Whether it’s a small wedding or an elopement, more and more couples are choosing to ditch traditional wedding venues – and with an average price tag of $15,000 who can blame them? Hosting your nuptials at an Airbnb can be the perfect way to have a wedding that’s cozy, intimate, and unique. If you’re considering an Airbnb wedding, here’s everything you’ll need to know to pull it off!
Why get Married at an Airbnb?
There are a lot of perks to hosting your wedding or elopement at an Airbnb – here are just a few!
A Built in Backup Plan
While I absolutely love outdoor adventure elopements and exploring parks, mountains, and beaches with my couples, nature doesn’t offer a lot of protection from the elements! When you host an Airbnb wedding, even though you’ll likely want to hold your ceremony outside, you always have a backup plan in case of rain, snow, or zombie apocalypse.
Creative Control
Wedding venues often have restrictions and stricter schedules to follow, and national and state parks usually don’t allow alcohol or wedding decorations. Of course, renting an Airbnb doesn’t give you the ability to do anything you want, but as long as you aren’t leaving any messes behind, you get full control over how your wedding day goes. If on the day of, you decide to have your ceremony a little later (because of weather or because getting ready always takes longer than you think it will), you make all the decisions!
No Traveling
An Airbnb wedding means that you don’t have to leave after the reception! Everything happens in one place, so you don’t have to worry about driving somewhere else after a night of champagne and celebrations.
Finding the Perfect Wedding Airbnb
The first thing you’ll want to do before you look for Airbnbs is decide on a general location. Do you want to stay close to home, or travel to another state? Spend your honeymoon in Yosemite and have your wedding at an Airbnb close by? After you’ve settled on an area and are ready to head over to Airbnb.com, here are a few things to look out for while you search.
Be Upfront
It’s always best to be honest with your (potential) Airbnb hosts. Let them know that you’re planning to host a small ceremony, and that you’ll be respectful of the space. They’re much more likely to be accommodating if they know you’re being upfront about your plans, and while it can be tempting to keep things a secret and hope they never find out, you certainly don’t want to be hit with fees later.
Read Descriptions
It’s super important to read the information on each Airbnb listing and check to make sure that the space will work for your wedding! Some things to look out for are parking (make sure there’s enough for your guests), and whether the property is private. Many hosts have rentals that are right next to, or even attached to, their home, so if you want more privacy for your Airbnb wedding, check on this ahead of time! Pictures can be misleading, and if you need any more information, don’t hesitate to message potential hosts!
Look for Outdoor Spaces
When you book your wedding Airbnb, make sure that there is space outside for your ceremony! Look for photos of the surrounding area to ensure you’ll have a pretty backdrop.
Think About Lighting
While most couples have their ceremony outdoors, a lot of wedding things happen inside! For things like getting ready photos, it’s important that the lighting inside is good. Natural light is best, so look for listings with lots of windows.
Filter
Airbnb has an amazing system for searches! You can filter based on exactly what you want – number of bedrooms, hot tubs and other amenities, and even what kind of property you’re looking for. If you have a vision in mind for what kind of location you want to get married in, you can search for it on Airbnb, whether it’s a cabin, bungalow, treehouse, or even a boat!
Tips for the Wedding
So, you’ve found the perfect Airbnb to host your wedding and you’re ready to roll! Here are some things to do for the big day.
Book at Least Two Nights
You don’t want to be rushed on your wedding day – so check into your Airbnb at least a day early so that you have time to unwind and get to know the space! You definitely don’t want to have to pack everything up right after you tie the knot, so staying the night (and maybe even one more night after that) is helpful and gives you time to relax.
Make it Your Own
When you arrive at your Airbnb, you can decorate the space to match your vision! Of course, make sure anything you add is removable, and take photos before moving furniture around to ensure you can put it back afterwards. Hanging twinkle lights outside, decorating with flowers, and bringing your own arbor are just a few things you can do to get the space ready for your wedding!
Hire Vendors
The vendors you hire will have such a huge impact on your day! They’ll be able to help you throughout the planning process, and ensure that you’ll have nothing to worry about on the wedding day. Other than getting married, of course!
As a photographer who specializes in elopements and small, intimate weddings, my goal is to make the process as easy as possible – so I create unique, customized recommendations for each couple. From finding the perfect Airbnb to finding vendors perfect for the job, I’ve got your back! If you’re ready to start planning your Airbnb wedding, contact me!
