Welcome to your guide to planning a backyard wedding (or microwedding) in West Virginia!

Perhaps not a backyard wedding if you’re going with a wedding venue, but these tips are meant to help and inspire with any micro-wedding plans. Small doesn't always mean less, usually with a smaller guest count there is more room for fun wedding ideas you didn’t know you wanted.

With the wonderful presence of COVID restrictions across the country, many couples are being forced to downsize their wedding to something more intimate. In lieu of their original plans, some couples are choosing to simply elope by themselves and hold a celebration next year, while others are realizing the benefits of something else: a backyard wedding.

Backyard weddings provide an intimate way to celebrate your big day. You can either make it super intimate with just the two of you and your witnesses, or you can choose to have some loved ones there with you. This is a great option right now, because you’re not booking a venue that may end up not being able to host your wedding due to COVID restrictions.

Now, before we go into anything else, let me clear something up for ya real quick: a backyard wedding doesn’t actually have to be in your backyard. So if you live in an apartment or somewhere with little to no backyard, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered with this good good info.

This is a mini-guide to planning your perfect backyard wedding, which includes 10 AirBnb’s in West Virginia that provide rad spaces for your intimate celebration! No need to scrounge around the internet anymore for your ideal location - just keep reading ;)

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Planning Your Backyard Wedding

Getting Ready

The fun thing about getting an AirBnb for your backyard wedding is that you can do everything in one spot! No need to buy a hotel room to get ready in, then drive to a separate location for your ceremony.

Instead, you can get ready with your closest loved ones in a cozy bedroom + bathroom in one of these homes, and walk right to your ceremony whenever you’re ready.

Tips:

Remember to plan for breakfast in the morning! If you & your fiance stay in the AirBnb the night before the wedding, make sure you have food ready in the morning. This could mean bringing food from your own home, finding a local restaurant nearby to go to/get delivery from, or having a loved one pick up something for you. It’s super easy to forget to hydrate yourself + eat enough on your wedding day!
On that note, have drinks ready for the morning, too! Whether that means tea, coffee, or mimosas, have drinks in the fridge overnight to help get you going in the morning + have a great start to the day.
Ensure the space is clean and tidy before your photographer arrives. This will save time during your photography timeline if all the clutter is already out of sight.
Aim for white walls and modern spaces (if you can, I know it’s slim-pickens here in WV)

Decor + Ambiance

One of the things that’s great about having a small backyard wedding is that, well, you don’t really need a ton of decor! (Unless you want to go all out - in which case, 100% do that) Having a cute home available & ready for you makes it easy to DIY your decorations and create a cozy, warm ambiance for you and your loved ones to celebrate in.

Tips:

If you want to hire a florist, have them come in the morning while you get ready. You can save a lot of money on a typical florist with a backyard wedding because you probably won’t need as much decor if you want to keep the celebration simple - so maybe have the florist decorate the aisle spot a little, create small bouquets for you, or whatever you want done. But oftentimes, couples who plan a backyard wedding want to keep it simple in the first place, so it’s totally up to you what you want to do! Alyssa B Events is a rad florist who we love working with!
Pick an AirBnb that fits the ambiance you want to create on your wedding day. If you want a more rustic feel, choose something like the cabin in the woods listed above, with wooded property & lots of trees + nature. If you want a more home-y, comfortable feel, go with one of the places with comfy porch furniture + cute rooms inside.
DIY it up with lots of candles, vintage touches from your home or thrifted, anything that really fits your personal style.
Hire a designer. Ella and Co. in Thomas, WV is the absolute best stylist I have ever seen. She can turn a microwedding/backyard wedding into a magazine spread- seriously.

Ceremony

Backyard weddings are fun because there are usually multiple options for your ceremony site - it’s not like you’re at a venue where there’s one specific, assigned ceremony spot. Want to tie the knot on the patio by the hot tub? Do itttt. Or maybe in the woods behind the house? Go for it! You can choose whatever spot you like & make it happen.

Tips:

Make sure whatever spot you choose for your ceremony has enough room for your guests! If you’re having a 30-person backyard wedding, maybe don’t have your ceremony on the small patio where only 5 chairs can fit.
Have a backup spot in case of rain/bad weather, especially if you’re planning on having your wedding in the fall or winter months. Find a spot inside your AirBnb where you can hold your ceremony in case rain hits at the last minute and you’d rather not be outside!
Use the Farmer’s Almanac to predict the weather so you have enough time to rent a tent if necessary.
Your ceremony photos will likely be some of the ones that you print for your home or wedding album. Do it up a bit with rugs, arch, candles, anything that feels right to you. Or if minimal and easy is more your style- go for that instead.

Food

Another fun part of having a backyard wedding is you have a tonnn of options for food! You’re not getting married at a venue, which sometimes have in-house caterers you have to use, or a limited list of who they allow you to work with. Backyard weddings are also common for couples who want a smaller guest list, so if you do choose to use a caterer, it’ll be much cheaper for you than if you were holding a larger wedding with more people to feed!

Some options:

Have a normal wedding caterer
Have a nearby restaurant cater
Hire a food truck or two - a super fun option in my opinion! I plan on writing an entire blog post on food vendors in WV but in the meantime, feel free to reach out to me with any suggestions I can offer.
Hire a coffee truck, mobile bar, or ice cream truck (again reach out to me if you need suggestions)
Hire a private chef!
Do a potluck - this works well if you have a pretty small guest list who live nearby and can cook/buy food to contribute!
Have your loved ones cook - choose a place with, say, a BBQ grill and have them make a BBQ dinner. Yum!
Go out to eat - you could go out to a nearby restaurant for your dinner, depending on how many guests you have!

Reception

You’ll want to make sure you pick an AirBnb that provides a great space for a “reception,” or just to hang out after your ceremony with your loved ones. If you want a relaxing, comfortable evening outside (say, for a summer wedding), choose a house with a hot tub or great outdoor spots to hang out (e.g. a patio with comfy chairs). If your wedding is in the colder months, find a spot with a cozy inside & room for you and your loved ones.

Tips:

Make sure you don’t forget about snacks + drinks for after dinner and into the evening, especially if you don’t have cake or dessert!
Pay attention to the weather - if you want to hang out outdoors after your ceremony but it could get a little chilly, make sure you have a jacket on hand that goes with your wedding outfit and will keep you warm.

Ideas to make your reception stand out:

S’mores station
Cigar bar
Bingo
Hire a band
Hire a cotton candy vendor
Tie Dye station (maybe not my best idea since everyone will most likely be dressed up, but why not?!

Ok now my final tips for your intimate microwedding, whether in a backyard or a small venue:

If you have the budget- skip the DIY if you can. I chose the DIY route for my wedding and it was so much more stressful than just forking over the cash to local small business who know what they are doing.

Music and vibe is key. A local band or musician is just itching to perform again- so support local and feed a starving artist. Plus weddings with a band are super rad if you ask me. The Company Stores is by far my favorite band in West Virginia.

Lighting can really transform your small wedding into a magical gathering. Aim for bistro lighting, garden lights, and candles if you can. Usually you can rent these but if you have the time- scour local wedding resale groups on FB, search a Habitat for Humanity store, or you may get lucky with Craigslist or a few generous family members.

Now, let’s head to a list of AirBnb’s so you can find your perfect spot!

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Backyard Wedding Spots in West Virginia

Vacation Home in Fort Valley

Cost: $232/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 5
Bedrooms: 3
Beds: 4
Baths: 1
Fun features: Outdoor movie theater, hot tub

This is a STUNNING AirBnb - I want to stay there myself ASAP! There are so many possibilities here.

It has a gorgeous backyard area that would be perfect for your ceremony & reception, or you could have a little dinner + reception on the deck overlooking Shenandoah county. Get ready in the cute bathrooms in the house, and take some bridal portraits in the naturally lit room at the bottom of the photo below - can’t you picture it?! The kitchen space is perfect for cooking or bringing your catered food into to prepare it. At the end of the celebration, relax in the hot tub, in the hammock or porch chairs, and watch a movie in the outdoor theater. SO fun to think of everything you could do here for your wedding!

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2. Cabin Retreat in Berkeley Springs

Cost: $216/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 4
Bedrooms: 2
Beds: 2
Baths: 1
Fun features: Indoor fireplace, hot tub, outdoor dining table

If you want more of a woodsy feel for your wedding, this is def a great place for it! It’s a super cute & cozy cabin in the woods in Berkeley Springs, and would be a great spot for a rustic, very simply-decorated celebration. Have your ceremony in the grassy areas surrounding the cabin and get ready in the cabin rooms, and maybe eat dinner out on the deck or in another spot in the woods. At the end of the day, relax in the hot tub or by the indoor fireplace with your loved ones!

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3. House on the Hill in Berkeley Springs

Cost: $165/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 6
Bedrooms: 3
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Fun features: BBQ grill, patio with furniture

Want that classic backyard, home-y wedding feel? This is the spot for you! Celebrate your big day at somebody else’s gorgeous home without having to worry about actually, well, having people over to your own home. This house has the perfect backyard for your ceremony, with green grass and an open space for chairs, an arbor, an aisle, whatever you want. It has a little brook in the backyard, as well as a little cobblestone walkway - how cuuuute, right? This house also has a nice patio with furniture for when your legs are tired of standing and you need to have some drinks with your loved ones. Grill a BBQ dinner on the backyard grill and relax in this gorgeous spot!

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4. Raised Retreat Lookout in Berkeley Springs

Cost: $162/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 4
Bedrooms: 2
Beds: 3
Baths: 1
Fun features: Hot tub, deck overlooking 1 acre of property, BBQ grill

Man, West Virginia has some gorgeous homes available. This house hidden in the trees provides so many spots for an amazing backyard wedding! Set up your ceremony & tie the knot in the grassy backyard, or in the field that sits on the 1 acre of property you have access to. Just imagine walking down the aisle on the cute road leading up to the house! There’s also a large kitchen space for your cooking or caterer to land. After the ceremony, relax in the hot tub, on the big hammock in the grass, or on the patio, looking at the gorgeous starry view this area provides. Seriously - so many good spots here for your intimate wedding!

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5. Historic Farmhouse in Charleston

Cost: $94/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 4
Bedrooms: 1
Beds: 1
Baths: 1
Fun features: Porch & terrace, 2.7 acres

We have another super cute property in the woods. This farmhouse is cozy & quaint, and sits on 2.7 acres of wooded area. The grassy areas would make for perfect ceremony spots, and there are sooo many spots for beautiful bridal portraits & to have drinks with loved ones. There’s even a cool 19th century decorative fieldstone fireplace with cozy furniture surrounding it, and it looks like the trees have beautiful colors here in the fall!

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6. Modern Craftsman Home in Lewisburg

Cost: $150/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 7
Bedrooms: 3
Beds: 3
Baths: 3
Fun features: Large back porch

This house in Lewisburg is the ideal spot for a backyard wedding because, well, it has a huge, gorgeous, grassy backyard! Along with large, naturally lit, indoor spaces for you & your loved ones to be cozy and relax after your ceremony, the house sits on a gorgeous area of grass with a ton of space to set up a ceremony & aisle for you to tie the knot in. I can picture a rustic ceremony with simple wooden, neutral-colored decorations, and then relaxing on the patio with your family & friends in the evening.

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7. The White House at Three Points Farm in Union

Cost: $211/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 6
Bedrooms: 3
Beds: 4
Baths: 2
Fun features: Private tennis/basketball court, access to surrounding property, indoor fireplace

Another absolutely stunning spot near Lewisburg with the perfect area for a backyard wedding! Talk about picturesque - the views of the surrounding property of this farm are breathtaking, and provide an amazing spot to hold an intimate wedding (and to go walking in the morning!). The grass is super green and would be perfect for a ceremony of any size, and the inside of the house is cozy & well-lit for a great getting ready space.

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8. The Farm House in Sinks Grove

Cost: $88/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 6
Bedrooms: 3
Beds: 6
Baths: 1.5
Fun features: Outdoor games (like cornhole), porch, outdoor fire pit

This is yet another farmhouse with gorgeoussss views (I mean, just look at those photos below!). The backyard features the pretty views and green grass perfect for a ceremony spot, but even the side yard is super cute and could be used for a ceremony! The backyard also has a firepit you can sit around once it gets cooler & darker out - make s’mores, drink some beers, relax with your loved ones.

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9. Grandma’s Guest House in Bruceton Mills

Cost: $175/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 8
Bedrooms: 4
Beds: 4
Baths: 2.5
Fun features: Deck, lots of outdoor space

I love how cozy this house is while still being spacious & sitting on a large outdoor space! Get married in the beautiful backyard overlooking the hills and spend the evening taking portraits in the greenery + relaxing on the deck. I love the plants on the property and all the little spots that are available - such a great spot to tie the knot with sooo much space!

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10. Quaint Rancher in Martinsburg

Cost: $107/night + fees/taxes
Guest Capacity: 4
Bedrooms: 3
Beds: 3
Baths: 1
Fun features: Large back deck

Finally, we’ve got another house that was basically made for backyard weddings - I mean, look how well-manicured & green that backyard is? The house has beautifully-lit & decorated rooms for you to get ready in, a large back deck with a grill to relax on, and a giant backyard for your ceremony. Spread out as much as you want back here (because, you know, COVID) but still get that cozy feel inside the house.