![IOS app preview](https://static.giggster.com/media/ios-banners/phone-mini@1x.png)
Are you planning your daughter's wedding, your own wedding, or perhaps a milestone birthday party? A courtyard provides an intimate event space and relaxing ambiance, so keep reading for tips on how to host a courtyard celebration.
What sort of occasion is a good fit for a courtyard? Here are a few popular options.
Weddings
Always dreamt of an outdoor wedding? When you walk down the aisle in a secluded courtyard, you get a private area where you can say I do in front of your family and closest friends.
Birthday Parties
No matter whether you're the host of a 21st or 80th birthday party, you can enjoy an intimate celebration when you hire a courtyard for the occasion. Best of all, you have the flexibility to make the party as casual or as formal as you want.
Reunions
There are few better places to host a high school reunion or family get-together than a courtyard. This outdoor setting creates the ideal atmosphere for you to catch up with familiar faces and reminisce about your shared past.
Corporate Receptions
A cocktail reception or gala dinner will gain a chic and sophisticated vibe when hosted in an elegant courtyard. With drinks flowing and everyone dressed to the nines, you're sure to have a memorable evening.
Are you searching for a hotel wedding venue, a versatile event space, or the perfect place to celebrate a birthday in style? Here are the top factors to look at as you hunt for a courtyard that meets all your needs.
Ambiance
The best courtyard venue for you will provide the perfect ambiance for your celebration. Each unique space has its own distinctive vibe—some are intimate, some offer a strong connection to nature, and some have an opulent air that makes them suited to lavish events. Know what sort of ambiance you want for your party or ceremony and choose a venue to suit.
Convenient Location
The courtyard you choose should be easy for you and your guests to get to and from. Check average travel times for people traveling by car, and look for a venue with convenient public transport links nearby if possible.
Size and Layout
Take your guest list into account when deciding on how large (or small) you need to venue to be. Layout is important too, as the right venue setup will encourage guests to mingle, take to the dance floor, or admire the on-stage entertainment. It's also a good idea to look for a courtyard that allows the guest(s) of honor to make a grand entrance.
Facilities and Equipment
Now you can think about the key equipment you need to host your celebration, and check whether the venue offers everything you need. Are there enough tables and chairs? Is there a dance floor space? Is there an easily accessible food preparation area? Are there enough bathrooms? Make a checklist of all the key features a venue must have to accommodate your needs.
Backup Plan
If the courtyard space you want is exposed to the elements, make sure you have a backup plan in place to protect you and your guests in the event the weather turns nasty. Choosing a venue that also offers access to an indoor event space is highly recommended.
Price
The right courtyard location for you will sit comfortably within your budget. Compare your favorite courtyard with a range of other venues to make sure you get good value for money.
Venue Owner
Choosing a location with an experienced and helpful host can take much of the stress out of planning a reception or celebration. Check how responsive the owner is to your requests for information, and gauge how flexible they are in terms of tailoring the space to suit your needs.
How can you make your outdoor wedding, party, or reunion stand out from the crowd? These simple tips will help you wow all your friends and family who attend.
Know Exactly What You Want
The key to a successful courtyard event is knowing exactly what sort of experience you want to provide to your guests—will it be casual and laid-back or formal and traditional? Will it be a grand celebration or something much more intimate? Once you know what you're aiming to create, you can start searching for the perfect venue.
Get Expert Help
Planning any type of special celebration is stressful, time-consuming work. That's why if your budget allows, it's work that's best left to a professional event planner. Planners are experienced at organizing every aspect of wedding events and parties, so they can make things a whole lot easier on you.
Compare Venues
Don't just choose the first courtyard space you find that looks like it ticks all the boxes for your event. Take the time to compare a variety of options, examine pictures, ask questions of the owner, and visit the site in person before choosing.
Choose a Theme
If you're planning a milestone birthday party or perhaps a unique wedding reception, get creative with your choice of theme for the day. Anything that encourages your guests to get dressed up and let their hair down is sure to encourage a fun and festive atmosphere.
Get Creative With Decorations
When decorating the courtyard location, use a color palette that melds seamlessly with the look and overall design of the event space. Use flowers and greenery to emphasize the connection to nature and the outdoors, and decorate with homemade centerpieces or upcycled artworks that add a unique touch to the property.
Add these experienced pros to your team to help make every part of the hosting process as easy as possible.
Event Planner
A professional party planner or event coordinator can ensure that everything on the night runs to schedule. They can help you compare and choose venues for wedding receptions, find wedding packages that suit all your requirements, and take care of organizing entertainment, the photographer, and more.
Caterer
You'll want to treat your family and other guests to an evening of delicious food at your party or wedding reception, so compare top caterers near you. Look for a menu your taste buds and wallet will love, and check whether the caterer can customize a menu to suit your needs.
Bartender
Will you need bar services at your special celebration? If so, an experienced bartending service can whip up signature cocktails and keep the drinks flowing all night long.
Florist
From the ceremony to the reception, you'll need to have a distinctive floral theme. Look for a florist near you who has the creative nous to put together beautiful bouquets.
Photographer
Find a trusted photographer who can capture all the big moments of your special day—and do it without intruding on everyone's fun.
Musician
Entertainment is a must for a party or wedding reception, so find the musician, band, or DJ who can create the ambiance you want for your courtyard celebration.
As the event coordinator, there are lots of good reasons why you will want to book your dream courtyard space as early as possible.
Get the Best Space
It's a pretty obvious benefit, but making an early booking means you'll be able to take your pick from the best available spaces. This will allow you to secure the courtyard location you want for your wedding reception or special event.
Save Money
Because you have a wide range of venues to choose from, it's easy to shop around. This means you can compare venue hire prices and find the best value for money.
Leave Time to Organize Other Aspects
When you lock a venue in months in advance, this leaves you with plenty of time left over to focus on organizing all other aspects of your big day. Catering, entertainment, equipment hire, transport, accommodation—there's a seemingly endless list of tasks to do, so getting organized early will help you get on top of all of them.
Get Your Pick of Vendors
Another benefit of making early bookings is that you get your pick of the best event vendors. You can then compare caterers, florists, entertainers, and more to find the best professionals who can help make your event one to remember.
Whether you're planning an outdoor wedding, a birthday party, or anything else, you'll most likely need to stick to a budget. Here are some simple tips to help you plan the event you want without breaking the bank.
Break Down Your Expenses
There's more to budgeting than just deciding on a total figure you can afford to spend. Break down all your event expenses into separate categories to work out how much you spend on each category. This will also help ensure that you remember to budget for all the key costs.
Prioritize the Must-Haves
There are some things you simply must have for your dream event, such as the perfect venue or quality bar services. These items are where most of your money will go, so prioritize them in your budget over other, less important expenses.
Decide Where You Can Cut Costs
There will also be some areas where you decide you can easily limit your spending. You might not care about making a grand entrance to your wedding in a horse and carriage, for example, so you can save money by arranging affordable transport.
Be Disciplined
When planning wedding receptions and parties, it can be easy to get pulled into the trap of spending a little more than you want to. Just remember that your budget is there for a reason, and a budget blowout isn't going to make the event any more enjoyable for you.
Whether you're searching for a hotel wedding venue located in a lush garden setting, a party space, or a reunion location, the venue you choose sets the tone for your event. Search for your perfect courtyard space on Giggster today.