A wedding at a Banquet Hall can you run anywhere between $4,000 to $10,000+. This is a very big expense for a couple who is about to start there life together. A Banquet Hall has all the amenities that a wedding needs, they will have the tables,chairs,linens, lighting and food with servers all ready to go, but the only drawback is the steep price that you have to pay for all these accommodations.
You may ask yourself, what if I cant afford to pay thousands of dollars for wedding at a Banquet Hall what are my options?
The answer is easy a backyard wedding is in order. A backyard wedding is perhaps one of the cheapest forms of having a wedding without going broke or going into debt.
If you are going the backyard wedding route, how do you begin to plan all this?
It may seem like a daunting task but lets start off with the basic necessities for a wedding.
1. Your going to need tables, chairs, linens and decorations
2. Your going to need a tent (Depending on the weather)
3. Your going to need food/catering
4. Your going to need entertainment (You can also use your home stereo system)
Chairs/Linens/Decoration:
The first item on your list to rent is the tables chairs and linens. Note that there are several types of chairs. You have your standard metal chairs, plastic chairs and wooden chairs. The price do vary from .65 a chair for plastic chairs to $5 dollars for wooden chairs (chiavari chairs). Your preference of chair all depends on your budget. If you are willing to spend $5 great, but if its not in your budget then go with the plastic chairs instead.
Linen rentals also vary from the material to the color. If you want to rent regular cloth linens you are look at $4-5 dollars each for the table cloth itself. More exotic material are more expensive and demand a higher price, such as specialty,silk and prints.There are additional charges for the overlay that goes on top of the tablecloth which rung from $1-$3. If you are a budget then go with the cloth linens. If you have money to burn go with the more expensive material such as silk,prints and specialty.
Decorations
There are several decorations that are part of a wedding. These decorations include center pieces for the tables, flowers, wedding arch, balloon arches, fabric arch, globe lighting. You can pick and choose which decorations you will have at your wedding. Balloon Arches, Fabric Draping, Center Pieces and Globe Lighting are the cheapest decorations you can include in your wedding. Balloon arches run anywhere from $100 – $200 dollars depending on the complexity of the design and the size. It is not necessary to have a company create a Balloon Arch, you can create a Balloon arch yourself and spend about $30 on balloons and fishing wire. There are several how-to Balloon arch videos on youtube.com The Fabric Arch which is similar to a Balloon arch but instead of balloons fabric is used to create the arch. The price on a Fabric Arch vary from $100-$200. You can build a fabric arch for about $50-$100. Alot of how-to videos about fabric arches on youtube.com Globe Lighting rentals are priced upon feet required. Globe lighting does require a bit of handyman work. You have to secure the lighting to a firm base such as a to one part of a tree or wall. Globe lighting is rather inexpensive to buy, you can buy 15 feet string globe lights for $25-30 but remember you have to build a base to hang your lights from.
If you must have a wedding arch at your wedding, you are looking at about $80 – $400. The increase on price depends on how much decoration is required for your arch. If you want a plain wedding arch you are looking at a sub $100 price to rent.
Tents
Tent rental prices can vary from $100 to $1,100. The tent is perhaps the biggest expense in a backyard wedding. There are three reasons why you would want to rent a tent:
1 Privacy, you want to keep your event private from your neigh-boors
2. On a sunny day you want to provide shade for your guest. This is especially important in 80 degree heat.
3. On a cold/rainy day. Tents provide protection from the rain as well as from cold winter days.
There several types of tents. You have your medium grade tents which are made from material which is similar to tarp material and then you have professional heavy grade tents. The difference between a medium grade and professional tent is the price. A 20 ft x 20 ft medium grade tent will rent for $190 – $250, while a professional 20 ft x 20 ft tent will run from $300-$500. The rentals prices are only for the top portion of the tent. There are 5 sections to a tent, the Top, the Sidewalls, the entrance and the back side. Many party rentals companies will charge you for each section of the tent. Remember when calling a party rental company that ask what sections of the tent are included with the tent. The price can go up with the addition of each section. A medium grade tent will provide the same shade as well as keep your guests inside the tent but the material of a professional tent will be of a higher quality. Also remember that when renting a tent make sure that the tents are properly weighed down. Tents are not meant to withstand heavy winds so make sure that when they set up your tent they properly anchor it with water barrels or weights.
Catering/Food.
Most of your guest will likely remember what was served at your wedding, they wont’ remember about the decorations or the tent but hey will remember what they ate at your wedding. Catering food can be expensive, some catering companies charge anywhere from $12 – $40 per plate depending on the type of food as well as if the silverware is provided. Some catering companies do provide the silverware but some do not. Silverware can be rented from most party rentals companies. Forks, spoons, plates and glass ware are rented individually. Some companies may have combos of all four if you rent a certain amount. Remember that the silverware and glassware can quickly add up. If you think that you wont be needing silverware/glassware you can always go with disposable cups/plates/spoons, this is a cheaper alternative. As for the actual food that will be served depends if you will have the catering take care of it or if you are going to provide the food. Remember that catered food will be anywhere from $12-$40 per plate. If you provide your own food the savings will be significant.
Entertainment
Entertainment can be a big expense or it can be really cheap. Hiring a singer or a band to perform at your wedding can range from $100-$500 an hour. The alternative to the entertainment is to bring out the old stereo and use it as your entertainment. You can also use your Ipod/tablet/laptop and plug in some speakers and you have entertainment for your guest.
When on a budget remember that pick and choose the things that are important for your wedding. If your boyfriend wants the 80’s band then go for it, but if its not in your budget then dont’.
Backyard Wedding Recap:
1. Tables, chairs, linens and decorations:
Price Range
$.50-$1.00 (per chair) Plastic/Metal Chairs
$3-5 (per chair) Chairs with Padding
$2-$4 (per chair)
$4-$7 (per chair) Chiavari Chairs
2. Tents:
Price Range
Medium Grade Tent
$160 – $250 | 20ft x 20ft
$200 – $350 | 20ft x 30ft
$300 – $450 | 20ft x 40ft
*walls are not includes with the tent, rental companies will charge you per sidewall/panel
Professional Tent:
$300 – $500 | 20ft x 20ft
$400 – $700 | 20ft x 30ft
$500 – $950 | 20ft x 40ft
*walls are not includes with the tent, rental companies will charge you per sidewall/panel
3. Food/catering
Price Range:
$12 – $40 | Per Plate
4. Entertainment:
Price Range: $100 – $500 Per Hour