A guide to getting married at a private residence
Thinking of getting married at a private residence rather than a traditional venue?
With venues increasingly busy due to a number of rescheduled wedding dates, we have had a lot of enquiries regarding hosting your wedding somewhere other than a traditional venue, so we thought we would give you some of our top tips for you to think about…
Catering
Whilst it would be much cheaper to have your wedding breakfast cooked in the family kitchen, unfortunately catering companies work very differently and require much more than the standard equipment and health and safety measures you’ll have at home.
They’ll need to bring in all sorts from hot plates, plating areas and banqueting cabinets to name a few, meaning they will also need the space and power to do so. The size, quantity and power requirements of this equipment will depend on your number of guests so check with your wedding planner for advice on this and make sure you plan a site visit with your caterer before paying any deposits, as it’s vital to ensure that they’ll be able to work within your space and budget.
Parking and Taxis
Where will your guests park? Do you have somewhere which will house the cars of at least half of your guests? This will need to be somewhere that’s dry enough to ensure no one will get stuck in the mud at 2am, and also large enough that anyone can get out when they’re ready to leave. A taxi pick up and collection point is also something to consider, as it’s likely you’ll have an influx of guests arriving and departing at around the same time, you’ll need to think about how this can be done whilst avoiding creating traffic jams in your immediate area.
Staffing
This is a biggy! Whilst your caterer will usually bring staff to serve your meal, there are 101 other things that will need doing both in preparation for the big day and whilst it’s going on. You’ll need people on site for the following at least:
Management of deliveries and arrivals
Bar staff for before and after the wedding breakfast
Parking attendants and security staff to ensure you have no wedding crashers and everyone parks where it is suitable to avoid any disruption to your special day
Set up support the day before the wedding and the day itself - it’s a common misconception that things will just magically fall into place at any venue while you get your hair & make up done, however hours of unseen work go into setting up everything from tables and chairs to decor, signage and finishing touches which why a trusted wedding planner is a must to help bring your vision to life!
On the day final touches and schedule management - some things from flowers to people management and catering cues cannot be done before the day itself so it’s important you have someone on hand to manage this so you aren’t having to run around in your Jimmy Choos directing people when you should be enjoying the best day of your life!
Technical support - there’s nothing worse than microphone feedback making your guests wince or your disco lights going out mid-dance off! Ensuring you have the proper support to set up and manage your AV equipment is vital to a seamless day!
Clear up team - the last thing you want to be doing on your first day as a married couple is clearing away empty bottles and the remnants of the night before!
Lighting
Once it gets dark, have you thought about how your guests will find their way to the toilets, parking and other outside areas? You will need to ensure it’s adequately illuminated with proper lighting to avoid any slips and trips.
Another thing to consider is your party lighting! Many venues have this in house, so be sure to speak to your wedding planner about this so they can make sure you have enough to bring the party vibes once your band or DJ takes to the stage!
Sound equipment
Your DJ or band will likely bring their own speakers for the evening, however make sure you think about sound for the rest of the day. You will need audio equipment for the entire day, for background music, speeches and anything else you have in your plan.
Master of Ceremonies
Have you thought about who will be the person to get everyone seated on arrival? How about when you're ready to be seated for the wedding breakfast? We would recommend tasking a confident bridesmaid or groomsmen for this, or if you have the budget, hiring a Master of Ceremonies to bring some extra flare to your day!
Services
This one is by far the most boring, but also the most important!
Here’s a list of services you will need to hire in:
Skips, bins and rubbish collectors
Power - you’ll need enough to power the caterers, lighting, marquee heaters, sound systems, toilets and more
Water - your caterers and bar staff will need access to clean water within their work stations. If they’re setting up a back of house outside, you will need to consider how they will access this
Ice - you’ll need a lot… and of course you’ll need to keep it frozen!
Floor protection - if you’re planning on having any guests in your home throughout the day, we would highly recommend putting some floor protection down to keep your carpets clean and wooden floors safe from ladies heels!
Toilets
You absolutely do not want 100+ people using your downstairs loo! You’ll need to hire in portable toilets which are easily accessed and close to where the party will be happening.
Noise and neighbours
Once the party gets started, you’re going to be making much more noise than you do on a normal Saturday night! You will have all of your friends and family in one place, with music blaring, people singing and dancing and generally making a racket. If you live in an area which has neighbours, we would strongly recommend getting in touch with them 6 months in advance, then again the week before to discuss the noise, giving them a head’s up, the opportunity to join in or head off for the weekend themselves! You’re much more likely to get sound complaints if your neighbours haven’t been warned that this is a one off.
Another thing to consider is the legal limit of sound you are allowed to to produce, especially after 9pm. We recommend getting in touch with your local council to discuss this to ensure you’re not breaking any rules as a permit may be required depending on where you live and what you have planned.
Smoking area
Not everyone’s cup of tea, but it happens, especially at weddings when the drinks are flowing. Make sure you create an area that your guests can get to easily that’s far enough away from your party area to keep the smells out. They’ll also need ashtrays!
Fire extinguishers
Have foam, CO2 and water on hand - just incase!
License and liability
If your wedding is taking place in England or Wales, and you're providing hot food and entertainment, you must apply for a Temporary Events Notice. This can be done via your local council website and will allow you to hold your wedding without fear of being closed down by the police - given you keep within the designated sound restrictions of your area.
It’s also unlikely that you will be able to have your legal marriage ceremony at home, as this requires a wedding venue license which isn’t easy to get hold of. We would recommend organising a small ceremony at your local registry office if you don’t plan on having a church wedding before bringing everyone back to your home for the party.
We would also recommend looking into some form of public liability for the event. Whilst your suppliers will have this for their own equipment, if the worst should happen, it’s best to be covered by insurance.
Signage
Whilst you will have already thought about your lovely wedding stationery which includes welcome signs and table plans, make sure you also consider directional signage in the local area and on site - toilets, car parking, taxi collection point and smoking areas are a minimum, the last thing you want is to be repeating where the loos are 15 times an hour on your big day!
Furniture
Your marquee company will likely be bringing the tables and chairs for the wedding breakfast, but you’ll also need to consider things like ceremony seating, chill out areas, places for people to perch with their drinks, a bar area and more. Talk to your wedding planner about ensuring you have the right amount that can be reused throughout your day to make the most of what you have available and ensure everyone stays comfortable too!
So there you have it... a starting point to consider if you’re dreaming of a wedding at home and while it can certainly save on hefty venue fees - as you can see there is also A LOT to think about and add into the mix which can understandably seem overwhelming.
If you would like to bring in the experts to support you on your big day, we would love to help! Serendipity Events offers a full planning service with expert suppliers in all the above fields meaning we would take care of all of this for you - so you can leave the less exciting bits to us and relax and enjoy your magical day!