New Hampshire Backyard Wedding: Backyard Wedding Planning Guide

weddings

Feb 17

Patrice & Kayne wanted the most relaxed experience for their day surrounded by family with good food, and lots of laughs. This blended family decided on a backyard wedding. When they booked me I never expected that they lived on a gorgeous lake, but once I saw their home I fell in love with the beautiful backyard wedding vision from Patrice.

They kept the day simple with their ceremony, reception, and dancing all happening in the same place. This Swiftie loving couple also had a Taylor Swift playlist ready to fire as soon as their portraits were over. So how do you plan the best backyard wedding?

The answer is simplicity. Your backyard wedding should have everything you want with nothing you don’t. What’s the average cost for a backyard wedding of around 100 guests? Let’s add it up! Please keep in mind these are average nationwide costs.

Rentals:

Tent with sidewalls: $1,500-$3,000
Tables & Chairs: $1,000-$2,000
Dance Floor: $300-$700
Lighting: $800-$2,000
Delivery & Set Up: $100-$400
Portable Toilets: $900-$2,500
Total = $4,600-$10,600

Catering & Bar:

Generally a caterer comes with plates, cups, and everything you need to serve a meal. That’s not a rule though and you should definitely check!

Food truck or BBQ Catering: $3,500-$7,000+
or
Traditional Catering: $7,000-$15,000+
Mobile Bar: $3,000-$6,000+
Total = $7,500 - $21,000

Other Vendors:

DJ: $1,800-$4,000+
or
Band: $6,000-$12,000+
Photographer: $3,000-$8,000+
Videographer: $4,000-$8,000+
Florist: $4,500-$10,000+
Officiant: $400-$1,200+
Bridal Attire: $1,200-$2,500+
Groom Attire: $250-$800+
Stationary & Signage/Decor: $400-$2,000
Total = $15,550-$44,500

On the low end of things you can expect to pay around $27,650 for a 100 person backyard wedding. Can you find amazing deals or cut out the things which matter a little less? Absolutely. These are again just average costs nationwide. I have also see high end backyard weddings which probably cost in the ballpark of $76,100 as I have listed above. There’s no right or wrong way and the best part of having a backyard wedding is being able to say no to the things which truly don’t matter, and invest in the things that are important.