We all want our magical, dream wedding. Preparing for it, however, takes wrecked nerves, endless tears, and blood sacrifice. That is how nightmarish weddings can be. And, let's not forget how expensive weddings are.

We often don’t realize how much money we have to spend to rent out a wedding venue. Add to it the cost of preparation, and the expenses skyrocket. 

Is it worth the trouble when you can’t even make any deep changes to the venue?

If you own a big enough backyard, consider turning it into your dream venue. You can save money and make all the desired changes you want. Here is how you turn your backyard into your dream wedding venue.

A Healthy Lawn Says “I Do”

If you are planning a backyard wedding, take a good look at your lawn. Having a large backyard often means that we ignore its maintenance. But a patchy and dry lawn looks terrible, which makes it unsuitable for a wedding.

If the good grass is crowded with weed and crabgrass, it must be taken care of. Weed the lawn and remove the crabgrass. If there is very little good grass, then strip your lawn and start fresh.

Planting new grass takes about a month. Make sure you have that much time before the wedding.

Mow your healthy grass once a week. Mowing a big lawn is difficult with a push mower. Find the best garden tractor for your backyard lawn and make mowing faster and easier.

Transform Your Bumpy Backyard

You must start taking care of your backyard a few months ahead of the wedding.

Uneven terrain is unsuitable for a wedding. You have to level your lawn, either by yourself or with the help of a professional.

If there are some bumpy areas, you can selectively level them out. However, if the entire area is bumpy, it is better to change the entire landscape. 

Remove the sod first. The bumps need to be filled out with a mixture of fertilized soil. Spread half an inch of this mixture over the area and rake it evenly. Plant grass seed over it and grow new grass.

Placing the decorations, seating, and other wedding things will be easier on a smooth landscape.

Beautify with Flowers

We spend a lot on wedding decorations, especially buying the perfect wedding flowers. What if the venue was already decorated with them?

Adding flower shrubs, beds, and vines to your lawn will reduce your expenses. These “decorations” are more permanent than the cut flowers we buy.

Make your wedding an excuse to create your flower garden. Choose the flowers you want and grow them in your backyard. 

Picture how you want the entire landscape to look. Organize the way you plant the flowers. You can find many flower garden designs online.

You can choose flowers that bloom throughout the summer and flowers with high coverage, like hydrangea or wisteria. Make sure the flowers bloom during your wedding period.

See to Guest Comforts

As beautiful as outdoor weddings are, they can be very uncomfortable for the guests. You want your friends and loved ones to enjoy your wedding, so ensuring their comfort is a top priority.

Make sure the chairs you rent for their seating arrangements are comfortable. Places outdoor benches and create seating areas where your guests can mingle.

During the wedding, the bathrooms in your house won’t be able to meet the demand of so many guests. You might need to rent portable bathrooms.

If it’s a summer wedding, see that your guests are well-hydrated. Also, place the seating arrangement under a canopy to provide shading from the sunlight.

Provide protection from the bugs by placing citronella tiki torches or using fragrant bug-repellent incense.

A Decorated Lawn

You can decorate the lawn to make it an ideal venue. Use lawn ornaments to beautify your backyard. You can decorate with wedding-themed lawn ornaments, like doves or angels.

Buy Cupid or other Greek mythology stone statues if you can afford it. They are expensive but look beautiful in your garden. They will last you a lifetime if you take good care of them.

Decorate your garden for the wedding. You can use fairy lights to decorate the hedges and hang them over the lawn like a canopy of lights. You can line the aisle with candles and cover the path with flower petals.

You can also create your own outdoor wedding decorations or customize the ones you buy.

Create Your Wedding Arch

If you place a wedding arch in your backyard, it will become the focal point. Create and decorate the arch in a way that enhances the beauty of the yard.

You can either buy an arch and decorate it, or you can make the arch from scratch. You can find many DIY wedding arch ideas online. 

You will find that even the simplest designs look magical when decorated right. Veil your arch with sheer white drapes. Cover it with climbing, blooming vines.

If you are creating your own, try something as easy as a rough wood wedding arch. These give your wedding a rustic look that is widely popular, especially if you are going for a Bohemian style wedding.

Make Bigger Changes for an Idyllic Wedding

If you start a few months before the wedding and have the money to spare, you can make bigger changes to your backyard.

Do you like the idea of a wooden dance floor under the canopy of fairy lights? You can create one yourself for the wedding.

If you have the time, build a gazebo. All the hard work that goes into making one is worth it. Gazebos look beautiful in a backyard. It will give your wedding an idyllic look.

You can also place a fountain in your lawn. You can buy one and hire someone to install it in the garden or make one yourself.

Final Thoughts

Wedding preparation is tough. You’ll have countless issues, and nothing ever goes as planned. Having your own backyard as a wedding venue gives you the advantage of editing every detail of your environment.

You can have a Bohemian rustic wedding or a classy garden one; all the control is in your hands. Follow the ideas above and have your dream backyard wedding!