Top 10 Backyard Outdoor Wedding Tips for a COVID-19 Wedding

There was a time when brides and grooms asked, “How much does a backyard wedding cost?” simply because they were looking for a way to save money. Although that’s still the case today, couples are now asking about backyard weddings because of COVID-19.

An outdoor wedding can be a great option for couples who want to get married during the pandemic because gathering with others is safer outdoors than it is indoors. Just make sure you consider these backyard wedding ideas because hosting a wedding outdoors can be a huge disaster if you aren’t prepared!

Wedding Guests Lounging Outside: For The Good Events, Bridal Makeup Look: The Every Girl, Backyard Wedding Reception: Intimate Weddings, Floating Bridal Bouquets: Wedding Forward

     1.  Consider the Date Very Carefully

You need to consider your date very carefully. You don’t want an outdoor wedding when it’s 90 degrees, but you don’t want an outdoor wedding when it’s 40 degrees either!

Some months are better for a backyard wedding than others. June, September, and October are best when it comes to weather. Frigid temperatures in December, January, and February, rain showers in March and April, and sweltering heat in July and August mean nuptials planned during these months may not go how you hoped.

Backyard Wedding Reception: Intimate Weddings, Floating Bridal Bouquets: Wedding Forward, Tree Decorated for a Wedding Ceremony: Woman Getting Married

     2.  Get Creative With Outdoor Wedding Venues

An outdoor wedding during COVID-19 is best planned in your very own backyard, but as venues and vendors are getting the hang of how to plan weddings with coronavirus guidelines in mind, you have many more options than you did when the outbreak first started.

Other types of outdoor weddings to consider include:

• Garden wedding
• Pool wedding
• Beach wedding
• Park wedding

If you are hosting your ceremony in your backyard, consider using your patio, deck, or porch during the ceremony and invite guests into the yard for drinks and appetizers so tables can be set up on the deck for dinner.

     3.  Work With the Space You Have Chosen

Don’t fight the outdoor space you have been given. For example, if your backyard wedding features a sloping yard, don’t worry about how it could ruin your day. When setting up the ceremony space, make sure you’re at the lowest point in the yard so guests are comfortable standing or sitting on blankets in the grass.

You also have to make sure you don’t overcrowd the space, especially when COVID-19 is still a threat. Even if it means a shorter guest list, you have to make sure you invite guests with plenty of room in the backyard to spare.

     4.  Have a Plan for Power

When you think of outdoor wedding essentials, you think about wedding supplies, your dress, and the cake. However, it’s the stuff working behind the scenes—like electricity—that is the most essential of all.

Make sure you have safe extension cords, and don’t put too many cords in the same outlet or power strip. It's especially important to consider renting generators. That way you don't blow a fuse or accidentally crash the power in the entire neighborhood.

     5.  Insurance and Permits

Hosting a backyard wedding sounds like it would be a breeze because you can avoid contracts and red tape. Unfortunately, you still need to consider insurance and permits.

Accidents can happen, and you want to make sure you have the right insurance to cover those possibilities.

From noise ordinances to fire codes and health department regulations, you also have to consider what permits you might need from your local city clerk's office.

Bridal Makeup Look: The Every Girl, Wedding Guests Lounging Outside: For The Good Events, Bride and Bridesmaids Walking Outdoors: Jordy B Photography

     6.  The Perfect Backyard Wedding Dress and Attire

As the bride, you can wear anything you want on your big day, but some make for a better backyard wedding dress than others. For example, a large ball gown is going to get dirty and take up a lot of space. A slinkier silhouette is probably a better choice.

Do your guests a favor and talk about recommended backyard wedding guest dress attire on their invites. It can be hard to know if the bride and groom are planning an upscale or a relaxed backyard fête!

     7.  Do Your Makeup Differently

Lighting and temperature come into play when it comes to outdoor wedding makeup. For example, you may love a glossy lip, but you won’t love pulling your hair out of your gloss every time a breeze blows by!

Less if often more when it comes to doing your makeup for an outdoor wedding. Blotting paper and waterproof mascara are must-haves.

If you can’t have a makeup artist with you on your big day due to budget or coronavirus restrictions, schedule a virtual consultation where they can walk you through makeup tips that are perfect for the outdoors.

     8.  Backyard Wedding Décor

There’s a lot to consider when shopping for wedding supplies and décor. You’ve got even more to consider when you’re shopping for outdoor wedding decorations.

First, you have to consider the wind. Even a small breeze can knock over votives and blow table cloths around. Choose heavy vase fillers to keep glass in place and tack table cloths to tables.

Flower make great backyard wedding décor, but they do require extra care because they can dry out easily. Use floral foam to keep bouquets hydrated and make sure all flower arrangements are placed in some kind of vessel, like a hanging bucket or a vase.

     9.  Backyard Wedding Food Ideas

Food safety has always been an important consideration, but it’s especially important during the coronavirus pandemic. Backyard wedding food ideas used to center around buffets, but they are especially dangerous when a deadly virus is so easily transmitted.

Grilling out or cooking yourself might be okay for a very intimate affair with immediate family members, but it really is best to hire a caterer for groups of more than 10. They know what rules to follow, ensuring the food is healthy and delicious, even during the coronavirus pandemic.

     10.  Have a Plan for Keeping Clean

Having a plan to clean up at the end of the event has always been part of what you need for a backyard wedding, but there’s even more to cleaning up if you’re planning your event during COVID-19.

Make sure you have plenty of soap in the bathroom and pass out individual bottles of hand sanitizer so guests can keep their hands clean.

You may also want to consider hiring a professional cleaning service to come in and sanitize everything before and after your event.