Garden wedding: tips, checklist and a timeline for the day
Updated 26 October 2026 · Written by Lysela
A garden or backyard wedding at home needs the same things as a wedding in a venue, but you arrange them yourselves: a roof over the guests, toilets, power, light after dark and a plan for rain. Start with the marquee and the rain plan, because everything else depends on them. Here is a checklist, a timeline for a day outdoors, ideas for decoration and light, and a note that tells guests what to wear and how to find you.
Try it yourself, no account neededBackyard wedding at home: what you need to arrange
Go through the table with whoever owns the garden. Put a name next to each row, so one person is responsible for each thing.
| What | The question to answer | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Marquee | Is there room for every guest under cover, including at dinner? | Measure the ground before you choose a size. Tables, chairs and the path to the toilets all need space. |
| Toilets | Is the toilet in the house enough, or do you need more? | Hire extra ones if there are many of you. Place them a little away from the party, with a lit path. |
| Power | Do the sockets in the house cover music, lights and the kitchen? | Lay cables so nobody trips, and ask the hire company how much the marquee and lights draw. |
| Light | Can guests see where they are going when it gets dark? | Light steps, the gate and the path to the toilets first. Decoration comes after that. |
| Rain plan | Where do the ceremony and the drinks go if it rains? | Decide in advance who makes the call and the latest time of day to make it. |
| Neighbours | Do they know about the day and when the music stops? | Tell them early, invite them if you like, and say when it goes quiet. If you are unsure about noise or marquee rules, your municipality can answer. |
| Parking | Where do guests leave their cars? | Ask the nearest neighbour about a field or a driveway, and put up a sign or a person to show the way. |
| Catering | Who cooks, serves and washes up, and where? | Caterers often need a space with water and power near the marquee. Ask what they need before you choose. |
| Rentals | Who collects and returns tables, chairs, plates and glasses? | Write a list with times and names. Someone receives the delivery and someone puts it back afterwards. |
Marquee wedding: choosing a marquee and a rain plan
Guests need to know the plan in advance. Write on the wedding website that the ceremony is outdoors if the weather allows and under cover if not, and that they should bring something for rain. For how to plan the whole wedding, see our guide to planning a wedding.
A roof over dinner
The food and the tables are what must stay dry. The ceremony and the drinks can be in the garden if the weather holds.
Sides that come off
A marquee with sides that open gives air on a warm day and shelter on a windy evening. Ask the hire company what is included.
Firm or soft ground
Grass goes soft after rain. Ask about flooring or mats, so heels do not sink and chairs do not wobble.
A rain plan in two steps
Plan A is the garden, plan B is the marquee or the house. Set the time you decide, so nobody moves chairs at the last minute.
A timeline for a garden wedding
A more detailed schedule for you, the toastmaster and the caterer is in our guide to the wedding day timeline.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2.30 pm | Guests arrive, park and walk to the garden. Someone shows the way. |
| 3.00 pm | Ceremony in the garden, about 30 minutes. |
| 3.30 pm | Congratulations and drinks with something to eat. You have your photos taken while the light is soft. |
| 5.30 pm | Guests go to the marquee and find their seats. |
| 5.45 pm | Dinner, with speeches between the courses. |
| 9.00 pm | Cake and coffee. Light the candles before it gets dark. |
| 9.30 pm | First dance, then dancing for everyone. |
| 11.30 pm | Late-night food and quieter music. It turns chilly, so put out blankets. |
| 12.00 am | Last song. The music stops at the time you told the neighbours. |
Garden wedding decoration and lighting for the evening
Let the garden be the decoration
Flowers, bushes and trees do much of the work. Spend the money on what the garden lacks: light, a place for the ceremony and tables that stand firm.
Light along the paths
Lanterns on the ground, string lights in the trees or the roof of the marquee, and candles on the tables. Use lanterns with glass or battery candles where it is windy.
Light at different heights
Strings high up, lanterns low down and candles on the tables give a soft glow and no dark corners.
Pick flowers from the garden
A few vases of whatever is in bloom that week save money and suit the place. Ask someone to cut them the morning before.
Blankets, warmth and something hot
The evening is cold even after a warm day. Put out blankets, and serve coffee or a hot drink with the cake.
What guests need to know about a garden wedding
Guests who know they will stand on grass choose different shoes. Put it on the wedding website, so you do not answer the same question fifteen times. For more on what to wear, see our guide to Swedish wedding dress codes.
Summer smart. It is a lawn, so choose shoes that cope with grass. Heels sink, so think wedges or flats.
It turns chilly once the sun goes down. Bring something warm, a cardigan or a jacket.
The ceremony is in the garden if the weather allows. If not, we move under cover, and you will find the decision here on the site by [time] on the wedding day.
Park at [place]. It is a [number] minute walk to the garden, and we have put up signs. Sharing a car makes it easier for everyone.
The garden is behind the house. Follow the gravel path round the corner at [landmark], or call [name] on [phone number].
Children are welcome until [time]. We will not have pets at the party, and ask that you leave yours at home.
Places, good to know and the programme on your wedding website
With Lysela, you add the garden as a place with an address, a time and a line about it, and guests get a link to directions. Under Good to know you write what applies to grass, the evening, parking and rain. You add the programme, and on the wedding day the page shows at the top what is happening now and next. If there are buses or lift sharing, you can add those too, so guests find their way. There is also a style called Garden Party, with italic type, lilac and leaf green. Places, the programme and Good to know are in every tier. See how it looks on the example pages.
You pay once, SEK 795, SEK 1,795 or SEK 4,900 including VAT, and the site stays up for 12 months.
What usually goes on a wedding website, and what one costs, is in the checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How do you plan a garden wedding at home?
Start with the marquee and the rain plan. Then go through toilets, power, light, parking, neighbours and food, and give each point an owner. Tell guests about grass, the evening and the weather on the wedding website.
Do you need a marquee for a garden wedding?
Yes, unless you have a conservatory or a house that holds everyone at dinner. The marquee is also the rain plan: the ceremony and drinks can be outside, and dinner is under cover.
How many toilets do you need?
It depends on the number of guests and how long the party runs. Ask the toilet hire company what they recommend for your numbers and your hours.
What do you do if it rains?
Move the ceremony and drinks under cover, into the marquee or the house. Decide the time you make the call, and write on the wedding website where guests should go.