At-Home Weddings: How to Make Your House Party Feel Special

Hire a Team of Top-Notch Vendors

Even though your home wedding may be on a smaller scale in terms of the guest list, budget, and design, it’s a wise idea to carry on with your plans to hire top-notch vendors who know how to get the job done. Smaller and intimate weddings often require more dazzling than large-scale events at massive venues designed to host weddings, notes Roby.

“Guests do not want to feel as if they are not being taken care of and that your home wedding should have been at a venue with staff,” he says. “Have enough staff on site to consider every touchpoint from restrooms to seating to refills and it’ll transform the feel of your wedding.”

Highlight the Property’s Best Focal Points

Wedding planner Lisa Costin of A Charming Fete recommends taking a high-level look at your home property to determine the best ways to work with the existing environment. “Whether it’s a grand foyer with a spiral staircase, beautifully manicured gardens, a lavish pool area that’s perfect for cocktail hour and floating blooms, a sprawling lawn fit for a dining tent and live band, or a hundred-year-old tree that could be beautifully adorned with fresh floral, each home offers unique and special opportunities,” she says.

Embrace Your Time at Home

Just as you would at a wedding venue, Costin recommends making use of all areas of your home that are afforded to you. One great idea she has is to transform one of the rooms into a bridal getting-ready suite. “Change the drapes, add fresh flowers and a mimosa bar and create a beautiful space for your pre-ceremony photos,” she says.

Repurpose Family Furniture

Another way Ang recommends paying homage to your home in a personalized way is by using a special table at the ceremony area instead of renting a table and linen. “You could incorporate your family china, glassware, or candlesticks into the table décor,” she says. “These little touches make the wedding design more personal and special.”

Of course, you can also copy this idea for your reception by moving a table, chest, or bookcase from your home and turning it into a stunning escort card display, guest book table, or bar.

Incorporate Personal Touches

Since home weddings tend to be smaller in size, Ang suggests adding some personalized elements throughout, such as leaving a handwritten note on each place setting for your guests to read as they sit down for dinner. “This is hard to do for a 200-plus person wedding, but when you have 30 people in your backyard, it might actually be achievable!” she says. 

Elevate the Experience

An at-home wedding may afford you a greater budget for certain elements of your wedding day that you hadn’t originally planned. “For example, you could work with your caterer on creating a tasting menu with wine pairings, add a whisky tasting experience after dinner or even hire live musicians in place of a DJ,” suggests Ang. “Other ways to elevate the experience include having a firepit set up after dinner where guests can roast their own s'mores or ordering blankets with each guest's initials as a way to keep warm outdoors and take home as a keepsake.”

Utilize Indoor Space

While we typically think of backyard weddings at home, inviting guests inside will make everyone feel welcome—and will give you the option of a rain plan if you need it. “Think about the entrance point for guests and flow, create a special entrance to the wedding whether it’s a floral lined or bistro lit path to the backyard or an elegant entry through a floral arch at the front door with a beautifully stacked champagne tower in the foyer," Costin advises.

Don't Forget Your Exit Plan

Just because you're hosting your wedding at your home, doesn’t deprive you of the chance to relish in a traditional send-off as newlyweds, notes Roby.

“The last thing you want to do is be the couple aimlessly walking around your home trying to figure out how to end your wedding experience with guests,” he says. “Have fireworks, sparklers, confetti cannons, you name it, but allow your sendoff to have the same level of energy as you would when ringing in a new year.” In addition to creating a true “end” to your wedding, this type of send-off helps solidify all of the fun your guests had at your wedding.