One of the most significant aspects of wedding preparation is finding a location; it decides how many guests will attend, the ambience and dress code, and the intimacy of your wedding. However, booking a venue might be difficult, particularly during the busy wedding season. As a result, many couples have chosen a different manner to celebrate their wedding.
Airbnb properties have evolved past being only a lodging service, with houses that allow for bigger events and gatherings, which can include weddings. This offers a new way of looking for a wedding venue, allowing for a new set of options and opportunities for you to plan your wedding. Here you will find every tip you will need to host your own Airbnb backyard wedding, as well as some things to consider before diving into this new trend.
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Find a Wedding-Friendly Airbnb
Even though this kind of wedding is a trend that’s on the rise, a majority of Airbnb properties don’t allow weddings to be hosted on their grounds. Because of this, you should look for properties that specifically mention their service to be wedding-friendly. If unsure about this, it is advised to contact the host directly and ask if they’re willing to host a wedding or if they have experience already with these events.
Consider Renting Multiple Properties
Airbnbs are lodging properties, therefore, sometimes one single property won’t offer you enough space for all your guests or activities. This might steer you away from one option, but you can always check for nearby Airbnbs that could work as a second venue or that are near the first one.
You can consider using two neighboring venues as one, or maybe rent out two properties located nearby and use them for different activities. Some couples decide to do the ceremony at one place but the reception at a second venue. This strategy can help with the logistics of your wedding and the reduced space your Airbnb venue might have.
Decorate your Venue
These properties will rarely be designed to host big events, and as such, you should consider investing time or part of your budget to decorate. Decorating will be your best tool to fully personalize your venue and turn it into the wedding of your dreams. This will also allow you to make your Airbnb look and feel as a regular wedding venue.
You can go over the top with floral arrangements, arches or structures such as our flower arch backdrop, lighting and many other decorations to enhance your venue. Good chair and table rentals are also a great way to elevate the look of your venue, or even invest in DIY options for customized furniture, which you can personalize with our spandex chair covers.
Host Both Ceremony and Reception
If you decide to host your wedding at an Airbnb and the property has big enough spaces available, you should consider hosting both the ceremony and reception of your wedding at the venue. This can reduce costs of doing the ceremony in a separate venue and optimize the time in your schedule.
However, this only works if your Airbnb rental is spacious enough, so make sure to be on the lookout for big properties, as it can be even more budget friendly than renting two venues. This will allow you to host different activities in different parts of the property, as well as maximize the use of both indoor and outdoor areas.
Rent a Mobile Bar
Airbnb weddings can usually struggle to find a property with a setup prepared to serve drinks to a large number of guests. This can often make it difficult for their catering vendor to manage the bartending service. On the other hand, mobile bars are a great solution for this kind of wedding, since it allows for easy and quick setup, as well as clean up.
A mobile bar lets you customize the service to your beverage preferences, offering you and your guests a curated experience. All this while simplifying the logistics and time of your wedding.
Consider a Staying-Together Experience
Some couples decide to have very intimate weddings, where their families and close friends are near them during their wedding day. Airbnb weddings encourage this kind of closeness since it allows your loved ones to be with you before and after the wedding.
Having an all day experience with those closest to you will create many memories and let you have special moments with your family and friends.
Arrange Extra Amenities
Something to consider if you’re planning to have an Airbnb backyard wedding is that you might not be provided with all the amenities you require to host a wedding, especially if you have a long guestlist. Most properties won’t have enough bathrooms for 8 people to use them at one, and you should be mindful of that.An easy solution is renting portable restrooms or bathroom trailers, as well as providing your guests toiletries and decorative accents.
Seek Vendor Recommendations
When you manage to find an Airbnb property that allows you to host events, you will likely not be their first event, which means they have already worked with many vendors from the area. Knowing this, after you book the property, you can ask the host if they know about any vendors around the area. Those who have already worked with events will know a few names and tell you about their experience with them.
Trust Your Vision
You should always go with what your heart tells you to do as a couple, and the great thing about an Airbnb wedding is that they offer you a wide variety of options. This allows for your vision to be realized when you choose the venue of your dreams.
