by Kristy Stevens-Young

Created on: July 06, 2008

I have planned over 75 at-home weddings over the last few years and by following the same five steps I use, you can create your own beautiful at-home wedding.

Step 1 - Choosing the number of guest and which areas of the home to use

You can't really make any ceremony, decorating, or reception plans until you are solid on your guest list number and your locations. Will you want to hold both the ceremony and reception indoors or one indoors and the other outside, or one in the front yard and the other in the back or on the terrace? You will need to plan out which areas you want to use; remembering to give 4 square feet for each guest. This means 100 square feet (without furnishings) per 25 guests. Remember, if you are holding things outside, there will be a lot more area as there are no furnishings to worry about. Once the decisions of the guest list size and the home locations have been measured and re-measured, the fun can begin!

Step 2 - Choosing the type of wedding you want

Most at-home weddings cater to smaller, more intimate affairs. The nice thing about at-home weddings is they can be as casual or as formal as the bride and groom want. I have done outdoor Barbeques with a keg of beer to a catered dinner with silk table cloths in tents magically lit by tiny colored lights.

The type of wedding you choose will determine the type of seating, food, drinks and music you will want. It also will let you know if you will need extra space. An outdoor casual get-together will take a lot less planning and space than one where there will be an open bar and a live band. Imagining how you want to spend your reception with your guest (laid-back, formal) will help you determine exactly what you want.

Step 3- Invitations and wedding favors

Once you have decided on the size of your guest list, the type of wedding you want and where it will all be held, you are ready to start putting it together. The tone of your wedding is set by the invitations you send out and it is continued right through the wedding favors you have for your guest to take home.

For example, if it is going to be a beach wedding you can print your invitations on tan, weathered scrolls which you will roll up and close with a piece of twine. The invitation, a little sand and some fun beach type glitter will all be placed in a small, plastic bottle that will be closed with a cork. The post office is glad to deliver these and most take either one or two stamps. A fun beach wedding favor is to set up a candy bar with

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