Is your home slated to be a part of a wedding celebration? Perhaps you’re hosting a DIY backyard wedding or reception and providing your family and friends a place to crash. Whatever the case, your home needs a facelift.
The problem is often budget. Can you still make your living space wedding-ready? The answer is a big yes! You’d be surprised at what you can do on a shoestring budget.
Clean and declutter
You’ll need to free up some much-needed room for all your guests, whether they’re staying for a while or staying over. Cleaning and decluttering (Molly Maid has a wonderful checklist) makes a huge difference, lending your home an airy, open and welcoming vibe. You don’t need to do the cleaning yourself—a cleaning service can do your whole house.
[Pexels photo by RoveniImages.com]
Decorate simply
Simple is best when it comes to decorations, especially if the space is small. It’s also wallet-friendly. Some powerful decoration ideas include paper lanterns, hanging banners, giving your staging area a fresh coat of paint, hanging a bridal wreath on the front door, placing flower vases and candles around the home, and hanging up family photos.
Repair and safety-proof
Next, take care of any repairs you may have been putting off. A leaky faucet, cracked bathroom tiles and creaky doors detract from the beauty of your home. Make sure to safety-proof your home too if you’re expecting kids at the wedding. Put away valuable or hazardous items and lock doors that shouldn’t be opened.
Touch up your landscape
Consider giving your yard a makeover, something you may have already started during the pandemic. It doesn’t have to be grand. Getting new potted plants, removing dead flowers and weeds and adding some verdant bushes can bring your surroundings to life. Hanging up lights is a lovely idea, both for decor and practical reasons.
[Pexels photo by Emma Bauso]
Rent instead of buy
You’ll need thousands of items big and small for your wedding day (think beds, furniture, trailers, plants and decorations) — it’s likely you won’t have most of them. Rather than buying these items outright, you can rent them and save money instead. Two must-have rentals are backup generators and portable toilets, and a must-have hire is a wedding photographer—your priceless memories are worthy of a professional’s touch.
Self-Cater
The average Dutch wedding costs around €15,000, according to DutchNews. You can save big by catering yourself. If you don’t have the time or energy to prepare the food, you could also rope in a small family-owned restaurant nearby—they often do it for cheap.
[Pexels image courtesy of Filip Wouters]
Get your spaces ready
When you’re hosting a wedding or reception at home, you’ll need to get your spaces spruced up and ready to go. Some critical spaces are staging areas, entertainment spaces, changing rooms and bathrooms. Get help from a renovator if you have to. Arrange bathroom baskets for guests. Assign rooms to people who need them. Cordon off areas that you don’t want people to access. And lastly, imagine where everyone is going to be for the duration of the event, from entry to exit.
[Pexels photo by Olya Kobruseva]
Organize thoroughly
Being prepared and planning for your wedding as early as possible allows you to avoid last-minute problems. It’s always smart to make a checklist so you don’t miss anything important. Some important items to consider are weather, lighting, sound systems and bar supplies.
Remember that the improvements you make to your home for your wedding have more than cosmetic value. If you play your cards right, they could end up significantly boosting your property’s total market price. Consider taking before-and-after snaps and also keep receipts for upgrades for later use.
Parting thoughts
Giving your home some extra love and care for your wedding day is never a bad idea. Your wedding day comes around only once, but your home is a permanent fixture in your life. You and your family will be able to enjoy and appreciate all the improvements you make to your space for a long time following that special day.
This post was written by contributor Suzie Wilson and edited by Vancouverscape.
Top image by Shardayyy Photography via Unsplash
