How to Plan a Wedding at a Private Estate

Making memories at home is a special sentiment most couples share. So when it comes to the wedding, why not have the momentous day right at your home or family estate? There are many details when it comes to planning a wedding, especially one being held at your own property or at a family member’s home. Stylish Occasions Wedding & Event Planning has planned numerous private estate weddings, and here are the top six items you won’t want to overlook when it comes to planning yours!

Rain Plan: Rent a Tent

No one wants to believe it will rain on their wedding day, but it has been known to happen and sometimes without warning. Worrying about the weather won’t change anything, but making plans to combat it will help ease the stress rain can bring to the day.

If you're thinking of hosting an outdoor private estate wedding, plan on renting a tent. The tented area should be placed in a location where water will not pond. Wet feet are sure to keep guests off the dance floor, so think about guest comfort.

Tent rentals vary greatly in price depending on the size and type of tent. Frame tents and gable-ended tents are more expensive than pole tents, but they have a more elegant feel to them.

Another plus of having a tent - it provides shade on a hot day. Guests always appreciate that.

Better Safe Than Sorry: Purchase Insurance

Even though you’re holding your event at a private residence, you may still want to consider purchasing a Special Event Endorsement for the day of your wedding. You never know when someone might trip and fall or when someone may inadvertently damage your home.

Wedding insurance is available through a variety of companies, and you can request specific add-ons to tailor your insurance plan to your needs.

Bathroom Break: Rent Portable Restrooms

When you gotta go, you gotta go, and when you have wedding guests who may be imbibing, the bathroom situation is of the utmost importance. You may have multiple restrooms in your home, but if you’re having 100+ guests, your septic system may not be able to handle that number of people. A general rule of thumb is to provide one restroom for every 30 people attending.

Before you panic and think your guests will have to use porta-potties, think again! Bathroom rentals have come a long way. You can now rent restroom trailers, complete with heating or cooling, stereo, hot water, and a flushing toilet! While they’re on the pricey side, they are extremely nice and well worth the additional cost.

Take Off A Load: Rent Chairs and Tables

You probably already realize you’ll need tables and chairs for your guests. But one detail couples tend to overlook is how many chairs to rent. If your ceremony will be at one location and your reception in an entirely different area far from your ceremony site, chances are you’ll have to rent two chairs for each guest – one for the ceremony and one for the reception.

When working with Stylish Occasions, we help you evaluate how to structure your rentals in order to maximize your budget. Chair rentals can be expensive depending on the style you select, so it may be easier for staff to move the chairs rather than rent two for each guest.

Ask For Permission, Not Forgiveness: Purchase Permits

When it comes to hosting a private estate wedding, there are many things to consider, but many times, couples overlook the details regarding permits. Townships and boroughs can have strict policies concerning noise ordinances, occupancy and parking.

It’s better to have everything done the right way than to risk having your wedding shut down. A wedding planner can help walk you through all of the steps it takes to contact your local township.

Let There Be Light: Rent a Generator

Many homes can’t support the amount of electricity it will take to power catering items, lights, musicians, and everything else you’ll have outdoors on the day of your wedding. Instead of risking a blown fuse over and over, you may want to look into renting a generator or making it a point to ask the caterer if they can provide one.

Be sure to have plenty of lighting also. If you opt to not rent a tent you will still need lighting around the area where you will have guest tables and food so they can see what they are doing. And you will want to make sure there is lighting for the bathrooms as well as for the parking area.

Having a private estate wedding doesn’t have to be extra stressful! If you need some advice, contact Stylish Occasions. We have planned and coordinated quite a few private estate weddings. Check out some photos from three that we have planned recently::

Rose and David decided to have their ceremony at a local park but then their reception at David's parents home. They rented a tent for the reception but cocktail hour was around their gorgeous pool: