serve as a space to store all decor and backup food/beverage needs. If the caterer is expected to work out of this space (especially if you are having a plated meal) you need to make sure the space is large enough. I recommend checking with your caterer so you can accommodate their needs.

8. Use paper or plastic dishes/cutlery for dessert and appetizers: This is obviously optional and you can do whatever you prefer. however, the idea here is that you are able to cut back on dish rentals / dish washing by using disposable plates/cutlery. Many people will have a couple plates of apps or a couple plates of dessert and this is an easy way to cut back on labor and cost without diminishing guest experience or overall aesthetic. I would also highly recommend switching to disposable cups at the bar after dinner. There is most likely not going to be an industrial sized dishwasher on site so you would have to rent TONS of glasses to keep the bar stocked all night. One way you can elevate your design is by getting custom disposable cups on Etsy.

9. Favor Ideas: I am usually the girl telling you to skip the favors and put the money somewhere else. However, if the favor is useful to your guests then I am all for it. A couple fun ideas for an outdoor wedding would be a fan at each guests seat for the ceremony or a tiny bottle of bug spray at the welcome table. These two favors are both useful and can add another personal touch to your wedding day if you get them customized.

How to take your backyard wedding to the next level:

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Planning + Coordination Packages

While some families plan to host a backyard wedding in hopes of saving some money, others see it as an opportunity to build their dream venue from the ground up on a piece of land that is meaningful to them. I am all for it!! Below I have listed some ways to take your backyard wedding to the next level and create a luxury feel.

1. Tents: The tent you choose to hold your ceremony +/or reception under can make or break the overall feel of your wedding. Sailcloth tents give a very high end feel because they usually have tall ceilings and they are made of a more quality material than vinyl. They also do not have exposed poles on the ceiling which creates a very seamless look. No matter which tent you use you can always add draping to the ceiling and entryways to elevate your design. Some other details I love to see in backyard tented weddings are exquisite light fixtures and chandeliers, as well as gorgeous floral installations hanging from the ceiling and adorning the tent entryways. Ensure your guests comfort by adding heaters or air conditioning units depending on the season of your wedding. And let’s be real – if it’s in Michigan you may just need both! The beauty of a tented wedding is that you can make it exactly what you want it to be. Get creative here. The sky is the limit!

2. Linens: This one makes me giddy! There are many components of a design that can enhance your wedding day, but I truly believe that investing in your linens is one of the easiest ways to take your design to the next level. Don’t be afraid to play with textures, color, + patterns here to create a wedding that truly reflects YOU!

3. Hire a live band: Your guests will thank me for this one! Having a live band on a private property is the key to a good time. This will bring your party to life and create an unforgettable experience for you and your wedding guests.

4. Glassware vs plastic: To create a luxury feel, it is recommended that you use glassware and china before and during dinner at minimum. It is up to you if you’d like to continue using glassware and china after dinner. Like I mentioned earlier – just consider the amount of dishes this will create and how they are going to get cleaned. It is always an option to get quality disposable plates and cups for the bar and dessert. You can even find customized pieces on Etsy to create another special touch.

5. Interactive Bars: This one is getting very popular and I absolutely adore this idea! Having an interactive bar during cocktail hour and/or during the reception is such a fun way for your guests to engage and to enhance their experience at your wedding. An example of this would be having the bar tenders hidden and your guests will “ring for a drink” and then through the secret wall, a hand will pass through a glass of champagne or a signature cocktail. What a way to be welcomed into an event!

6. Seating Chart: Your seating chart is one of the first things your guests will see upon entering your reception so don’t be afraid to go big and make an impact here! Some fun ideas I have seen recently are incorporating your favors with the seating chart. So along with the escort card your guests will get a cute bud vase of fresh florals, a luggage tag, a handwritten note, or a shot of tequila! The opportunities are endless here.

7. Appetizers: For some, appetizers are a way to appease the stomachs of your wedding guests while you are off taking photos. But not for you! Cocktail hour can be such a special time to engage with your guests before all of the big events of the night. Not to mention – if you are going all out with your appetizers, you are going to want to be there! Create a true culinary experience by having a variety of stations for your guests to rotate through. From sushi to fine meats and cheeses to mini tacos – you can take your guests taste buds around the world all in the comfort of your own backyard. To ensure you are able to attend cocktail hour, have a first look earlier in the day to get your photos out of the way before your ceremony. This way you can enjoy cocktail hour and partake in the fun – you won’t want to miss a thing!

8. Tables and Chairs: Your tables and chairs make a huge impact on your design and since you have the budget for it – go above and beyond! Invest in the chairs that will match your design and make a difference in the overall aesthetic. Make sure when you reserve your tables and chairs that you also hire the rental company for setup and tear down. This is not a task you and your family have time for on your wedding weekend. Allow the rental company to take this time consuming task off of your list!

9. Soft seating: Adding soft seating areas around your reception space can make your event feel high end and home-y simultaneously. I recommend putting soft seating near the dance floor so that elderly guests can sit and still be near all of the fun! Make sure you put the seating areas under a tented space to ensure they stay dry in case of rain.

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Planning + Coordination Packages

For some, a high budget wedding is only a thing of their dreams and that is perfectly okay! You can have a gorgeous, memorable and intentional wedding on a budget. The fact of the matter is that it is going to be more work for you and your family and will not be as forward with design. These things are fun but they don’t make the wedding. The love between you and your future spouse is what makes a wedding special and magical! Keep this at the forefront of your mind no matter what type of wedding you will be planning.

How to plan your backyard wedding on a budget:

1. Guest Count: If you are hoping to save money by hosting a backyard wedding, you have to take your guest count into consideration as this will be a huge determining factor on how much money you save. I recommend inviting 50-75 people maximum if your budget is strict and important to you. This will create an intimate feel and can be a very special time to celebrate with the people who are the closest to you.

2. Bathrooms: You have a couple options here. If luxury portable bathrooms are outside of your means and you do not want people tracking through the house, you should at minimum have one porta-potty available outdoors. If your guests are not allowed inside, they need to be kindly told so. A sign is an easy way to do this. Maybe one outside of the house and one on the bathroom door. If you decide to let people in the house to use your bathroom make sure you have someone managing the bathroom (replenishing toilet paper, unclogging the toilet, keeping it clean, etc). This is only feasible if you listen to step one about limiting your guest count to 50-75 people.

3. Catering: What I am about to say goes against my tips above but it will save you a pretty penny and is more manageable with a smaller guest count…hire a drop catering service and hire a couple extra hands to manage this. The catering service should deliver and setup the food and plastic dinnerware at the buffet table (though you should confirm the actual role with the company you hire). Your guests can easily serve themselves at the buffet but the line will move slower than if you had professionals serving the food. Your extra hands that you hire should be available to replenish food and handle cleanup. Cleanup will consist of clearing and breaking down buffet tables and removing trash from guest tables. The easiest way to manage this is by using all plastic dinnerware. Using real glass and china adds a whole new list of logistics to consider and if you are not hiring a professional service you want to limit logistical nightmares as much as possible.

4. Bar: The easiest way to have alcohol at your wedding without needing to hire bartenders is having all canned and bottled beverages. You will just need someone available to replenish your coolers with ice and drinks as needed.

5. Florals: You will need to go very simple with your florals to stay on budget because these costs add up faster than you’d think. To eliminate too much DIY – I recommend hiring a florist to make your bridal + bridesmaids bouquets and grooms boutonniere. Cut all other boutonnieres and corsages all together. Then you can also order loose florals and greenery through the florist to create your own centerpieces. They will likely prep the flowers for you and you will pick the flowers up all ready in buckets for you. Confirm this detail with your florist. The easiest centerpieces to create are bud vases. You can cluster 3-5 bud vases on a round table with candles throughout and call it good. If your budget is really tight, order the flowers from Costco and prep and make everything yourself. This will take a considerable amount of time and materials so make sure you consider if it is worth it or not. You can probably stay around $1,500 if you go through a florist the way I suggested. Or you can DIY entirely on your own to stay under $1,000. Floral costs are ever changing so take this with a grain of salt. This could probably use its own blog post entirely! Stay tuned. Please note that you can do whatever you’d like to for your flowers but from experience and a couple jobs in the wedding floral industry, these would be my quick suggestions.

6. Candlelight: You can save some money on centerpieces by doing candles on some tables and florals on the other. However, you still have to be strategic. Pillar and taper candles can be expensive and you still have to consider a stand and hurricane vase for each candle. The smaller the candle the cheaper it is. For this reason, floating candles and tea lights can save you a considerable amount of money. If you are doing floating candles just make sure you have a reliable water source close to where you will be setting up or you are in for a logistical problem.

7. Skip the videographer: I am really sorry to say this because I am a huge advocate for wedding videos! But the reality is that you NEED photos and you don’t need videos. Instead, consider asking your bridal party or family to be intentional about taking videos throughout the day so that you have the memories. You can also find a videographer solely for the ceremony to at least have that memory in full. There are options here!

8. Tent: You definitely want to have a large tent available in case of rain. Securing two tents (ceremony + reception) can be quite expensive. I recommend holding your ceremony in the same space as your tent if it rains. Your guests will likely be sitting at their tables in this case so mentally prepare for that if it is not the vision you have in mind. As long as you have an aisle and space for your bridal party you have everything you need! You may want to move chairs and create a “front row” for immediate family only to honor them.

9. Dance floor: This is something you can opt out of even though it isn’t something I don’t necessarily recommend because it can get messy. If you are able, purchase some cheap “dancing shoes” (aka flip flops) for all of your guests instead. This way people aren’t ripping up your lawn with their heels or getting their feet dirty when they take their shoes off completely. Even if you don’t have an actual dance floor, still set aside a designated space for dancing by the DJ’s table.

10. Signage: Only put signage where it is NEEDED. For example: you don’t need a sign that says “dessert table” when it is very obvious that it is a dessert table. This is a small expense but every penny counts. The only sign that is absolutely needed is a seating chart. However with a backyard wedding you may need additional signs to help guide guests from one thing to the next.

11. Cocktail hour: Skip cocktail hour and go straight into the reception. This saves you money on appetizers and an additional hour of drinks. You will need to do a first look so that you have all of your photos finished pre-ceremony. This will include family photos so make sure your family knows where to be and when to be there.

12. Dessert: Have sheet cakes or cupcakes only for dessert! If you have sheet cakes you’ll just need someone there to cut and serve the cake. If you have a caterer they will likely charge you extra for this. Cupcakes are a little more expensive but they are ready to serve and you don’t necessarily need plates and forks. You will just need to determine if you have the help for sheet cakes or if you’d rather spend a little bit more per cupcake.

13. Parking: Make sure you have on-site parking so you don’t need an outside transportation company. If you don’t have enough room on your own property you’ll want to ask around to neighbors and see if you can use their space. Some ways to show your neighbors appreciation are as follows: invite them to the wedding, send them a thank you card with a gift card, bring over leftovers the next day, etc. Just show them you care and appreciate their contribution to your wedding day. All of those options are significantly cheaper than hiring a shuttle.

14. Wedding Decor: Consider thrifting or borrowing your wedding decor. Rental companies are easy to work with and will cost less than purchasing the items yourself but is still more expensive than thrifting and borrowing.

15. Tables and chairs: Pass on the rental companies set up fee by setting up tables and chairs on your own. This is very time consuming so take that into consideration. Your day of coordinator likely does not include table and chair setup in their package so make sure you do not put this on them. Also, if you decide to have your ceremony and reception in separate spaces, use the same chairs for your ceremony and reception and just ask guests to bring their own chair with them. I understand some people may be uncomfortable asking this of their guests and if that is the case then you will need to rent enough chairs for both the ceremony and the reception.

16. Planning + Coordination: If you are looking to save as much money as possible but still have a smooth day you will want to hire a wedding coordinator. A wedding coordinator will jump in on the planning process about 1 month before your wedding day and help you tie loose ends, create a seamless timeline and go through a final details checklist to make sure you are on track. Having so many additional nuances with backyard weddings, it will be crucial to have a professional opinion to make sure that all loose ends are tied when you are in your final stages of planning.

Click the button below if you are ready to connect with our team about planning your day!

Planning + Coordination Packages

You are so ready for this challenge…I can feel it! After reading through this blog post you are well on your way to planning a successful outdoor wedding. If you are looking for more help we have a few options for you! Your best bet in this process, hands down, is to hire a wedding planner. You have access to our best tips as wedding planners but carrying these out as a variety of challenges present themselves is a whole different story. We want to be there for you every step of the way in your planning process and make sure that every last detail has been carefully considered. Please see the link below for access to all of our wedding planning package options. If a wedding planner simply isn’t in the cards for you, we also offer day of coordination (Final Details Package) where we help you bring it all together at the end and then execute your wedding day to perfection! This is a super important investment for your day. However, we understand some simply cannot afford it. And for that reason we have created a PDF document that contains EVEN MORE tips and tricks for you to reference as you plan your wedding. We have extensive lists of rental needs and even more ways to save money! So if a wedding planner or coordinator just isn’t going to happen, I urge you to purchase this PDF to be your guide in the process. We also offer a la carte planning hours if you want a professional to touch base with a couple times during your wedding planning process. It is recommended to pair the PDF document with a few planning hours so you have someone to talk things through with. We are happy to be involved in your wedding planning process in whatever capacity we are able! Happy wedding planning!

Looking for more? Email us @inthedetailsweddingplanning@gmail.com to purchase our Ultimate Guide PDF that includes various checklists and even more advice for your backyard wedding ventures!