You’re thinking that weddings are CRAZY expensive right now, and you are not wrong. First, we saw the price of gas increase, and then we saw the price of food increase, and everything else has followed. Caterers had to increase prices to cover the cost of food. Hair & make up has seen the cost of a bottle of hairspray go from $4 to $7 in no time. Flowers, gosh as a florist let me tell you about flowers – During COVID, flower sales plummeted and farmers were literally just throwing away massive piles of flowers, wasting tons and tons of gorgeous blooms because there was no market for them. The next year the demand doubled or tripled the norm, and the flower market just didn’t produce enough to meet the demand. Prices rose, and kept rising, and they’ve stayed high. Florists have had to raise prices to accommodate for the price of flowers, the price of ribbon, the price of vases. We’re in 2024 and we’ve never recovered. As a Nashville destination wedding planner, I’ve seen every single type of vendor raise prices for one reason or another.
You see this, and you think that you need to find a way to cut expenses. I get it, and I’m onboard. But if you’re thinking that you’ll have a wedding at home to save on the cost of a venue, maybe think again. Here are five costs of having a wedding at home that ultimately make it more expensive than booking a traditional wedding venue:
1. Tent
Unless you live in a mega mansion, your house probably doesn’t have seating for the 50, 100, 200 or more guests that you want to invite to your wedding. And let’s be honest, if you lived in a mega mansion, you probably wouldn’t be searching for wedding cost-saving tips right now. So, if you’re having a wedding at home then you are probably looking at having both the ceremony and reception outside. And as you know, the weather is unpredictable and unreliable. You could take the risk and not book a tent, but is it worth it? If it rains that’s just it for your dress, your décor, and your photos. Guests won’t stay all night if they are wet and uncomfortable. Venues have walls. And ceilings. You are paying for walls and ceilings, and let me tell you that every penny is worth it. The minimum cost I’ve seen for even a small tent is $2000, and larger tents can run up to $10,000 or more. And you may not need just one tent. If you are providing dinner for your guests then catering will need a place to work, and you don’t want that to be in the same space as your reception in front of the guests. Catering is messy. Venues have kitchens. The cost of tents alone is going to be as much or more than a traditional venue.
2. Flooring
When you design a wedding at home you are basically building a venue, and that means everything that goes with it. In a traditional venue you would only rent a dance floor if you wanted the extra design and could afford that luxury – it wouldn’t be a necessity. But with a wedding at home, it becomes a necessity. Unless you want to have your tables, chairs, and dancing in the grass, or you just happen to have a paved area at your house that is large enough for the reception. High heels don’t mix with grass, and your female guests will appreciate your extra effort in providing flooring.
3. Lighting
This will be an absolute MUST for a home wedding. Depending on the time of year, it could be dark as early as 6pm. Even if it is dark at 8:00, do you really want to cut off the party at 8:00? Of course not! You absolutely will need lighting.
4. Heaters or A/C
Okay, so not everyone will want to pay for this one. Maybe if you book your wedding at the exact right time of year then you can get away without heaters or air conditioning. For Nashville, Tennessee that would be May or October. But even then, we can’t guarantee that it won’t be a super-hot day or a super cold night. Do you want to take that risk and make your guests miserable? Again, if guests are miserable, they will just leave.
5. Electricity
Um, what is going to power that lighting? And heaters? And catering equipment? And the DJ’s equipment? Or the band’s equipment? Do you think that your house can power all those things? It can’t. You’ll need generators. Those cost money. I’ve never seen a venue that charges an extra fee for electricity.
6. Toilets
Yep. Did you think about toilets? You’ll need a minimum of 2-3 stalls for women and 2-3 stalls for men, depending on your guest count. Even if your house has 6 bathrooms, do your parents want your guests exploring their house and lining up for the bathrooms? I can answer that for you: No, they do not. If you’re having a wedding at home, you will need to rent portable toilets. And I’m not talking about construction site port-a-potties. You need to rent luxury portable toilets with lights and sinks. And those toilets need a generator to run those lights and sinks. And guess what? Those things cost money.
So, in conclusion…
Keep in mind that the cost of venues varies greatly. In Nashville you may be able to get a decent sized venue with no rentals for $4,000 – $7,000. When you start looking at venues that include more options and services then the price will go up. Some of my favorite venues in town have catering on site, so of course you’re paying for the food, beverage, and standard plates & flatware in your venue bill. Many venues offer use of tables and chairs, and those might run more expensive, anywhere from $5,000-$10,000 for a modest venue, or $15,000+ for luxury venues. I’m hesitant to share specific numbers because prices change over time. If you’re reading this a year from now, the prices will probably be higher. But doing some quick math, I would say that if you were to book everything on this list for your home wedding you would be spending twice as much as booking a traditional venue. If you’re looking for a bargain, the traditional wedding venue is the way to go.
A wedding planner can jump in and help you at any time during the wedding process, but the ideal time is BEFORE you’ve booked your venue. We can evaluate your budget and needs to help you select a venue that is not only gorgeous but checks all of the logistical boxes. If you’re looking for a planner for your Nashville wedding, go ahead and send me a email or fill out my contact form below:
