8 Ways to Prepare your Outdoor Space for an At-home Wedding

Contributed by Kacey Bradley

Nothing is quite as intimate and cozy as an at-home wedding in the great outdoors. But, there's a few tips you should keep in mind to turn tying the knot outside into a breeze. Here's a look at 8 ways you can prep your outdoor arrangements for the upcoming big day.

1. Personalize Your Space
One of the biggest perks of throwing a wedding at your home is having the freedom to customize your space entirely to your needs.

Let your style and personality reflect your outdoor decor and arrangements. Because it's your home, you can add any details you please! Whether you decide to hang up personalized banners or trickle rose petals across your front lawn, one of the best ways to prep for an outdoor wedding is to let go of boundaries and fully customize your space.

2. Get Organized
You don't want your guests to fumble over hoses and rakes on your wedding day, right? Never underestimate the importance of giving your outdoor area a good ol' cleaning.

There are many different ways to organize the outside of your home, so you can add a touch of personalization to your sense of organization, too. Use flattering furniture that doubles as storage to store away tools, lawn equipment and general outdoor accessories.

3. Incorporate the Theme
You may have your indoor decorations down to the T, but can you claim the same for your outdoor arrangements, too? Establish a theme that is apparent both indoors and outside.

If you don't have a theme already in place, now's the perfect time to brainstorm one! Themes contribute to a memorable experience. As an added bonus, they make your wedding day photos even more personal, too.

4. Invest in a Tent
No matter where you live, the weather goes by its own schedule. While outdoor plans may leave you vulnerable to the elements, an easy way to safeguard your wedding from unpredictable weather is to set up a tent to comfortably protect your guests.

Tents provide shade in hot temperatures and protection against water when it rains or snows. Do a headcount of your guest list to invest in the perfectly proportioned tent for your festivities.

5. Check for Pests
Make sure that your guests are the only ones digging into your delicious dishes on the day of your wedding by ridding your outdoor space of pests and bugs beforehand.

If you notice any bee or hornets nests, you'll want to remove them safely with the help of an expert. Remove any free standing water, leaves or piled up debris in your yard to deter small animals from visiting your lawn.

If you plan to eat outdoors at your wedding, light some citronella candles to ward off insects and other pests. On your wedding day, your human guests should be the only one enjoying your food!

6. Prep the Furniture

Chances are, you won't have enough seating or tables available on-hand to accommodate all of your guests. To minimize your costs, consider hiring a rental company to supply you with all of your outdoor furnishings required for the event.

7. Don't Forget the Lights
The darkness may be romantic and mysterious, but nothing spells disaster quite like navigating through an outdoor space without lighting.

Make a landscape lighting plan and decide which area of your space you want to brighten up during your big day. Common areas that often require additional lighting include dance floors, dining areas, pathways and anywhere guests will be seated.

Soft lights add to the ambiance and can really tie together the look of your wedding. You don't have to settle for harsh lights. Consider using Chinese lanterns, candles or string lights when possible.

8. Envision Your Wedding Day
The best way to prepare your outdoor space for a wedding is to create a mental image of how you picture your actual wedding day. Never go into your preparation blindly to avoid potential confusion or unwanted arrangements.

Discuss your plans with your soon-to-be-bride or groom and come to an agreement on your outdoor must-have accessories, decor and festivities. Then, the next step is to put these actions in motion so that you can successfully enjoy the big day!

Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Ruffled, and more!

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!

6 Things To Remember When Planning A Backyard Wedding

by guest blogger Kacey Bradley of The Drifter Collective

Whether you're returning to your childhood home to walk down the aisle or opening your home for a pair of lovebirds, a backyard wedding is a unique occasion that comes with responsibilities. Backyard weddings are a personal and fun way to exchange vows, but you need to consider a few extra things to host the outdoor celebration. Here are six things to remember when planning a backyard wedding.

1. Legal Requirements

One vital consideration many people don't know is that backyard weddings require a permit under certain conditions. When the wedding guest list is extensive, or you're going to provide porta-potties, you may need a permit. Avoid a visit from the police due to a noise disturbance during the celebration by contacting the proper authorities first.

Contact your county or city government to get a limited special occasion permit. There may be regulations for parking, zoning and fire safety that they'll update you on. You also might need to talk to your local health department.

2. Sufficient Power Source

Weddings take lots of planning and logistics when it comes to decorating, making guests happy and providing conveniences. Lights, the DJ or band's equipment, technology and sound equipment all need to be plugged in, which means you'll need a power source. The catering staff or food vendors probably need power to prepare and store their creations, too.

Use a generator for the special day, so you don't risk compromising the main house's power or even the whole block's. If your original plan to provide power fails, you'll need a backup source.

3. Neighbors

People can file noise complaints against their neighbors for many reasons — from disturbing airport noise to turning up the TV too loudly. To prevent disturbing neighbors with unexpected noise or parking that blocks their car in, warn the neighborhood about the event. If you're upfront about how long the wedding and celebration will last, you can keep neighbors happy. Inform them where people will be parking, what hour people will start to arrive and how many people will be attending.

Whether neighbors decide to avoid the event by going out of town or choosing to stay indoors, their experience will be more convenient. Also, if the neighbors tend to be noisy, you can politely ask them to refrain from playing any loud music or having a party on the same day.

4. Yard Maintenance

Backyard weddings are a natural and intimate setting, but you'll need to manicure the yard for a satisfactory backdrop on the special day. Make sure to get landscaping work completed a few weeks or days before the celebration so it will be easier to set up the tent, tables, chairs, photo booth and dance floor.

Summer and spring weddings also need constant yard upkeep to feature a backyard extravaganza, because flowers need to be cultivated to bloom. For a warm-season wedding, prevent bugs from swarming your backyard, so your guests aren't swatting the air during the vows.

5. Parking

The average driver spends approximately 17 hours each year searching for parking spots — don't let your backyard wedding be another source of parking troubles. Help the guests find their parking spots around the backyard venue. Your area may require you to obtain a parking permit, too.

For neighborhoods with street parking, check the laws and restrictions. Make sure your guests can leave their vehicles during the hours of the wedding. If the backyard is large, you may be able to rope off an area and put up signs to show guests where to leave their cars.

6. Backup Plan

Outdoor weddings involve risk because weather forecasts are often wrong. Backyard weddings can also be challenging because stormy weather can push people indoors, and your house may not be able to comfortably hold all the guests. A tent can save the day if it starts to rain.

Don't dwell on what could go wrong but do plan for the worst. Whatever happens, make sure the wedding can still proceed successfully, despite the weather conditions or any hiccups.

Throw a Successful Backyard Wedding

Backyard weddings can be an affordable and lovely setting, but there are a few things you'll have to plan before the big day to make sure the event runs smoothly. Once you've checked off your to-do list, enjoy the celebration you've organized.

Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Ruffled, and more!

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!

The Importance of Having a Rain Plan for your Wedding Day

The Importance of Having a Rain Plan for Your Wedding Day by guest blogger Kacey Bradley of The Drifter Collective

Whether you're getting married on a warm spring weekend or a chilly autumn evening, you need to plan your wedding festivities around whatever the weather may throw at you. Rain, snow or shine, the day must go on.

If you cringe at the thought of rain on your wedding day, you're not alone. It's difficult to consider the possibility that such an important event might not live up to your expectations. No matter how much you don't want to think about it though, you need to have a plan for dealing with rainy weather, especially if you're having an outdoor wedding.

You don't have to rely on perfect weather to have a great wedding. By creating a rain plan for your wedding day, you can put control over your celebration back into your own hands.

Spare Yourself Last-Minute Stress

One reason you need to have a backup plan for your wedding is to spare yourself the last-minute stress of adjusting. On your wedding day, you don't want to be scrambling to change your plans. Regardless of whether or not it rains, you should be able to relax and enjoy the moment.

Having a rain plan allows you to enjoy your wedding with the knowledge that everything will work itself out. By planning, you ensure that you'll be able to focus on your love instead of the weather.

Avoid last-minute stress by including a chance of rain in your wedding planning from the start. Talk to your venue about their options for weather mishaps. And if you're holding an outdoor wedding no matter what, book a tent even before you know the weather forecast. Make sure you work with vendors who have experience accommodating clients no matter the climate.

Keep Your Guests Comfy

Having a backup plan also allows you to provide accommodations to keep yourself and your guests as comfortable as possible. If you're worried about the possibility of rain or chilly weather, consider how you can stay warm and dry without stopping the fun.

There are plenty of ways to keep guests warm and happy at a rainy outdoor wedding. You might plan to serve hot drinks, hand out blankets or provide cute umbrellas that match your wedding's color scheme.

If you're holding your reception outdoors under a tent, also consider how you can warm your covered spaces. Attendees will thank you for providing space heaters. By keeping your guests comfortable, you can ensure that they'll enjoy your wedding day despite the weather.

Protect Your Decor

Planning for rain on your wedding day also helps protect your decor from damage. Whether you want to protect the DIY decorations you made or the rented furniture you'll need to return in mint condition, your rain plan should include steps to shield your outdoor materials from harm.

In the event of rain, keep all delicate decorations like flowers and paper ornaments underneath your tent. To avoid paying damage fees for furniture, consider renting pieces made to withstand wear from the elements like wooden furniture that is made for the outdoors. The right wood benches should have no trouble standing up to a little rain.

By choosing your decor carefully and protecting it from damage, you'll ensure your wedding looks as beautiful in the rain as it does in your imagination.

Enjoy the Moment

On your wedding day, you and your partner should enjoy sharing your love with your friends and family. No weather should stop you from doing that.

Set up rain plans with your hair and makeup artists as well as your photographer so that the only thing you must worry about is enjoying yourself. Waterproof mascara goes a long way whether it's raining or not.

Even if it rains on your wedding day, feel confident that everything will work itself out. If you're enjoying yourself, nothing can ruin your day. Embrace the weather, whatever it may be, and focus on this special moment.

Plan for Anything

Though most couples prefer clear skies on their wedding day, people can't control the weather. However, you don't have to surrender your plans to storm clouds. A rainy wedding day can hold buckets of magic and excitement.

By planning for all weather possibilities, you can make sure that you and your guests will have a memorable experience for the right reasons.

Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Ruffled, and more!

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!