My fiancé and I have both been divorced and this is a second marriage for both of us. We recently purchased a house and have fixed it up to be our little dream home. So when deciding where to marry we thought it should be right at home.
Here are my challenges:
1) We have not had the time to put as much care into the backyard as the rest of the house...any ideas on dressing it up without spending alot of money?
2) What time of day would be appropriate if we just wanted to serve appetizer or hors deurves?
3) We live on a small circle....would it be tacky to have guests park at the local high school and have a trolley transport them to and from the house?
If you choose a Hawaiian theme you could use inexpensive bamboo sheets to hide parts of the back yard. This could be perfect for an early afternoon event (1-2 pm), which would be a good time to serve only appetizers.
No. I don't think that it is tacky to ask your guests to park and take a trolley. It is considerate of everyone to keep the street clear.
Rebecca's ideas are right on. Also think about renting plants from a local greenhouse. They often will rent them and trees for a very reasonable fee. You should try to do something around 2 or 3 if you'll only be serving hors d' oeuvres. Nancy Tucker President of Weddings Beautiful US http://www.weddingsbeautiful.com
Depending on the time of year you are planning your wedding, you have lots of options. Regarding the backyard, consider purchasing flowering shrubs from a local nursery already in bloom that you would like to have permanently in your backyard. The pots can easily be arranged throughout the yard or along the fence, and could include colored ribbon to match your theme. Flowering crab apple or dwarf cherry trees in containers would be pretty as well.
If it's the fall of the year, colorful mums in patio containers or hanging planters, which could be hung from the edge of the fence could be purchased to match your colors. Bright orange pumpkins carved with different faces could greet help your guests.
A nice touch and not too expensive, especially since it would become a permanent fixture of your yard, would be to install a small fountain with pool. The sound of running water is very soothing and would add ambiance to the surroundings. If you want to encourage wildlife to your backyard, consider purchasing some colorful wrought iron stakes for hanging flower baskets, bird feeders, or humming bird feeders.
Enjoy! Copen Cabana DJ Audio Visual Production providing Custom Wedding Coffee Table Photo Book with DVD Services http://www.knowareland.com
Small Backyard Ceremony
