Creating a DIY Wedding Out Bush

So if you are thinking that hotel ballrooms and function venues isn't really your thing, perhaps you are considering going someone remote or Down South to celebrate your love? Well having a DIY wedding is a fantastic idea, especially if you have your own large property, but there are some important things you need to consider first.

Location

Having a property out in the middle of nowhere might be good to ensure you can party for as long and as loud as you want, but you have to consider how are people going to get there? Do they need to travel via car? Bus? Plane? Is it easy to find? Will they start hearing banjos as their phone looses signal trying to follow Google maps? Most people might be willing to travel but ensure you give clear instructions of how to get there and what to expect (physical maps are also a good idea)

Accommodation

So they have found the place and partied like it was 1999, now it's over and they need to lay their drunken heads down to rest...where? Be sure to check what hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and caravan parks are near your location. Also consider if people can sleep at the property and what they need to bring (tents, sleeping bags, etc).

Bus for afterwards

If your property is way out from accommodation, you might want to consider hiring a bus to take everyone to and from your wedding. Have a few key bus stops which everyone makes their way to and you can all come together. This is also helpful to ensure your guests don't drink and drive, especially in unfamiliar bush with kangaroos everywhere (if you are not Australian reading this blog, you probably are wondering if I am over exaggerating...I'm not).

Marquee

You are going to need a marquee regardless of what the weather says. They can be a shelter from the wind, rain, heat and insects. While it does not need to be the size of a ballroom, you need to ensure all your guests will be able to fit under it as well as the catering and any other extras like photobooth, DJ, etc. If the weather is good you can always have the dance floor outside but you need to prepare for...

Weather and Temperature Monitoring

You need to be prepared for what happens if it rains on your wedding. We have done weddings in the middle of summer which pours down. You also need to be prepared for the cold and heat. You probably will not have access to air conditioning or heating, so you might need to bring in fans or heaters. Be sure as well you get enough otherwise most of your guests will all huddle around them.

Lighting

Will you have enough light to see your meal and who you are talking to? Fairy lights will look pretty at dusk but are not practicable when you need to actually see what you are doing. Also are you going to want to be able to isolate certain lights so when the dancing starts you and keep some one while turning others off? If so you need to ensure you have that sorted prior (as you don't want to try to unplug lights during the wedding)

Generators

If you have access to power, you must ensure you have 3 phase power. You also want to ensure you won't overload the system. Having generators is always a good idea. When hiring, be sure to check how many items will need power. These usually include the lights, catering, DJ, photobooth, and probably a few miscellaneous things. Either get a generator that won't be overloaded or get two and have half of the items on each.

Seating, Tables, Plates and Glasses

Sometime the catering will provide this, other times you will need to. Ensure you know how many are coming and then always ensure you have spares. This includes more glassware in case drinks are dropped/forgotten, cutlery which gets used, and chairs which you might want some around the place during the dancing.

Toilets

For the love of God! Don't forget the toilets! Also don't be cheap, ensure you have at least two! One for male and the other for female. When guys get drunk our aim is not the best, no female should have to deal with that when they need to go to.

Dance Floor

Depending on the ground will determine if you need one or not. Most people are happy to dance anywhere but if the place might turn to mud, or is too sandy, consider getting one.

Vendors and Travel Fees

Once you go outside the metro area, you will start needing to pay more for vendors to come out. Many of them will charge a travel and/or accommodation fee too. This means you might need to consider what you will need to do/create yourselves, what you need to get done in Perth and bring down, and what vendors do you need to pay to do the job and ensure the wedding works?

Cost

Now after all of this, you might be discovering that a DIY wedding might not be as cheap as you thought. All we have listed above is the minimum of what you need to consider and there are probably many things that are specific to your own wedding. With all this in mind, the best recommendation is to have a budget in mind, and then cost everything on paper. This means you have to ring and get quotes, not what you 'think' someone 'should' charge. When doing this, also get quotes for the same wedding on the same date at a venue (pick anyone) and compare prices. If, once you add in the cost of a venue, it works out comparable to the DIY then fantastic. If however it is three times over your budget you might want to reconsider (or ask mum and dad and remind them how much you love them ;-) lol)