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{Real Party} A Simple Backyard Wedding

{Real Party} A Simple Backyard Wedding

Simple , intimate and just what they wanted. It’s amazing how food, family, friends and just a sparing few special touches can make for a perfect day. I think this party is also a testament to the fact you don’t have to have a huge budget or spend weeks crafting to have a very nice event.


Pamela & Eddie really wanted a small gathering for their wedding with a real focus on food–Eddie is from Houma, Louisiana and has made fast friends with my father over more than one pot of jambalaya. So when they asked to have their ceremony in my parent’s backyard, Mom & Dad were more than happy to accommodate them.

Eddie printed and put together these DIY invitations for the event; so great to see a groom get involved!

There was no extravagance, aside from the 20 lbs of shrimp that was drop shipped overnight from the gulf. Simplicity was the theme. With an extremely small budget to work with, we borrowed vases, plants and table cloths from all over and worked with the landscaping in the back yard and free greenery from Dad’s nandina bushes and ferns to add our few special “styled” touches to the party.

We bought extremely inexpensive pom pom daisies in bulk and dropped them in some of our borrowed vases with our free greens and tied them with a bit of twine I happened to have with me to make centerpieces for all the tables.

A friend’s English garden provided a basket of blooms for a beautiful focal point and lush ferns for the alter area.

For the cake table, I literally rustled through my mom’s closets to find things to dress it up. I found a white table cloth, a navy table cloth and a white bow to tie up the front. The bride had purchased the pink rose petals in case we could use them. I created a few make-shift cake stands for the cake/dessert table and balanced the height of the cake with a pair of candlesticks on one side and champagne toasting flutes on the other.

Using the maple tree imagery from the invitation, I set up a small space for guests to sign the guest book.

As I said before, good food (and some of the cajun variety) was the most important part of the festivities for the happy couple. Family and friends took turns boiling shrimp, grilling bacon-wrapped scallops and cooking up the rest of the food for everyone to enjoy.

This fun loving couple had a great day – and with the love of those around them, everything important to making a fabulous wedding was there.

Paula Biggs

Owner at Frog Prince Paperie
Paula Biggs is a party planner, DIY crafter, and owner of Frog Prince Paperie, where you can find hundreds of party, craft and lifestyle ideas.

Andrea @ Paper-Charmed

Tuesday 2nd of August 2011

i love weddings! this one seems like a simple and sweet one. thanks for sharing it.