Plan a Backyard Wedding Without Breaking the Bank

Your backyard. It’s the perfect wedding location. You save money from not renting out an overpriced venue that comes with a whole list of rules that cramp your style, and you have absolute creative freedom to express your own vision and show everyone a unique event they’ll never forget.

There’s just one issue: It takes a lot of preparation. Everything from the landscaping to the catering to the bartending is up to you to arrange. It may seem a bit overwhelming, but you can do it with some guidance, even on a smallish budget. Black and White Affair DJ Services offers a few suggestions on how.

Prepare Rooms for Loved Ones

You only have enough room to accommodate close family for overnight arrangements, so make them feel at home with a little attention to detail. Above all, that means putting fresh linens on the beds in the guest rooms, before adding extra comfort in the form of pillows or comforters. Consider also leaving a basket filled with items like bottled water, toiletries, ear plugs, mints, and anything else that can make their stay more comfortable. 

Start Early in the Yard

Since the most important moments will take place here, it better look its best, and that means getting started on your landscaping months in advance if you want a new bed of flowers in bloom for the occasion. Also, don’t neglect to pull up any dead plants and keep the grass well watered so it’s lush and green for the big day. In some cases, you may even need to have dead or dying trees removed, especially if they’re safety hazards or could open up necessary yard space. This isn’t a task to handle yourself, so look for local tree removal experts who can quickly cut down and dispose of these trees. Remember to get several quotes, and check online reviews and ratings first. 

Install an Arbor or Pergola

Arbors or pergolas garden structures offer your guests a place to relax without leaving the party, and you’ll enjoy the shelter it provides, along with the elegance of climbing flowers climbing up the beams. Professionally built trellises cost around $471 for materials and labor, while a DIY one will cost about $275.

Rent the Extras You Need

This could be a long list depending on how many guests you’re anticipating. You’ll almost certainly need some chairs for the ceremony itself, as well as a few tables for guests to put food and drinks on during the reception. Then there’s the sound system and a generator to power everything, including the extra refrigerator in the kitchen for all the goodies you’re serving.

Block Off a Staging Area

It all revolves around the kitchen, as there could be no reception without food. You may also want to block off an adjacent room for additional prep space, and keep it hidden with some makeshift curtains so your guests don’t catch a glimpse of the magic happening behind the scenes.

Find the Right DJ

The most contained way to provide entertainment is with a DJ service. What’s crucial will be finding the right spot for the DJ to set up, as well as enough yard space for dancing. Depending on your grass, you may want to opt for a dance floor, but dancing on the lawn in bare feet can be just as fun. 

Get Clever With the Decor

This could easily suck up thousands of dollars if you’re not smart about it. That may mean ditching the flowers, as hard as it seems. As a writer with Money Crashers points out, candles are much cheaper and more romantic. 

Don’t Skimp on Drinks

Do your wedding toast with Prosecco, and your guests won’t know that it’s cheaper than champagne. As for the rest of the occasion, you can’t go wrong with beer and wine, though Bon Appétit has some ideas for signature cocktails that don’t require too much work as they’re made from just three ingredients. Ancho Reyes daiquiri anyone?

It’s bound to be a memorable occasion, so don’t forget to enjoy it yourself. After all, this is your day.

Image via Pixabay.

Powered By Scotland Clothing LLC >>

What goes behind setting up a playlist

Setting up a playlist can be difficult. Folks know how the words go but don’t know the actual name of the song. For example, folks will say Apple bottom jeans but in reality, it’s called Low by Flo-Rida and T-pain. But everyone knows what you are talking about. 

When you are setting up a playlist one has to think of the theme they want to have. Will it be an old school vibe or will it be all the new up and coming jams. Or will it be a mixture of new and old to keep the young and older folks happy.  Once that is established then they can get to work. Myself I like to set up around 25 songs per hour of event. I like to be over prepared since it is better to have more songs to work with rather than struggling to find a song when the other song is running out. Nobody likes dead air in an event. Music always has to be playing unless someone is doing announcements.

I like setting up my list two weeks in advance so to ensure I have all the songs that are requested. I may have to go to two or three sites to find the song and make sure it’s the correct edit. A lot of songs have many remixes that may not be the correct vibes the client is trying to portray.

 For the songs that I put in the playlist I do not stream but actually have the mp3 in the hard drive. Streaming is the new thing that is happening in the dj world but on the same note there is not guarantee there will be good Wi-Fi at the event.

Weddings in California are popping up. Weddings are still happening even though there is a delta variant still happening in the United States. People are trying to stay safe in these uncertain times. 2020 seemed like the world shut down and did not allow any sort of events. It seems like know people know the routine. 

In a two week span, I have 3 weddings planned. All of them are scheduled to be outside. I know one of the attendance would be 60 people. So people are opting to have smaller weddings. One wedding is a residence so it will be intimate and the other two will be a nice outside venues. 

So how do you ensure safety at these times? A good way is to create space around the dj set up and remind the audience that you are not taking verbal requests but rather taking text requests. Make sure the signs are readable and easy to follow on the signage. 

With adult beverages, folks do forget the rules. Its good to do friendly reminders on the microphone for social distance rules. It is difficult to keep the distance on the dancefloor but people are aching to dance after being lockdown for so long. At those times, its still important to remain safe and if folks are too close it is best to keep the mask on for vaccinated and unvaccinated people even when they are outdoors. 

Powered By Scotland Clothing LLC >>

I had a big school event after the lockdown. My last event before the lockdown was a school event and this event was a big school event in Palo Alto. 

I had posters made and students were sending their requests. I had three lists to work from and it was a good starting point. Student still wanted to make verbal requests so I just pointed to the posters which had the directions for requests. 

The school was awesome is having food trucks and they had a variety of different kinds of food. I was amazed that we were outside and everyone had a mask on when I started. I brought 4 speakers and it was loud enough for all the folks that showed up. It was plenty of volume for the outside venue. 

What I noticed was the request for older music. Typically at schools I play the newest latest music  but this time around a few new songs were played and songs from the 00s were very popular. I believe it has to be the popularity of tic tock which is bringing back the old school. The biggest songs of the night were by Calvin Harris which is considered edm or house music. The question of the night is house coming back? I remember playing it during proms in 2014 then it went away. I think playing a little of everything is fun so maybe it is coming back.

Overall, the chaperones made a huge difference. We had to make reminders of keeping the social distance. Students were very respectful and very ready to party since they have been lockdown for a while.

Once the first steps are done then the fun begins. A lot of folks do not know the names of songs but only have a few must haves. At BWADJ we send out playlists that are popular and it makes the song selection easier. Client can also include songs that are not on the list. I like having the list a week in advance so I can secure the music especially if its not on my list.  If it’s a wedding then BWADJ send a wedding coordination sheet with song suggestions and helps organize the events if no wedding planner is involved. A wedding is a custom event so there is no set way to do a wedding. Its based on what the bride and groom wants. If it’s a birthday party and the client wants party music the whole time then we do party music the whole time. Who needs to sit to eat dinner! Most of the time they do eat dinner sitting but it can always be an option! 

We keep in contact with the client to see how their list is going and to see if anything has changed. Then before the event we finally touch base to go over the game plan. 

We show up 1 to 2 hours before the event depending on how many set ups are needed. To set up one simple set up it takes 30 minutes. 

Then we have a fun event with dancing and memories being made.

A lot of times folks have never booked a dj and have no idea what it entails. Each company has their own way to respond to dj inquiries. For Black and White Affair we tend to handle everything quickly. Setting up an event for the planner at times is like a second job since there is so much to do. Time is of the essence and we believe to respond asap no matter what time it is. Usually people will do an email and respond as quickly as we get it. 

A lot of times folks do not know what to ask. They will just say, “Hey Dj, We have a wedding on the 6th of November and how much does it cost?”

To get a proper quote the dj has to know how many hours and if is going to require 2 or 3 music set ups. For example if the dj is doing the ceremony then it has to have its own set up. Then another set up for the cocktail hour if its else where from the reception. Then the reception will need a set up. Also it it good to let the dj know how many folks will be there so the dj will know how many speakers s/he will need for the event. 

Once all the details are given then we send the quote. If the client likes the quote then they will proceed. Then Black and White Affair will send an agreement in which the client signs then sends a deposit to secure the date. 

 2020 was a year in the dj wedding industry we like to forget. It started with a lot of promise then the lockdown happened. Folks had to wait for their big events so 2021 and 2022 are booking fast.  I have noticed more traffic on my website and people are looking to have events.

What do I recommend? I recommend getting your venue first and foremost. If there is no venue then there is no party can happen. Once that is secure its time to get your dj. Its good to have at least 6 months to prepare but folks have called with one month before and dates are booking fast. Saturday is by far the most popular day followed by Friday. So those days will be hard to secure if its short notice. But off days such as Monday and Tuesday will have way more openings. But if you have your heart on a Saturday and you try to get it a month before the event then you may want to look into having it early since some places may have availability. But being rushed out of your party to set up another party does not sound fun. Again off days such as a Sunday and you can start earlier and finish at 6 or 7 so folks can get enough rest for their day job the following day. 

Also consider the weather can be a factor if you have an outside event. If you do book an event and its outside make sure the venue has a plan b or inside option if the weather does not permit. In the Bay Area, weather can be factor but good venues always have alternatives.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival has been around for 41 years. It has been a pretty famous food event in the Bay Area for many years. It was the place to stock up on your Garlic flavored Ice Cream or Garlic dishes. Last year due to Covid, the festival and the rest of the world was shut down. But this year it has manifested to a new event. Years past it has operated at Christmas Hill Park. It is a huge park that could maintain the thousands of visitors. This year it is divided into three locations.

It included a drive by alley at Gilroy Presbyterian Church and a Farm to table dinner at Fortino Winery. And finally the Garlic Festival Golf Classic will be held July 30th. The festival has taken a new look and feel.

I was able to provide music at Fortino Winery. They had a little stage next to the vineyard where the folks were able to eat and listen to old school music. We decided the classics you can not go wrong. I went with 80’s new wave,  then jumped into the 90s. It was a fun atmosphere. My intention was just to play background music but the Gilroy folks wanted to dance and they did. The awesome Fortino staff were so accommodating to their patrons that the folks were happy. It was a good feel good vibe. Grandparents were with their grandchildren and couples were all there. It was a perfect mix.

It was a nice touch to have live music with great food. I was happy to be a part of it. When in doubt in choosing the music you cannot go wrong with going old school.