Backyard weddings - Six Vendors That Will Make or Break Your Day

Just a simple backyard affair right? There is so much appeal to the thought of "just" throwing up a tent however the reality for anyone who has actually tried to plan a tented wedding is that there are a million more details to consider compared to if you were having your wedding at an indoor venue. Outdoor weddings are some of our favorites but remember, this isn't our first rodeo! Here is our list for the top six vendors to help make you (and your family) as stress free as possible. 

Photo: Anna Page Photography

1. Your Rental Company Is Key

While we understand everyone wants the best deal in town your rental company is not the place to cut corners. Not only will they be constructing your venue from the ground up, but they are also providing you with all of your essentials such as chairs, tables, and many times even basic lighting. So when you are looking at costs, don't think of those costs as simply rental fees but also costs to cover their expertise to guide you through what will work and what simply won't. 
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2) Don't Forget Parking 

So you have enough room for a huge tent to host your closest 300 friends and family - great! Have you thought about where they are going to park their cars? Many times you'll need to work with a reputable valet and transportation company to figure out logistics so your guests aren't stuck parking a mile away or end up with a parking ticket or worse, getting towed!
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Photo: Anna Page Photography

3) Make Sure to Hire a Full Service Caterer

Sure you love that little Italian restaurant down the street but have they ever catered weddings before? If the answer is no you'll need to ask them a lot of questions before hiring them for the big day. The last thing you want is mom feeling like she has to clear plates because the caterer didn't bring the staff to do so themselves. Trust us, she picked up after you her whole life. Let her have the night off!
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4) Bathroom Breaks

A simple thing that cannot be overlooked. If you don't want guests traipsing into your home all night with dirty shoes or simply don't have enough loos to handle the constant flushes than you need to bring in restrooms. There are lots of options but you'll need to consult with an expert on size, location and hook-up points. 
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5) Bartending To the Masses

Remember that full service caterer we talked about? Well I feel the same way about bartending. Having a licensed bartender is going to not only provide your guests with better drinks, but also you with piece of mind. Also, unless you plan to just set out coolers of beers and self serve wine you'll still want to have someone else supply you with mixers and garnishes so you aren't cutting lime wedges the day before the wedding. And then even if you tell me if you are planning to just have a self serve station, again, let's think about who is going to pick up all of those bottles and plastic cups so that your wedding doesn't look like a college house party? No one wants this job so it's better to pay someone to do it for you. 
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Photo: Chrissy Rose Photography

6) Feeling Overwhelmed? No problem, we've got this!

Truly, hiring a planner to help you with any sort of tented event is going to save you a lot of stress. If talking about bathrooms and trash doesn't seem like the engagement you had in mind, that's okay! Hire a planner that has experience with outdoor events and we'll make sure these details get handled and you can focus on the fun stuff like flowers, food tastings and cake. A month-out coordinator is great, but tented weddings really require a bit more guidance from a professional along the way. 
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The above is really just the tip of the iceberg and I could talk to you all day about things like garbage disposal, bug repellent, catering tents and load-ins but I guess I'll save all of those riveting issues for another post. The point here is that if there is ever a time to hire an experienced wedding professional a tented wedding would be the time to do so.