Any life event can potentially take a lot of planning, and if planning is not your thing (sorry guys, we love spreadsheets, we are planners!) have you ever thought about having a wedding ceremony in your own garden?
The point of your ceremony, whether it be for a happy or sad occasion, is that you are relaxed and at ease, and for some people this means being at home.
Weddings
Recent research shows that 56 per cent of people would be satisfied with getting married in their gardens this year, and covid has changed the way people think about and plan their ceremonies.
If you live in England or Wales, you can have your wedding in the garden, you will just still have to do the legal contract bit at a registry office before or after (15 mins and a second anniversary, yay!) Unless…. you apply for a marriage venue license. It’s not easy and you will need a permanent and ‘immovable’ premises on your property that can holds 6 people minimum, and is used regularly for weddings – which unless you have an awesomely massive garden you are happy to pimp out, is unlikely. But hey, like I say, the registry office is quick, cheap and painless, allowing you to have the perfect wedding garden party!
If you live in Scotland? BOOM! You’re in luck – you can get married in your garden legally.
A garden ceremony is subject to weather conditions ( you can check out the wedding contingency vid on our YouTube account) but if you prefer to be at home, it can be absolutely beautiful and so bespoke.
Another plus is that garden events are totes BUDGET friendly. No venue hire fees, no travel, no hotel room!
It is really easy these days to come up with lovely garden party ideas to transform your garden into the perfect space for outdoor entertaining-even if you are working with a balcony or a small patio, though you would have to limit the guest list!
Check out Pinterest and lose hours…. https://pin.it/e2ViTgf
You can incorporate a barbecue, gather around a fire pit, or have an afternoon tea. You can hire local suppliers to help with chairs and tables, or go boho and simply layout lots of picnic blankets.
Food wise, you can prep picnic boxes, do a self serve BBQ, hire caterers in (hog roasts are a tasty and fairly budget friendly choice) and you can buy your drink locally beforehand. Speak to local vineyards, breweries or producers for a real home grown option.
You can go as simple or all out as you want, the venue is yours! So your planning list should cover all of the below:
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Garden Size: Make sure your garden isn’t secretly plotting against you by suddenly sprouting an extra row of roses just as the ceremony starts. Beware of overgrown shrubs – you don’t want your guests to think they stumbled into a botanical maze.
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Weather Woes: Ah, the unpredictable weather! It’s like trying to predict Aunt Mildred’s mood swings. Have a Plan B just in case Mother Nature decides to RSVP with a surprise thunderstorm. You don’t want to end up with soggy vows.
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Theme and Decor: Remember, you’re not just gardening; you’re crafting a masterpiece! Decorate with flair. If you see a squirrel eyeing your floral arrangements, tell them to politely RSVP or shoo them away with a tiny, squirrel-sized invitation.
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Equipment Rental: Renting chairs and tables? Make sure they’re not secretly sentient. You don’t want your guests playing musical chairs without any music!
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Catering Conundrum: Pick a caterer who understands that your garden isn’t an all-you-can-eat buffet for the local wildlife. Squirrels and raccoons might RSVP uninvited.
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Parking Predicament: Ensure there’s enough parking. You don’t want your guests playing a real-life version of “Where’s Waldo?” with their cars.
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Permit Parade: Check if you need a permit. You wouldn’t want the local garden gnomes reporting you to the authorities for an unauthorized shindig.
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Backup Plan: Have a backup location ready, just in case your garden decides to throw a temper tantrum, or the neighbor’s lawnmower decides to join the wedding chorus.
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Wedding Planner Wonders: A wedding planner can help make your garden shindig run smoothly. Just make sure they don’t confuse your hydrangeas with your hibiscus.
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Guest Communication: Tell your guests that your garden is the coolest wedding venue since sliced bread. Include a map just in case they get lost and end up in the neighbor’s rose garden, declaring “I do” to the wrong flowers.
Home Sweet Home
Dx
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Funeral Ceremonies and Memorials
Did you know that you can actually be buried in your garden? As long as certain guidelines are followed (mainly to avoid potential public health risks) there is no law what-so-ever against being buried in your own garden, or on any private land if you have the permission of the landowner. Planning permission can be a contentious issue, but it is generally accepted that for one or two burials on private land, permission is not needed. If a grand monument is erected (a mausoleum) then that’s another matter.
The chances are you will not bury someone, but may like to have a Memorial Ceremony at home, where the loved one lived, perhaps even had a favourite spot in the garden, and people often plant trees, bury ashes or erect memorials in the garden alongside the ceremony.