A luxury backyard wedding is easily my favorite type of wedding to plan and just recently we had a huge one in Saddle River, New Jersey. Almost two years in the making, this beautiful celebration took place at home and over a pool….
YES! Over a pool! Two weeks of construction with the best of the best in the tenting and flooring game and the entire backyard was transformed into the most amazing backyard wedding you have ever seen.
So much goes into planning a backyard wedding, but all of the hard work always pays off. Check out the stunning details captured by the incredible Dyanna LaMora and let us know when you’re ready to plan your own luxury backyard wedding!
A luxury backyard wedding definitely does not come together overnight. One of the biggest misconceptions, in fact about backyard weddings, is that they are both easier and less expensive than a traditional wedding venue.
I promise you as a wedding planner for over 14 years that isn’t the case.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous, “Father of the Bride” style backyard wedding, there are so many things that need to be brought in. In fact, the two weeks leading up to this wedding were filled with constructing a floor over the pool which required a large team including divers. We were there overseeing those details and you can see all the behind the scenes over on our TikTok page right here.
Not to mention the rentals, the catering, the lighting, the restroom trailers and PHEW it is a lot…the moral of the story? If you want that luxury backyard wedding then you need a luxury wedding planner and you need them before you plan a single thing.
The day started with nothing but beautiful sunshine and honestly, the most picture perfect weather you could ask for on your wedding day. My husband was asking me in the weeks leading up to the wedding what I was worried about and my answer was always the same:
I just need it not to rain.
Our florist showed up bright and early with everything from the corsages to the centerpieces. The details were brought inside the house all ready for our photographer to take those beautiful photos.
Along with the florals, the other details including the groom’s shoes, tie, vow book and more were put together to get those incredible flat lays. Flat lays are basically all the little pieces that are just so gorgeous they need their own photos.
Of course, all of the bridal details had their moment in the sun and the gallery of photos is just stunning.
Wedding Planner Tip: Have all of your details in one spot for your photographer to use as soon as they arrive for photos. Bonus points if you send them a list of what will be there in advance!
In the days leading up to the wedding, our friends at Sperry Tents installed not just the backyard reception tent but also put up a beautiful tent for the wedding ceremony. This wedding took place in June and it was super important to our couple that their guests not be sitting out in the direct sunlight.
Keeping it simple with white folding chairs and rustic reserved signs, our florist created a gorgeous hoop backdrop for our bride and groom to stand in front of.
My favorite part of all of this? The ceremony was supposed to be in the backyard but there was a desire to move it to the front yard…there was a tree that was absolutely making that impossible so they took the tree down and voila!
Before any of the guests arrived and after all the detail photos had been taken, our bride and groom got set up for their first look. With the backdrop of the beautiful home, our couple saw each other for the first time and it was nothing short of magical.
Wedding Planner Tip: Keep your hair and make-up team on site until the ceremony for any necessary touch-ups and of course to place the veil.
Once the first look photos were over and Kristina had her pictures with her bridesmaids and Mike had his pictures with his groomsmen, it was time to get everyone together.
I don’t know about you, but I am swooning over these gorgeous wardrobe details! Stunning cream colored bridesmaid dresses in different styles were the perfect choice and those blue suits? Total perfection!
And obviously these are the cutest flower girls ever.
Once the wedding ceremony concluded, guests came into the home to make their way through to cocktail hour. The beautiful welcome sign was placed next to the escort card table where everyone could grab their card before heading into the backyard.
Guests mingled both inside and outside the tent while catering passed around all of the cocktail hour options. Our couple offered two adorable signature drinks and a full bar for guests to enjoy.
When I first started working with Kristina, she was very clear about the vibe she wanted: Summer House. Clean, neutral colors, lots of greenery, and classic details. Thankfully, the location made this design super easy to achieve and the long tables were the perfect choice for the family style reception she envisioned.
Incorporating gold charger plates and gold flatware really made the entire tablescape “pop” against the white-washed farmhouse tables. Even though this was family style, Kristina and Mike wanted to offer menu cards to let their guests know everything that they would be enjoying throughout the evening.
Wedding Planner Tip: When having a family style wedding reception, make sure your florist does not create one long garland as that will be in the way of all of the food being brought out to the table.
The gorgeous florals were a combination of broken green garland and tall centerpieces featuring roses and hydrangea. The softer colors were complemented by the deep greenery pieces found everywhere from the table to the tent poles.
As the sun went down, the guests made their way onto the dance floor which…by the way…was packed all night. There is nothing better than a packed dance floor to tell me that a. my couple knows the best people and b. the wedding was a huge success.
Our lighting designer created custom gobo designs that illuminated the top of the tent to really create a spectacular vision until the last song was played and everyone headed to the after party.
The wedding day for Kristina and Michael was truly beautiful and I feel beyond blessed that they chose me to plan with them for almost two years. A crazy amount of love went into each detail of this incredible day and it was truly flawless…thanks so much to all of the vendors (of course listed below) who made everything possible.
Keep scrolling to check out the team that worked this celebration and for even more stunning photos from this amazing luxury backyard wedding.
Vendors
Wedding Planner: Rothweiler Event Design
Photographer: Dyanna LaMora
Florist: A Creative Touch
Tents: Sperry Tents
Hair and Make-Up: Michelle Elise Artistry
Music: SCE- Bobby LaFauci
Lighting: JB Lighting Production
Catering: Michelle’s Catering
Content Creator: SoBridal Social
Stationery: Minted
