Where the Heart Is- A Romantic Backyard Wedding in Montgomery, MN
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about many changes to our world, and to the wedding industry, but one thing I have been so impressed with is the way couples have been thinking outside of the box when it comes to planning their weddings. Elopements, micro-weddings and backyard weddings have surged in popularity. After getting engaged in fall of 2020, Piper & JT made the brave decision to jump into wedding planning during a time that was full of unknowns and what ifs. What started as a plan to “play it safe” amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, quickly shifted into something much more meaningful as we worked together over the course of 10 months to plan a beautiful wedding right in the groom’s parents’ backyard! Read on for tips and tricks to planning your own backyard wedding as well as some fantastic inspiration. You won’t believe this backyard isn’t an actual venue!!
The Venue
With plenty of space for an outdoor ceremony, gorgeous panoramic views of rural MN and two almost too convenient pole barn buildings, groom JT’s parents’ home in Montgomery, MN was the perfect location for a backyard wedding. The setting was gorgeous, the place was meaningful to the couple and in the midst of a pandemic, it was comforting to know we wouldn’t lose the venue should we have to postpone the date!
The backyard itself had plenty of options for where to place the ceremony, but the couple ultimately decided upon getting married underneath the giant, willow tree and I don’t think they could’ve chosen a more perfect spot. Giant wooden doors at the back of the aisle provided the perfect opportunity for a grand entrance from the wedding party and bride.
For the reception seating, the couple and their families transformed one of their pole barns (usually reserved for storage and large utility vehicles) in the months leading up to the wedding by refinishing the cement floors, hanging string lighting from the ceiling, building a gorgeous wooden pallet backdrop and polishing it all off with farm tables and chivari chair rentals from The Seatery. In front of the pole barn, a large concrete slab provided a dance floor under the stars, and more string lights made that outdoor space come alive as well!
Rentals from The Fond Collective added a touch of romance and comfort in several spaces. A small covered area typically reserved for wood storage became a photo-booth guestbook room. And an outdoor tent provided another covered space for guest and included a welcoming lounge area.
If you are considering a backyard wedding, there are some VERY important details to think through ahead of time. You may think you will be saving a lot of dough by avoiding venue rental fees, but in reality, it can cost you just as much if not more to host your wedding at home! You will be transforming a home into a venue space, which requires more than just tents, tables and chairs. Consider and research the following things before making your final decision:
Parking You will need ample space for guests to park and if there isn’t space on your property you’ll need to check with neighbors and/or city ordinances about street parking options.
Restrooms It’s unlikely that whomever is hosting will want 100+ guests traipsing in and out of their personal bathrooms in the home. Consider renting portable luxury restroom trailers and leave the house bathrooms for wedding party and elderly guests.
Refrigerated trailer Considering saving money by providing your own beverages? Great! Just make sure you have some place to store them to keep them cool. Other items that may require a large refrigerated space? Dessert, florals and other food items!
Garbage Consider that not only will you need several trash receptacles placed around your “venue”, but you will also need a place to discard garbage as bags fill up. Remember, this clean up task would normally fall on the venue, so unless your wedding planner or caterer happen to be willing to take it on, you’ll need to find a very generous family member or friend to be on garbage duty!
Being realistic about these less than glamorous details ahead of time can help make planning a backyard wedding much less stressful! And if your home can accommodate all of these things, then you have the amazing opportunity to create an event that is totally customized to your needs, style and the meaningful details that matter most to you as a couple!
Meaningful Details
Bride & groom, Piper & JT, met at NDSU as they were both members of the track team. So when it came time to pick an officiant for their wedding, they went with someone who meant a lot to both of them: their track coach! This choice led to a ceremony that was one of the most personal ones I’ve seen in awhile. The message was short, sweet and simple and centered around the details of their relationship. It was beautiful. And this wasn’t the only vendor connected to their alma mater! When deciding last minute to add-on a videographer to their day, they went with another NDSU connection and booked Hinton Productions. (Videographer Kelle’mon had run track with JT there!) Their shared love of track was also highlighted in some of their décor!
Speaking of shared interests, there is probably nothing this couple loves more than their dog, Scarlett. So of course we made sure to include her in the special day! Scarlett got to get ready with the gals, wear a beautiful floral collar and tutu and even have her own special walk down the aisle as “pup of honor”. She was also featured in the reception as one of their signature cocktails, a vodka cranberry, was appropriately named “The Scarlett”.
Piper & JT spent many hours in the beginning of their relationship at JT’s parents’ home in Montgomery. So the idea of getting married there was about more than just the convenience in a pandemic. It was a truly meaningful space for them as a couple.
On one of the very first times Piper visited JT’s parents’ home, the family ordered a pizza from Pizzeria 201, a small Pizzeria in downtown Montgomery. The pizza was fantastic and grew to be one of the couple’s favorite dinners together. And so it made perfect sense that they would serve their guests this delicious woodfired pizza at their wedding! And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! The non-traditional flow of a serve yourself pizza bar worked well in a laid-back backyard setting, and allowed guests a longer time to mingle, get drinks, eat and play yard games!
Note: While you may envision a full-seated dinner at your backyard wedding, this may or may not be doable depending on your caterer! Do you have meal prep space for your caterer or will they need to create their own prep space? While this wedding had a mobile pizza oven, food trucks may be another great option if you don’t have a large kitchen area for caterers to use! With these sort of serve yourself meals, you can allow for a looser reception schedule and a longer “cocktail hour” that includes food, drinks, mingling and more!
In my opinion, all weddings should be tailored to the personalities and interests of the couple! Think about the things that define your love and relationship and consider how to incorporate them in your big day. Here are some simple ways to do this:
Highlight your shared interests with your décor!
Pick vendors that you have worked with or used before that you know you love!
Don’t be afraid to break tradition with your ceremony. Cut the things that don’t matter to you and add in special pieces that do!
Above all, remember that your wedding day is YOUR day! It is the one and only time in your life that you will attend a party that is 100% your style, so take advantage and make it mean something to you.
Rain or Shine
When planning for JT & Piper’s day, we totally envisioned an outdoor celebration. With a date set for the end of August, we knew the odds were in our favor for a great weather day. Plus, the summer of 2021 was one of the driest summers we had in Minnesota for many, many years! But of course, weather in Minnesota is never, ever predictable, and we got to deal with every single sort of summer weather imaginable that day!
The day started breezy and hot. The dads and set up crew worked hard to weigh down tents and décor to avoid anything blowing away. The wedding party, family and photographer sweated through photos and took breaks cooling off in the AC of the house. As the ceremony approached, the clouds rolled in. With dark clouds in the distance and a slight sprinkle, we started the wedding ceremony. Then, the rain stopped…. Just in time for the bride to make her grand entrance. And by some miracle, the rain held off for the entirety of the ceremony, only to pick up again as soon as the bridal party had exited and was safely inside. It was almost laughable how impeccable the timing was!
The post-ceremony rain stopped for a few hours, allowing guests to enjoy most of the reception drinks and food outside. Then, as speeches began, the dark clouds got even darker and we saw a thunderstorm approach in the distance. The guests and wedding party moved inside the pole barn before the heavens opened up and we got the biggest downpour we had had all summer!
The thing about rain on a wedding day is that every single bride dreads it happening. They check the weather obsessively months in advance, praying that they will get a perfect, sunny day. Piper said to me so many times as we were planning “It’s not going to rain on my day. It better not”. But when God had other plans she and JT did what I implore every couple to do… they EMBRACED it! They didn’t pout, or decide that their day was ruined. They found a way to make it fun. So at the end of the night, after the downpour had stopped and the grass was slippery and wet, they decided to do a slip n’ slide! While a perfect weather day may have been nice, the rain on Piper & JT’s day and their go-with-the-flow attitude made it one of the most fun and unforgettable weddings I’ve ever attended.
When planning any wedding, you should consider the weather, but even more so with a backyard wedding! Here are some tips to help you prepare for all situations:
Plan for the worst case scenario. Make sure you have enough covered space to not only fit all of your guests if it were to rain the entire time, but also think about a backup ceremony location.
Consider renting tents that have sides. This is helpful for rain or wind!
Consider ALL weather potentials, not just rain. Heavy weights or ropes to hold things down in case of wind, shade options in case of sun, bottled water & fans to keep guests from overheating, etc.
If you physically and mentally prepare yourself for all weather scenarios, you can make the most of your wedding day and provide a comfortable and fun experience for guests as well!
JT & Piper’s backyard wedding was beautiful, romantic, meaningful and an all-around PARTY! One of the most fun and memorable weddings I’ve done so far. If you are considering a backyard wedding, ask yourself if your home can function as a venue, consider how to bring personal details into your day and prepare yourself for all weather possibilities! And last but not least, make sure you hire a full-service wedding planner to help you pull of the wedding of your dreams!
Planning & Coordination Enjoyful Events Venue Family Home Floral Mother of the Bride Photography Wildwood Films Videography Hinton Production Tent & Seating Rentals The Seatery Lounge & Décor Rentals The Fond Collective Luxury Bathroom Rentals Biffs Catering Pizzeria 201 Dessert Farina Baking Co Bartender With a Twist Coffee Cart She Brews DJ Modern MN DJ Makeup Artist Anna Joy Makeup Hairstylists Julie Norstedt & Taylor Lock Bridal Wear Effie’s Bridal Trunk Groomswear Mens Wearhouse
