October 18, 2026 · 4 min read

How a backyard wedding day actually runs

The nicest thing about getting married in a backyard is that the day can be short. You don't need eight hours of something. You need a ceremony, a toast, a meal, and time to actually look at the people who came.

The shape of the day

Most couples land somewhere near this. It moves an hour either way depending on light and whether you want photos before or after the ceremony.

• Two hours before: you arrive, the house is yours, and you get the house to yourselves while the backyard is finished.
• Ceremony: twenty minutes, chairs in two rows, nothing that needs a sound check.
• Champagne toast: immediately after, while the light is still good.
• Photos: your photographer keeps you moving for about forty minutes — the two of you, then each family.
• Dinner: one long table, everyone seated together, no head table.
• Cake and the last of the champagne: as the sky goes dark and the string lights come on.

With twelve people you will talk to every single one of them. Plan for that being the point of the day.

Why the timing matters

Golden hour is the only part of the day the photographer can't fake, and it's the reason we usually start ceremonies in the late afternoon. The downstairs restroom stays open all day, so nobody is wondering where to go, and the house is warm if the evening turns cool.

Everything above is what the planning session is for. We look at your date, the light in the yard, and who's coming, and we write your version of this schedule together.