Valley Tent & Party Rentals

Planning a Backyard Wedding? Here’s What To Think About Before You Start

Photographer: Rob Lloyd

There is something special about getting married at home. A backyard wedding can feel personal, relaxed, and completely different from a traditional venue. You also have the freedom to create a space that reflects exactly what you want for your day.

However, hosting a wedding on private property takes more planning than simply putting up a tent and adding some tables. You are essentially creating your own wedding venue from the ground up.

At Valley Tent & Party Rentals, we help couples throughout the Ottawa Valley turn backyards, farms, fields, and private properties into wedding spaces. Here are some of the most important things to consider before you start planning yours.

Start With the Property, Not the Décor

Before choosing chairs, linens, florals, or centrepieces, take a good look at the property itself.

Where will the reception tent go?

You need enough room for the tent itself and additional space around it for installation. You should also consider trees, gardens, buildings, septic systems, overhead wires, and underground utilities.

Ground conditions matter as well. Our tents require staking into the ground for proper securement. This means the location needs suitable ground and enough space for the required stakes. You should locate and clearly mark underground private utilities before tent installation. This includes private services such as sprinkler systems and other underground infrastructure.

Vehicle access is another important consideration. Our crews need to transport large tents and rental equipment onto the property. A beautiful open field may not work if our trucks and trailers cannot safely reach it.

Planning these details early gives you time to solve potential problems before your wedding week arrives.

Think About How Everyone Will Use the Property

Once you know where your tent will go, start thinking about the rest of the wedding. Imagine yourself arriving as a guest.

Where would you park? How would you get to the ceremony? Where would you go afterward?

Your reception tent may need space for dining tables, a head table, dance floor, bar, DJ, catering, and other rentals.

You should also think about where your caterer will work. A catering team may need access to water, electricity, preparation space, or a nearby building. The distance between their workspace and your tent can also affect service.

Washrooms are another important part of a backyard wedding. Your home’s washrooms may work for a small gathering, but a larger wedding can put significant demand on them. A restroom trailer can give guests a convenient option while keeping your home more private.

Then think about electricity. Your DJ, caterer, bar, lighting, and other vendors may all require power. Talk with your vendors early so you understand what each one needs.

And don’t forget about the end of the night. A property that feels easy to navigate during daylight can look very different after dark. Make sure guests can safely travel between the tent, parking area, washrooms, and other parts of the property. Small solar lights can help identify pathways, stakes, entrances, and areas with uneven ground.

Remember That You’re Creating the Venue

One of the biggest differences between a backyard wedding and a traditional venue is what already exists. A venue may already have parking, washrooms, electricity, lighting, tables, chairs, and designated spaces for vendors. At home, you may need to create many of those things yourself.

That isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. In fact, it’s one of the reasons couples love backyard weddings. You have much more freedom to decide what your celebration looks like. You can choose the tent you love, create your own layout, bring in beautiful furniture, and design the property around your wedding. You can also create separate areas throughout the property.

Maybe your ceremony takes place under a favourite tree. Guests can then enjoy cocktail hour near the house before moving into the tent for dinner. Later, everyone can gather under the tent for dancing as the property lights up around them. That flexibility can create an incredible wedding experience. The key is giving yourself enough time to plan it properly.

If you’re planning a 2027 or 2028 backyard wedding, start with the major pieces first. Secure your tent and other limited-inventory rentals early. Popular sailcloth tents, restroom trailers, wood furniture, and certain specialty rentals can book quickly. Once you’ve secured those items, you can continue building the smaller details around them.

Backyard Wedding Rentals Throughout the Ottawa Valley

Our regular service areas include:

Pembroke, Petawawa, Deep River, Chalk River, Cobden, Beachburg, Westmeath, Renfrew, Arnprior, Calabogie, White Lake, Kinburn, Mississippi Mills, Carp, Whitney, Madawaska, Maynooth, Combermere, Barry’s Bay, Wilno, Killaloe, Golden Lake, Eganville, Lake Clear, Foymount, Bancroft, Boulter, Hardwood Lake, Palmer Rapids, Matawatchan, Denbigh, McArthurs Mills, Allumettes Island, Chapeau, Fort-Coulonge, Campbell’s Bay, Shawville, Bristol, Quyon, Otter Lake, Lady’s Smith, Desjardinsville, L’Isle-Aux-Allumettes, Nichabau, Sheenboro, Chichester, Fort William, Waltham, Davidson, Bryson, Luskville, Kazabazua, Low, Aylmer, Woodlawn, Fitzroy, Waba, Black Donald, Mt. Saint Patrick, Hurds Lake, Dacre, Brudenell, Rockingham, New Carlow, Schutt, Musclow, Maple Leaf, Paugh Lake, Round Lake Centre, Bonnechere, Deacon, Mink Lake, Osceola, Kelly’s Corner, Admaston Bromley, Whitewater Region, Chenaux, L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet, Haley Station, Foresters Falls, Micksburg, Brumsfield, Locksley, Rankin, Lake Dore, Augsburg, Cormac, Black Bay, Laurentian Hills, Wylie, Rolphton, Stonecliffe, Bissett Creek, Deux-Rivières, Dunrobin, Pakenham, Burnstown, Griffith, Stone Brook, Greenwood, Woito, and La Passe.

Non-Peak Season Additional Service Areas

During our non-peak season, we may also travel farther for weddings and events.

These areas include Kingston, Belleville, Prince Edward County, North Bay, Mattawa, Algonquin Park, Huntsville, Baysville, Kearney, Haliburton, Eagle Lake, Kinmount, Minden, Woodview, Madoc, Tweed, Bancroft, Irondale, Cardiff, Harcourt, Wilberforce, Gooderham, Gilmour, Northbrook, Perth, Sharbot Lake, Powassan, Callander, Bonfield, South River, Sundridge, Wakefield, Chelsea, Lanark, Clarendon Station, Maberly, Cloyne, Arden, Ompah, Plevna, Marmora, Cheddar, Apsley, Coe Hill, Havelock, Lakefield, Curve Lake, Stirling, Norwood, Tamworth, Godfrey, Verona, Redridge, Gracefield, Athens, Westport, Portland, Elgin, Delta, Seeley’s Bay, Gananoque, Odessa, Yarker, Sydenham, Inverary, Napanee, Greater Napanee, Shannonville, Embrun, Kemptville, Lansdowne, Brockville, Ogdensburg, Mallorytown, Tincap, Spencerville, Winchester, Oxford Mills, Oxford Station, Bishops Mills, Andrewsville, Jasper, Lombardy, Frankville, North Augusta, Actons Corners, Munster, Pontiac, and Luskville.