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:
Pictured above: An intimate backyard wedding reception for 24 in Washington. Setup and dinner provided by Miere Catering.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
Pictured above: An intimate backyard wedding in the Columbia River Gorge Oregon. Styled by The Slow Cult.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.