At Elite Wedding and Event Planning, we often love to work at more unique venues. Think rustic barns, lush vineyards, historic inns, and chic industrial buildings. We are definitely no strangers to outdoor wedding locations. As true event designers, there is nothing more incredible than completely transforming a space. In fact, we often say that our couples should be the architect of their wedding day. Planning a home wedding is uniquely rewarding in that respect – what better venue than a home wedding?
Although they can be incredible, there are some things to consider before planning a home wedding. This blog post was written to help you decide if a home wedding is really right for you, or if an outdoor tented wedding location elsewhere would be a better fit. If you are planning a home wedding or outdoor tented wedding in Upstate New York, you need to be sure you are up for the challenge (or hire someone who is!). You can read more about our full service wedding and design packages here.
Disadvantages to Planning a Home Wedding
We hate to be negative – but let’s get these out of the way first! You likely already know the positives. While we would love to say there aren’t any negatives, the truth is that there are things to consider before planning a wedding at home. First, in New York, COVID-related regulations are still quite harsh at the moment. You can only have up to 25 guests outdoors at the time of writing. In comparison, outdoor tented wedding venues give you the best of both worlds because they give you a fresh outdoor space (often in the middle of a multi-acre property), and they allow the structure that supports a larger guest list with the regulations as they sit right now. Of course, this can change at any moment, but right now you can have up to 200 guests at an outdoor tented wedding venue.
Another logistic to consider if you’re choosing a home wedding instead of a “proper” outdoor wedding venue is parking and lodging. Often times, private residences are not set up for parking or for guest lodging close by. You’ll have to arrange some sort of transportation or parking option for your guests, as well as provide accommodation options in the area. This is one of those things you don’t think about until it’s an issue, which is why it is so important to hire an experienced wedding planner. We cover what you “don’t know that you don’t know”.
Photo Credit: Here North Photography
Advantages to a Home Wedding Instead of a Traditional Wedding Venue
Home weddings have always been popular. Oftentimes, private properties can have a nostalgic element that draws couples in. They also allow for seemingly unlimited time for set up and take down. In most cases, they are one of the more flexible venues because you are literally building every element of your wedding day from the ground up. Every single thing – from flooring to your outdoor tent, to extra generators for electricity. This is a lot of work, but the best way to ensure you get everything you have dreamed of.
If the idea of a home wedding is drawing you in but it’s not logistically possible, don’t worry. Many of the couples we work with don’t live in Upstate New York. They come for the perfect destination for a wedding weekend. We usually recommend booking a private estate, farm, or vineyard to host an outdoor tented wedding. We have so many incredible and unique Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Berkshire wedding venues to consider.
Because we know that choosing your wedding venue is one of the most important decisions, we introduced a venue scouting service a few years ago. If you aren’t ready to commit to full wedding planning yet, our venue scouting service is a great option. Venue availability is likely going to be an issue for 2021 and 2022 weddings. Creating your own wedding venue from a private estate is becoming even more appealing. Just make sure that you have a wedding planner to keep you on track with local guidelines and all of the logistical concerns!
Planning an Outdoor Wedding in Upstate New York
If you are at the beginning stages of your wedding planning journey, make sure to check out our different wedding planning and design services here. We would love to support you throughout your wedding planning journey, and you can contact us here to set up a complimentary consultation. We have been planning and designing weddings from the ground up here in Upstate New York for over eight years. You can trust us when we say that we’ll think of everything so that you don’t have to. Although we highly recommend hiring someone to help you plan your wedding from start to finish, you can find out more about our venue scouting services here if you only need help with the first step in your journey.
