at home wedding disaster

[blu_3y3s91]

Ok so I am getting married on June 20 which is literally right around the corner every place I wanted to have the wedding was either booked or way to expensive.... so I am stuck have it in my front yard which is very "country" as I am from south GA yay Georgia red clay well right now I HATE IT!!! we have a circular drive that is muddy red clay dirt holes the yard is missing patches of grass its not glamorous at all but its my only option with my wedding being just a few weeks away I have realized June 20th is a very busy day fr weddings ugh go figure! I am so upset I just want to give up and just get married in a big clay hole but my dress is a very expensive strapless pear white trained dress with beautiful beadery so I have a cinderella dress and a trashy "redneck" yard :whyme: I am telling myself I canake it better maybe a little of the fake grass and arch to stand under maybe so roses and flowers my colors are white and orange I need all the advice i can get please I need help! Im not so much worried about the reception as my ceremonyiwant gorgeous wedding pictures and a memorable smile when you lookback on it wedding...ugh im so lost!!!

[Danielle9608]

First off welcome to OW! Take a deep breathe I know it seems scary because June is right around the corner but what you want to do sounds very doable. There is lot of ladies on here that had beautiful at home receptions. I think your ideas sound lovely!

[Whitewater]

My immediate thought would be sod. Buy some sod, the grass will help you keep your dress nice, it will fill in the holes and make your location look better, and it's relatively temporary. You can buy it, put it down, water it to keep it green, and then tear it back up again after the ceremony and either put it somewhere else, or sell it on Craigslist or kijiji.

The same goes for lanscaping gravel . . . it'll look nice, cover up the potholes, and keep your dress relatively clean. And you can get rid of it later!

You're not going to keep your dress pristine in an outdoor wedding, no matter how careful you are (its one of the pitfalls of being outside) but at least you won't have red dust up to your knees, if you cover the clay with something else, temporarily.

Otherwise, is there a park somewhere you can get married in? Maybe something off the beaten path that is pretty, but that most people wouldn't think of? And in that vein, what about getting married in a museum, or a library or art gallery or theatre or a beautiful historic building? Surely there has to be SOMETHING available on your date that will allow you to have a wedding there. I would start looking for something outside the box :) You never know!

A last resort would be to change your date . . . what about having it on Friday the 19th instead? Or Sunday the 21st? Sometimes Friday or Sunday are less booked. I assume you've thought about this already, but it never hurts to mention again.


Whitewater

[petulantfem]

Check local perfoming arts theatres, museums, restaurants, historic sites, public parks, beaches, golf clubs, libraries, bed and breakfasts, art galleries, community halls, church halls, vineyards, farms, hotels, etc ... I'm sure something will come up! You just have to think outside the box. If you are this close and not sure of the location yet, have you sent out invitations? You could always change the date if you haven't!

[fireprincess2009]

Not sure if you were thinking of renting a tent or not but you can rent flooring (like a dance floor) just bigger.

[lilmsjess]

Not sure if you were thinking of renting a tent or not but you can rent flooring (like a dance floor) just bigger.


very true! alot of rental places, now have outdoor flooring that you can rent! we're doing everything outside, and although i'm not having a full floor, i am having an isle made, as well as a dance floor.....hopefully!(dance floor part)

and for the aisle, i'm buying an astroturf bolt....idk how much it is, but i know i'm needing about 4ft wide, by 100ft long!

oh, oh....another option, if you have the money:PLYWOOD! it sounds dumb at 1st, but i've seen it done! plywood comes in sheets the size of twin sized beds at lowes and home depot! given, theyre $6-$8 each. i think i saw it on an episode of "this old spouse"....the bride put about 20 or so of them together, like, 5wide, and 4long....idk exactly....then, she used a drill to make holes, and used dow rods and zip ties, to make them stick together....then, she went to a home improvement place, bought driveway paint in white, and had them die it as close as they could, to the silver they were using....and she also had a solar spot light on her home, and she made a monogram to stick on it, and re-attached the spotter to hit the dance floor....now, the monogram wasn't easily seen, but you could tell there was a design on the dance floor....so she switched it out, and just made a piece of paper, with 3 stars on it....well, cut out....i'm actually thinking, this might be our best route, and cheapest....you could use about 4-8 for your aisle, and hook em together, then make a spot as big as you need it to be! just keep adding as you need to, to make it a good size....something smart, if you're holding it outside, is to set your tables on the ground off the plywood, and use the plywood for dancing/food only(to provide a stable setup), and maybe have you guys table on it....

oh, the garage/driveway paint, will seal off the plywood, so if you do a few coats of it, then there won't be any of those little flyaways that you see with plywood....and no one will get caught on any of the wood

[lilmsjess]

http://www.lewislp.com/products.asp?cat=9

i found this site, they have ash plywood at 6ftx6ft for 12.69 a sheet.....and it's 1 inch thick...if your yard is level, no problems....now, i have yet to find out, how the heck they ship....but if it could work you for, 10 sheets, would provide a 600 ft spot ;)