How to Have a Wedding Ceremony at Your House

Plan a wedding ceremony at home to save money.

With careful planning, a wedding ceremony held at your home can be the perfect venue to say "I do." It can save you money, booking fees and hassles of finding a place that's free on your chosen date. But before you start imagining your home as your future wedding location, you need to consider everything that goes into planning even the most basic of ceremonies.

Instructions

1. Figure out what areas you plan to host guests. A large space, such a family room, living room or recreational room, might have the most amount of square feet to accommodate your guests.

2. Rearrange or remove the furniture. Trying to fit a large quantity of people along with rented chairs and decorations around bulky furniture can make for a difficult and unpleasant ceremony. Consider renting a storage unit for the weekend to temporarily hold extra furniture that doesn't fit with the wedding accessories.

3. Deep clean the house. Do it yourself or hire a company ahead of time to wash the baseboards, steam clean the rugs and brush away the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling fan. It will be easier to decorate a clean house and provide a more pleasant backdrop for wedding photographs.

4. Tend to the yard. Mow the lawn, clear weeds and spruce up your garden. Because your home is your venue, take the time to make it look the best for family and other guests. Let your neighbors know the date of your wedding and ask them to refrain from using loud machinery such as power tools or lawn mowers that day.

5. Set up decorations early. Don't wait until the last minute to set up the flowers or create a unique lighting arrangement. Set up chairs, music, lights, swags, wedding carpet and other accessories a couple of days in advance. Decide on flower arrangements and have the florist deliver them several hours in advance to avoid stress right before the wedding.

6. Delegate some rooms for the wedding party. Besides the bride and groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen and parents of the intended nuptials need a place they can dress, put on makeup and prepare themselves for photographs. Pick at least one room each for men and women to get ready once they arrive at your house.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have an outdoor ceremony, have a back-up plan in case of inclement weather. Rent extra chairs and decorations to help save money for the event.

References

• The Knot: Wedding Receptions: At-Home Wedding Secrets
• "How to Have an Elegant Wedding for $10,000 or Less"; Sharon Naylor; 2002
• "New Jersey Bride"; At-Home Weddings; Sharon Naylor; December 2008