Backyard Reception

We have decided to have a backyard reception at my parent's house in Rockwall, TX where we both grew up. There is a lot of trees, a pond, a pool, and a lot of room to work with. The back porch will be a perfect stage for a band, we have a great swing set that will be perfect for guests that have kids, and we plan on setting up an area for guests to play games and socialize.

Now that the decision has been made on having an outdoor - backyard reception, I have been on the look-out for ideas. Here are a few things I came across when searching online:

Round Tables

I came across this adorable table setting picture on The Knot. This would be perfect for the outdoor setting. It is simple and looks like it might fit our small budget -backyard reception.

Menu Board

The only request Jake had was for us to cater BBQ for our reception. Since it is a simple menu that we are looking at having, it would be fun to just write the dinner menu on a chalk board and display it next to the catering tables instead of printing individual menus for each table. This will be a fun DIY project for us to make! Picture from The Knot.

Hanging Initials

Our last names both start with "H" and this picture gave the the idea to create a hanging "H" for the front door of our house. It might be cute to make multiple hanging "H"s to adorn the gates on our fence as well. This will be another fun DIY project. Picture from Brides.

Water Activities
It would be really neat to make use of our pond and create some sort of water activity for guests. We have a paddle boat that guests could take out onto the water. I really like the canoe rides idea featured in the above picture from Brides.com. This would be a last minute decision because our pond is only full when we get enough rain in the Spring. It is full right now, but I cannot predict what will happen for next year. If we do not make use of the pond, the pool will be great to use in decor, lighting, and even recreation! Picture from Brides.

Beverage Buckets
This is another idea that is perfect for an outdoor reception. Rustic buckets filled with cokes, bottles of water, or other beverages would go well around the backyard. Picture from Brides.

Hay Lounge

This was a great idea for an outdoor lounge area. Just stack hay and lay brightly colored fabric over it with patterned accent pillows.

Smores + Fire Pit
Growing up we always had a bonfire when we had friends over. My parents are planning on adding a stone fire pit in our backyard and this would be a perfect place to set up a smores station for guests. There would be nothing better than making smores by a fire on a late summer night! Picture from Brides.

Games Area

This area of the backyard reception will have different outdoor games set up for guests to play. There will be a couple games of washers, horseshoes, and a few other surprise games to enjoy.

Still more ideas to come. We are having so much fun planning this outdoor - backyard - country theme wedding!