A backyard wedding celebration in Nashville, TN!

3 reasons why you should have a backyard wedding!

What things to consider, and a list of what you’ll need.

Hi - I’m Alice! A Nashville wedding photographer who shoots 35mm film and digital.

In my late teens through my early twenties I photographed a lot of weddings… only to realize that I didn’t love how so many of the most beautiful and sacred moments of a wedding day were turned into a check-list for the couple to go through. Every wedding began to feel the same, and I didn’t have the heart to continue. Fast forward to my thirties, and I now capture intimate weddings for couples who want to do something truly unique and true-to-them to celebrate their once-in-a-lifetime day!

Backyard weddings are quickly becoming one of my favorite kinds of weddings to photograph, at it makes it that much more personal to the couple!

A backyard wedding in Brentwood, TN.

Here are 3 things that will let you know that a backyard wedding is right for you if…

1. You want your wedding to be small, intimate and private.

2. You want to be able to choose your own vendors, rather than have them provided for you by a venue.

3. You want to invest more on the things that you love, like a non-traditional wedding expense, putting together your new home, or an epic honeymoon.

If you’re in agreement with those, here are a few things to consider for your backyard wedding:

1. Have a plan for parking. If street parking isn’t an option, consider asking a neighborhood church or school if people can park and be shuttled from there.

2. When it comes to the decor, take into consideration what plants and trees are in the backyard, and hire someone who can use florals and decor to tie it all in together. It will make the theme and aesthetic flow.

3. Check in to find out what the neighborhood noise ordinance is. Plan to make sure any festivities involving speakers and music are over before the cutoff time so as to not disturb your neighbors or get fined.

4. If the house/pool/garage does not have easy to access bathrooms from the yard, you’ll need to hire a company to setup outdoor bathrooms.

Wedding shot on 35mm black & white film.

A list of items to consider for your backyard wedding:

• Ceremony setting or backdrop

• Ceremony Chairs

• Ceremony Decor

• A tent as a backup in case of rain

• Reception Chairs or benches

• Dinner Tables

• Serving Tables

• Gifts Table

• Guest Book Table

• Dessert Table

• Bar/drinks table

• Place Settings

• Linens for tables

• Centerpieces and decor

• Dance Floor

• Lighting and speaker system

• Catering and a dessert

• Generators if you’re going to have lots of lights and speakers

• Portable Restrooms if your home’s isn’t easy to access

• Trash and recycling bins

Nashville wedding photographer capturing a backyard wedding in Brentwood, TN.

Thomas & Holly’s backyard wedding celebration was a dream! With a light breeze and temps in the mid to high 70’s, it could not have been a more perfect day! We took photos with dad’s baby blue Mercedes convertible, family and friends came and enjoyed a surplus of favorite home-cooked items and drinks. There was a cake cutting, kids ran around and played all afternoon in the sun, and there was, of course, a few family traditions.

If you are looking for a sign to have a backyard wedding… this is surely it.