Tips for an Affordable Home Wedding
A wedding can be an extremely expensive event. People take out loans, borrow money from family and friends, and all of that to have one day of celebration. And while this day is very important, there really is no need to spend that much money. Some couples opt to have a smaller wedding, with only family and the closest of friends attending, because they’d rather save up the money for something in the future, than start their married life in debt. And one way to make the wedding budget significantly smaller is to host your wedding at your own home.
Choose the right place
Not all homes are the same, and many simply aren’t meant to be the venue for a wedding party. If the newlyweds live in a flat, a small house, or a place they are renting, they simply might not be able to host the wedding in their home. But before you book a big venue, ask around. Relatives, friends and even neighbors that live in houses big enough to host the event will often be very happy to lend you their home for the day, most often asking for no compensation in return. Of course, in these situations, you have to be very responsible and make sure they have no other expenses. You can even offer to do some light repair work, like repainting the walls, or getting some new furniture for them.
Use the space to your advantage
The point of a home wedding is not to try and make it look like you booked a professional venue, but rather to give it an intimate charm, and really make the guests feel like they are the chosen few whom you’ve decided to share your life with. This might be your family home, filled with pictures and memorabilia: don’t take it down. Let the space itself be the décor and make the atmosphere. Sure, you might want to change it slightly to make sure it will be able to fit all the guests and be practical for the reception, but don’t try to make it into something it’s not.
Do minor fix-ups
A homey charm is one thing, but paint peeling from the walls, or furniture with holes in it is not acceptable for an occasion such as this one. Use this as an opportunity to upgrade the home and do all the repair work you’ve been meaning to do, but has never come up. Do a deep clean of the home several days before the ceremony, make sure everything is tidy and not simply tucked away behind a locked door, and make sure that when your guests arrive, they feel welcome and comfortable. This can also be a great time to get some new furniture, like garden chairs, to make sure you can seat everyone, curtains for atmosphere, beautiful floor rugs to bring the room together and most certainly new dinnerware and glassware. If you think that getting a lot of dinnerware and chairs is not worth it, talk to your catering service about them bringing their own, or if you are preparing the food yourself, then see if you can rent or borrow all of those necessities.
Make sure you have a photographer there to commemorate the day, and bring them over in advance, because in the closed space of your home, they might need to work out the good angles beforehand. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in organizing and preparing for the wedding, because a lot of people will be more than willing to help you. At the end of the day, no matter how small the reception and crowded the dining room, you will understand that the wedding is not made by the venue it’s taking place in, but the people and emotions that fill it.
