Backyard Weddings and A Week Filled with Milestones

Friends- it is a super exciting week for us over here at The Charity Wedding. This week will mark both our 300th post and our 1 year anniversary of the blog. When I think back to one year ago, I was overwhelmed with wedding details, had no idea where to begin, and I felt discouraged as I fully expected wedding planning to be much more fun. On February 2nd the idea for a wedding that benefited charity popped in my head and on February 3rd the blog began. If I would have waited and let the idea settle, I likely wouldn’t have gone through with it. It was nerve racking and I of course considered the scenario that no vendor would reply to me and that many people would tell me I was crazy. But I tried not to focus on that and instead told myself daily that this would work, I would find the right people for the task, and it would be a success. All those positive thoughts came true and then some. I have said this before and I will say it again, I am endlessly indebted to the amazing vendors who got on board for this project. Without them this blog would have fizzled up quickly, I likely would have been even more discouraged, and my wedding probably would have been in Vegas. I have learned so much in this past year about weddings, blogging, and various forms of social media and I have met some truly incredible people that although I have never met, I consider to be great friends. If anything this project proved that you can do anything you set your mind to, crazy ideas will often become brilliant realities, and giving is always better than receiving. Thank you to all the loyal readers and supporters especially my Grandma’s friend Juanita, my Grandma, my Mom, Melissa Dunstan, Cindy Reeves, Renee Hute-Kaminski, my sister, Christine DeAngelis, Grady Polcyn and all the people at Camp Soaring Eagle. Kyle was never really interested in wedding planning but he always supported this blog, my endless hours on Twitter, my crazy ideas, my craft projects and to this day still reads each and every post.

Anyway due to the exciting nature of this week we have some fun things planned including a Giveaway on Thursday! Come back to check out the details!

For today- in honor of where I was one year ago today (planning, overwhelmed, confused), this post goes out to our friends Chantel and Grady who are in the exact same spot. If you follow me on Twitter, they are the ones getting married in his parent’s backyard and are looking for inspiration. I have compiled some backyard wedding inspiration and my best advice to those couples out there trying to get started.

The Advice:

• Regardless of what anyone tells you, you can plan a wedding on ANY budget. You just have to be realistic and set priorities.
• Figure out what is most important to you and book those things first.
• Once you book a few things, a lot of that anxiety you had about where to start will subside and the rest will start to just roll along.
• The time lines and budget calculators in the wedding books and magazines will cause you more stress, ignore them. There is no rule that every couple must spend 5% of their budget on a cake. Spend based on what your priorities are and what you feel comfortable with.
• If you plan to DIY- start now. You will need time to shop for the best deals on supplies and all that stuff takes time. If you do it a little at a time it will feel less overwhelming.
• Have fun and remember what a wedding is! It isn’t about flowers, decorations or food, it is about marrying the person you love. Remind yourself of that often and it will help you keep things in perspective!

Now for backyard weddings… remember that a venue sets a stage for your decor and the mood of your event. A backyard has an implied sense of intimacy and tradition and a truly quaint feeling. Home made touches, family photos, heirlooms, and home decor pieces will look much more appropriate than super formal or structured decor. Of course, all backyards are different and will lend themselves to different decor but I envision a space that really represents you and your family and that your guests will feel really comfortable in.

{Via A Cup of Jo}

{Via Style Me Pretty}

{Via Ruffled Blog}

{Via Design a la Mod}

{Via Country Living}

{Via Project Wedding}

{Via Gringa and Groom}

{Via Elizabeth Anne Designs}

{Via Sparkle and Hay}

{Via Green Wedding Shoes}

{Via Love Made Visible Events}

Um, during this searching process I fell even more in love with backyard weddings! I love the versatility a backyard offers and the lack of normal venue rules. You can literally be out there constantly trying out ideas and breaking up the space to fit your needs. I can’t wait to see how yours turns out, Grady and Chantel!