5 Unique Ways to Prepare Your Home for a Wedding

Planning a wedding can be an exciting time for a bride or groom. But it can also come with unexpected challenges and a hefty price tag when you’re trying to rent a venue. 

That’s why home weddings have become a popular alternative. You don’t have to sacrifice style and decor, and you’ll save money by having the venue already. 

Plus, you can use the moment as an opportunity to make adjustments to your home’s layout or design so it’s celebration-ready for your wedding and beyond. When you’re focused on transforming your home into the site of your nuptials and celebration, you can get creative with anything from seating arrangements to table settings. 

Read on to find five unique ways you can prep your home for a wedding!

1. Open Up Your Spaces

Does your home have narrow entryways separating rooms like your kitchen and dining area? If so, use your wedding as an excuse to open things up. You can remove non-structural walls or widen doorways to create more openness that’s ideal for entertaining. 

Likewise, bench seating built along walls can offer guests more places to sit during cocktail hour. You’ll make transitioning from one room to another easy for guests, and you’ll create the illusion of more space. 

Outside, you can add awnings for sun protection during daytime weddings. And a trellis or two can help partition spaces to create natural, intimate seating spaces for guests to mingle. Introduce a sliding glass door between the back of the house and your backyard. Your home will look light and airy, creating a soft transition from the indoors to outdoors. 

Just make sure you work with the right contractor for the job. You’ll want someone with a keen eye for design to help you make renovations that set your home up for a memorable wedding and entertaining experiences in the years to come. 

A contractor who uses software like Joist, for example, will be able to generate estimates in minutes, so you know exactly how a potential project fits into your budget. You’ll also be able to track project progress so you know everything will wrap up in plenty of time before your big day. Visit Joist to learn more.

2. Illuminate Your Space

There’s no denying that light plays a crucial role in creating the ideal atmosphere. As you prepare for your wedding, consider a range of lighting options to meet different needs. 

Pendant lights in a kitchen or a chandelier above the dining room table create an instant, elegant spotlight that will showcase your wedding flowers or other decor. Dimmable lights that you can control from your phone are another excellent option. As the night approaches, you can dim the lights to set the right mood from any place on your property. 

If your wedding is outside, go with string lights or solar lanterns to build a festive atmosphere. Install solar lights along walkways to help guide guests and contribute to the ambiance. An upright lighting kit can provide stronger illumination, too, if you need to supplement existing options outside. 

3. Add New Furniture

You don’t have to redo your entire home with new furniture before a wedding. That option can sink your budget in a hurry. And you may only want a few new pieces for the duration of your event. Instead, rent furniture like folding tables, chairs, and other seating options. 

If you need more comfortable seating indoors, add a loveseat or armchair with an ottoman. Modular seating items can work especially well because they can adapt to fit any space. If you’re working with a wedding planner, this is a great task to outsource to them. They’ll be able to handle logistical details like delivery and setup timelines, and ensure the furniture looks perfect in your home. 

3. Create a Space for Photos

Photography captures the journey of your relationship, so why not share that journey through a dedicated photo wall? You can create a photo wall to display photos and let guests add to the fun. Consider adding one of these to your family room or kitchen. 

For a rustic look, string a fishing line across the wall in rows and attach printed photos using clothespins. Alternatively, you can create a digital collage using photo software and output it to become peel-and-stick wallpaper. 

Use peel-and-stick decals to add splashes of color or create a border around your photos. And set aside space for guests to take polaroids or recordings of themselves giving you well wishes. 

5. Make the Most of Your Yard

When you host a wedding during a season conducive to spending time outside, you’ll want to maximize your outdoor space. You can think of your yard as an extension of your indoor space. And guests will love spending time in a cozy, fun backyard that’s decked out for the occasion. 

Plan on repairing a cracked patio or power washing your deck so you start with a solid canvas. Then add upgrades like fresh mulch or sod. Trim your hedges and spruce up flower beds. Add pavers to connect seating areas in your backyard, and toss some fresh throw pillows on your furniture. 

And you may even want to establish an outdoor stage if you’ll have musicians providing background music. Know that you’ll reap the benefits of these enhancements years after the wedding, making your home an appealing space for future dinner parties or family gatherings.

Get Ready to Host a Wedding

You’ll be able to create the exact kind of wedding you want when you use your home as the venue. Consider some structural changes to open up your interior spaces, and make sure your outdoor seating areas look inviting. 

Add the right lighting scenarios and a few pieces of supplemental furniture, and your home will shine. Better yet, you’ll gain a more polished space that can serve you well in the years following your nuptials.