How do I Host a Wedding at Home?

When you host a wedding at home, it is important that you carefully consider the size of the home in light of the number of guests you plan to invite, that you seek quality wedding vendors, and that you make sure that you have suitable liability insurance. Many people are inexperienced at planning very large events, so it may be in your best interest to hire a wedding planner who is familiar with planning home weddings. In fact, unless you are planning on a very small and intimate wedding with less than 20 guests, you may wish to hire the wedding planner before deciding to have a wedding at home to ensure that your home is suitable for the kind of wedding you wish to have.

For many people, hosting a wedding at home is a good way to save money and to add a sentimental touch to a very significant life event. It's a good idea, though, to be realistic about the number of people your home can comfortably accommodate. You can hire a professional planner to assess your home, or you can consider how many people can comfortably fit in various areas of your home and whether you have enough bathroom facilities as well as a suitable kitchen for the preparation and serving of food. You should also consider whether you have enough space to properly hold the wedding ceremony so that your guests can be comfortably seated and view the nuptials. Be sure to talk to your insurance agent about whether you will need a rider on your insurance party that covers any accidents that take place during the wedding.

Contact wedding vendors early to find out if they have experience with home weddings. If you have a wedding at home, it can be tempting to prepare your own food, though many people find this to be an exhausting task that can interfere with the enjoyment of the wedding. Good caterers have experience in working in other people's kitchens and may be able to offer you some good tips on managing your wedding at home. One significant consideration is that of parking. While churches and reception halls typically have parking lots, it is unlikely that your home has space for more than one or two cars in your driveway. A valet parking company can assist you with this by providing valet parkers who can take your guest's cars and park them nearby. Another option is to have your guests park at a nearby parking lot, with the permission of the lot owner, and then hire a shuttle bus to bring guests back to your home.