venues

The Pros And Cons Of Getting Married At Home

PROS

1. Low-key

If your wedding party is on the smaller side and you’d like the celebrations to be a bit more relaxed and informal, hosting it at home is a great way to ensure it.

2. Frees up budget for other wedding aspects

Since you don’t have to pay the location rental fees, the part of the budget that would normally go on securing a fabulous venue can be spent on other aspects like say your dress, exquisite catering or the honeymoon of your dreams.

3. Intimate and meaningful location

Marriage is the union of two hearts together – and home is where the heart is!  Whether you marry in your childhood home, a beloved relative’s property or the house where you’re moving in together, it’s an intimate location that will signify something to you forever.

4. Customisable to your heart’s content

While you may have a perfect mental image of what you want your wedding venue to look like on the big day, there may be some constraints imposed by the venue. On the other hand, while you’re hosting your reception at home, you can go as large (or small) as you like – and in a comparatively intimate space, guests will be able to appreciate the details more.

5. Everything is available for rent

Nowadays, you can find rental suppliers for nearly everything, so that if there are any items that are key to a wedding reception which you don’t have at home, or simply don’t own enough of (such as chairs or tables) they’re easy to lease for a day or two.

CONS

1. Noise

If you have neighbours close by, it’s probably best to consider their feelings too. A wedding reception can get noisy and your neighbours won’t be best pleased about it – especially if they haven’t been asked to the wedding!

2. Room and facilities

It might look spacious while it’s empty but as the guests start trickling in, it’ll quickly get swamped. It’s better to err on the side of stinginess with your estimates when calculating crowd capacity. On a related note, guests who have been drinking all day will certainly need to use the loo, and the standard two bathrooms may not be enough – you may have to hire portable toilets.

3. Permits

Your home-based venue may not have the permits necessary to host a big party. Check with local authorities before going forward.

4. Property damage and theft

A home houses lots of items which have both sentimental and monetary venue, and accidents are hard to prevent when there are masses of people involved. If you have home insurance, consult with your insurance provider to see whether your home insurance extends to this situation.

5. Parking

Parking is a nightmare at the best of times, and if a huge crowd are all turning up to the same venue i.e. your house, it can cause quite a cluster in the surrounding area.