How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

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We hosted a wedding backyard party at our home last May and it was magical. I cannot wait to share it with you all today!

My son Michael was the best man at the wedding and his best friend from college (and volleyball teammate) was the groom. As you can see from the photo below, the wedding backyard party was an absolutely perfect setting for a celebration.

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

Wedding Backyard Party

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

I will never forget when Michael asked us if his best friend and his bride-to-be could have their wedding in our backyard. We were thrilled! Of course, we said yes, as we were honored to have the chance to help them celebrate the special day.

Before you start thinking that I planned and organized this wedding, you need to know that I did very little. All I did was make sure that the backyard looked good so most of my tasks involved cleaning the backyard and lots of of gardening.

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

It was a perfect day and I loved that they chose to set the altar in front of the pool. Our yard is always shaded in the afternoon which made it very comfortable for the guests in the 86-degree heat.

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The Set-Up of the Backyard Party

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

You might recognize the altar setup as those are the posts I use for my outdoor parties. They used two for the altar, and the bride’s father did all of the flowers. I love how he decorated the altar and the baby’s breath down the edges of the aisle.

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

We have had four weddings at our home (all of them had been for family members before this one) and none of them were set up this way. I have no idea why we had never thought of this because this is by far my favorite!

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

I absolutely love the baby’s breath outline for the dance floor. It was just so perfect and casual and worked so well with the overall theme of the wedding. Isn’t it a great idea?

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

There were about 90 guests in attendance and the yard was set up for the ceremony with chairs and the altar at the pool. After the wedding ceremony, the guests enjoyed cocktails while the lawn was reset with tables.

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The Ceremony

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

The tall gentleman standing next to the groom is my youngest son, Michael. He was the best man.

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

The ceremony was so well planned as it perfectly matched the personalities of the bride and groom.

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

I think you can all tell how happy the bride and the groom are!

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

See the tiny mason jars with handles on all of the chairs? These were all used for a wonderful toast during the ceremony. Each jar had an adorable label highlighting a message from the bride and groom.

The Dinner

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

The bride and groom purchased the linens and tableware for the wedding. I love the mason jar theme, as all of our drinking glasses are mason jars too! (You can see below links to most of the items.) The centerpieces were assorted sizes of amber jars and the orange napkins provided the most incredible pop of color.

The flowers were all white and so pretty!

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

On the hors d’oeuvres table, all of the utensils and serving bowls were made from bamboo and I absolutely loved them. See the links below.

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

Doesn’t this look like a very fun wedding backyard party?

The Lighting

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

The pool was so well accented with the floating lanterns and the floating letters that highlighted the name the couple is so well known as, “The Buddies”. Both the lanterns and letters were secured with fishing lines and fishing weights so that they were stabilized in place all night long.

How to Plan a Wedding Backyard Party

As the evening went on, the lights came on, and eventually, the dancing began!

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A backyard wedding with floating lanterns in the pool, string lights, and seating in the backyard.

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11 Comments

  1. Wow! So, you act like this was nothing…. I think this is huge! (We hosted our daughter’s wedding and our son’s rehearsal dinner at our home and it was a big deal.) Your photos are lovely and everything looks effortless which is what my friend told us we wanted. You are a great Mother and friend to do this! I love seeing people like you share your blessings with others!

    1. Oh my gosh Kathy, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comment. For this wedding, I really just provided the space, the bride and groom did all of the planning, prep and set up. I have to say, it was fun to be a guest at an event at our home!

  2. So beautiful! We are going to be using floating candles at my daughter’s wedding also. Did your weights go all the way to the bottom of the pool? We were trying to figure out how to make the candles stay in one place! 🙂

  3. Hi Leslie
    Everything you post is classic and lovely. Thank you for sharing your great ideas with us.
    I’m helping my niece with her upcoming wedding. Can you tell me how you createf the lettering in the pool?
    Such a beautiful personal touch.

    Thank you in advance.

  4. Beautiful wedding pictures! Can you tell me where to purchase the letters in the pool ?

  5. Love it! We are hosting a backyard wedding and I love the Babies breath idea. Do you know how much they ordered?

  6. SO beautiful! Isn’t it fun to see what someone else does with your space? I love the way they used your lovely yard. So sweet of you to host them, and share with us. Dad did a great job with the flowers – maybe I’ll give him a call for my next event! 🤣

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