In between the elaborate 300-person wedding inspo on Pinterest and the adventurous two-person elopements that dot our Instagram stories, there’s a sweet little section of weddings that glimmer just enough to catch our eyes.
Intimate backyard weddings have the potential to be just as luxe as a Pinterest-worthy wedding and as sentimental as a two-person elopement – it’s all in how you plan them, experience them, and capture them.
If you and your partner find the shimmer of an intimate backyard wedding particularly alluring but aren’t quite sure how to go about planning, organizing, or experiencing a wedding like this, you’re in the perfect place.
Let’s walk through the basics of a backyard wedding and what you need to know about planning this kind of intimate-but-elevated wedding.
In this article:
- Everything to Know About an Intimate Backyard Wedding
- Is a Backyard Wedding Right For You?
- Must-Have Creative Vendors to Consider for Your Intimate Backyard Wedding
- Your Budget & Your Small Wedding – Where & When to Splurge
- Unforgettable Moments Deserve an Intimate Wedding Photographer to Capture Them
Pictured above: An intimate backyard wedding reception for 24 in Washington. Setup and dinner provided by Miere Catering.
Everything to Know About an Intimate Backyard Wedding
Too often, we hear the words “backyard wedding,” and we see a particular image pop up in our mind’s eye.
We might think casual. DIY. A Bluetooth speaker, folding chairs, and the not-quite-landscaped backdrop of our parent’s fenced backyard. Firstly, nothing is wrong with that visual, but if you’re chasing a more elevated, luxe wedding that aligns with your vision of a dream wedding experience, it might not feel like it fits.
Here’s the plot twist: An intimate backyard wedding doesn’t have to mean any of these things if you don’t want it to.
Just like any kind of wedding, an intimate wedding with the right approach can be elevated, intentional, and executed with the same precision as a traditional wedding or elopement.
You truly can create a day that’s beautifully personal, captured with elegance, and full of incredible vendor support without ever needing to sacrifice elegance or ease.
Is a Backyard Wedding Right For You?
If you learn one thing from this blog, let it be this: An intimate backyard wedding truly isn’t about the location.
It’s all about the experience you want to create – intimate, meaningful, flexible, and personal.
If you’re on the fence about an intimate backyward wedding, consider some of these reasons couples choose an intimate backyard setting over other types of weddings:
- You want a personal, meaningful space. Whether it’s a family home, a rented estate, or a private venue with stunning outdoor space, backyard weddings allow for an intimate atmosphere that feels deeply connected to you, your vision, and your love story.
- You want more flexibility in design and timeline. Traditional venues often come with rules you can’t get around – set decor restrictions, required vendor lists, and strict timelines. With a backyard wedding, you can curate every detail to fit your vision.
- You want to focus on quality over quantity. Backyard weddings, by nature, mean smaller guest lists – that means more budget flexibility to prioritize things like a top-tier intimate wedding photographer, an incredible culinary experience, a live band, videography, florals, or whatever is most important to you.
Those reasons? All great considerations. But remember, intimate backyard weddings also require a little additional planning you wouldn’t have to consider with other kinds of weddings.
You might need to add vendors like rentals, navigate catering logistics, and plan for weather contingencies. With the right team? It’s all totally doable.
Pictured above: An intimate backyard wedding reception for 24 in Washington. Setup and dinner provided by Miere Catering.
A Backyard Micro Wedding vs. Traditional Wedding Venues
The beautiful thing about a backyard wedding is that it gives you almost complete control. While traditional weddings and their venues can be super flexible, you’re always going to have more creative control with a smaller venue.
Wondering how a backyard wedding stacks up against a traditional venue? Here are just a few considerations:
- Cost: Backyard weddings can be more flexible because they often let you spend your budget on the elements that you care most about. Traditional venues often have fixed pricing with packages that include tables, chairs, and catering.
- Customization: Backyard weddings are completely customizable – you can usually choose your vendors, timeline, and style. Traditional venues may have restrictions based on their own policies.
- Guest Count: Backyard weddings are typically smaller due to space limitations, whereas traditional venues can accommodate larger guest lists.
A Backyard Wedding vs. An Elopement
Elopements are usually all about an immersive, personal experience in a breathtaking setting – just for the couple or with their closest people included. Backyard weddings give you the chance to bring that same intimacy into a space where you can celebrate with a circle of loved ones.
If you’re drawn to the idea of an intimate wedding but feel like you might lean more toward a luxury elopement or a destination elopement, here’s a little side-by-side comparison to think about.
- Guest List: An elopement can include guests, but you’ll probably limit yourself to 10-15 at most. An intimate backyard wedding can ensure you keep things private but gives you room to invite 30-60 people if that’s what makes you happy.
- Venue Flexibility: An elopement or destination elopement gives you the flexibility to truly have your wedding venue anywhere, whereas an intimate backyard wedding can be in a private home, rented estate, boutique outdoor space, etc. There are pros and cons to each, but you’ll always have more flexibility with an elopement because there are typically fewer people to consider.
- Vendors: Truthfully, nowadays, there’s no limit to the vendors you can add to your wedding vision for any kind of wedding. You might have more options to choose from if you’re not eloping in a wild destination, but the difference here is pretty negligible.
- Experience: An elopement usually focuses more on a “just us,” personalized adventure, although multi-day elopements with guest lists can feel like more of a micro-wedding. An intimate backyard wedding is more of a blend of an intimate gathering with some elements of a traditional wedding day mixed in.
Choosing the Right Backyard Micro Wedding Venue
Just because you’re chasing the intimacy and privacy of a backyard wedding doesn’t necessarily mean it has to happen in your own backyard.
There are endless possibilities for having your own intimate wedding. Here are just a few ideas to get your backyard wedding venue creativity flowing.
- Your Own Home or a Loved One’s Yard: You could totally embrace the backyard sentiment – especially if you or someone you love has a stunning space you can coordinate and decorate to make your own.
- Airbnb & Private Estates: There are so many beautiful, hidden gem spots out there that feel like a backyard but come with some extra amenities. I have a list of must-see spaces like this in Oregon and Washington.
- Boutique Inns or Bed & Breakfasts: Some smaller inns offer private outdoor spaces that give a backyard feel with the bonus of built-in accommodations.
- Wineries & Orchards: These locations often have beautiful open-air spaces that feel intimate while still being well-maintained and event-ready.
- Private Gardens: Some botanical gardens or estate properties offer rentals for intimate weddings, giving you a curated outdoor space with natural beauty.
- Glamping & Retreat Spaces: For a mix of adventure and comfort, a private retreat with cozy cabins or safari tents can give a backyard feel with extra amenities.
Pictured above: An intimate backyard wedding in the Columbia River Gorge Oregon. Styled by The Slow Cult.
Must-Have Creative Vendors to Consider for Your Small Backyard Wedding
No matter what kind of wedding day you’re picturing, there’s one universal truth I think couples should know: Creative wedding vendors can elevate your experience in ways you can’t even imagine.
Here are just a few that I know could take an intimate backyard wedding and create a luxurious experience you want to relive over and over:
- Intimate Wedding Photographer
- Caterers & Private Chefs
- Hair & Makeup Artists
- Florists & Flower Artists
- Wedding Planners & Day-of Coordinators
- Rentals & Decor
- Wedding Content Creators
- Musicians
I have a full list of must-consider creative wedding vendors right here that I think every couple should see before they start planning their dream wedding experience.
Pictured above: Talented vendors from top left to right; BHLDN wedding dress, VRAI rings, Kailoha Event Co designed reception with Terra Floral Design Studio florals, Catbird bridal jewelry, Tangled Roots florals, Whit Marie HMUA, Miere Catering brunch spread, The Slow Cult reception design and florals, Vueve Clicquot, cake by Lady Grey.
Your Budget & Your Micro Wedding – Where & When to Splurge
One of the most beautiful aspects of a backyard wedding is its ability to be customized – especially when it comes to your budget. You have the freedom to flex and twist your budget as needed to focus on the things you care the most about (and ditch the need to spend on things that don’t matter to you).
In most cases, you’re not tied to a pre-set package or venue minimums. That means you get to decide exactly where your money goes.
If you don’t care about extravagant florals, don’t spend on them.
If food isn’t your top priority, put that budget toward an incredible photographer instead.
Here’s how to make your small wedding budget work for you and what matters to you:
- The Non-Negotiables: What parts of your wedding matter most to you? Whether it’s jaw-dropping florals, an incredible photographer, or a gourmet dining experience, this is where to splurge.
- Save on What You Don’t Care About: If you’re a foodie, feel free to drop a big portion of your budget on that. But you’re not into stationery? Great – go digital for invites so you can allocate that to your culinary experience. Prioritizing experience over decor? Rent a space that’s naturally beautiful.
- Flex Your Budget for Impact: A smaller guest list means you can upgrade certain details. Because you’re not spending as much of your budget on food, drinks, and gifts for guests (becasue your guest list is so much smaller), you can allocate that money where you want to spend it.
When you’re intentional about where your money goes because you’re focused on what you want most, you create a wedding that feels luxurious in all the ways that actually matter to you.
Pictured above: Intimate backyard ceremony setup by The Slow Cult.
Unforgettable Moments Deserve an Intimate Wedding Photographer to Capture Them
An intimate backyard wedding isn’t about sacrificing elegance or budget – it’s about creating a wedding experience that fits your vision. You have the chance to create a wedding experience that’s deeply personal, focused on your most important elements, and full of the people (and details) that take up the most room in your heart.
With the right planning and vendor team, your intimate backyard wedding can be as stunning and seamless as any traditional venue celebration. Part of that perfect team? A microwedding photographer who documents each and every detail of your day.
When you’re ready to talk about effortlessly capturing your backyard wedding in all its unique beauty, I’m here to help.
