Key takeaways
- A seated dinner for 40 needs about 50 m² under cover — our combined 4×8m + 3×6m.
- Book marquee and furniture hire 3–6 months ahead for a spring or summer Saturday.
- Plan toilets, power, parking and lighting — the things a venue normally handles.
- Have a wet-weather plan from day one: a marquee over dining, with walls and heaters on standby.
Quick answer
A backyard wedding needs five things sorted early: enough space (a seated dinner for 40 needs about 50 m² under cover), a wet-weather plan (a marquee), power, toilets and parking, neighbours and noise handled, and a clear timeline for delivery, ceremony, dinner and pack-down. Book marquee and furniture hire 3–6 months ahead for a spring or summer Saturday.
Backyard weddings are some of my favourite events to plan. They’re personal, relaxed and often a fraction of the cost of a venue — but they also turn a family home into a venue for a day, which means thinking about things a venue normally handles for you. Toilets. Power. Where 60 guests park. What happens if it rains at 3pm. This checklist covers everything we walk couples through when we plan a backyard wedding in Melbourne.
Is your backyard big enough?
Start here, because it decides your guest count — not the other way round. You’ll need space for four zones, though they don’t all have to exist at once (the ceremony area often becomes the dance floor later).
| Zone | Space to allow | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ceremony | About 0.8 m² per seated guest, plus an aisle | Rows of folding chairs; can be reused at dinner |
| Dinner (under cover) | About 1.25 m² per guest at round tables | 40 guests ≈ 50 m², our 4×8m + 3×6m combined |
| Dance floor | About 0.5 m² per dancer | 12–16 m² suits 50–80 guests |
| Bar and food service | 8–12 m² | Close to the kitchen and power |
As a rough guide, a typical suburban Melbourne backyard comfortably hosts a seated wedding of 30–50 guests. Larger blocks — and many outer-suburb, Peninsula and Geelong properties — can take more. Our marquee sizing guide has the full capacity chart.
Permits, rules and neighbours
Do you need a permit?
For most private backyard weddings, no permit is needed for the party itself. Marquees are a different question at scale: in Victoria, larger tents and marquees — generally those over 100 m² of floor area — are treated as prescribed temporary structures that need an occupancy permit. Our largest combined setup is about 50 m², well under that, but rules can change and councils differ, so if you’re planning anything large or unusual, check with your local council.
Noise
EPA Victoria sets times when amplified music from homes shouldn’t be audible inside neighbouring houses — broadly from about 10pm on weeknights and Sundays and 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Plan for the music to come down by then, or move the party indoors. Check EPA Victoria’s current guidance for the exact times.
Neighbours
A friendly note a couple of weeks ahead, with the date, rough finish time and a phone number, prevents almost every complaint. Some couples invite the neighbours for a drink — it works.
The practical stuff venues normally handle
| Need | What to plan |
|---|---|
| Toilets | One house bathroom copes with about 30–40 guests. Beyond that, consider hired portable toilets — we can arrange through our partner network. |
| Power | Lighting, a DJ and a caterer’s equipment can overload one circuit. Map power points and use outdoor-rated leads. |
| Parking | Ask neighbours, use a nearby car park or organise a shuttle. Keep the driveway clear for deliveries. |
| Lighting | Sunset in Melbourne is around 8:30pm in summer but before 5:30pm in winter. Plan festoon lighting for paths and the dance floor. |
| Rubbish | A wedding of 60 creates a lot of waste. Hire extra bins and plan the clean-up. |
| Kitchen access | Caterers need a prep area, water and power — agree this early. |
Your wet-weather plan
Melbourne can rain in any month, so a backyard wedding without a cover plan is a gamble. The simplest plan is a marquee over the dining area from the start. Pop-up marquees go up fast, and marquee walls can be added on the weather side if the forecast turns. Think through three scenarios:
- Sunny and hot — walls off, market umbrellas for shade, floor fans in the marquee, water available.
- Light rain — ceremony moves under the marquee or verandah; guests stay dry walking between zones.
- Cold evening — walls on the weather side, patio heaters around the edges (kept well clear of the marquee fabric), blankets for the ceremony.
Our Melbourne weather guide covers seasonal planning in more detail.
The backyard wedding hire checklist
| Item | For 40 guests | For 80 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Marquee | 4×8m + 3×6m combined | Combined marquees for dining, plus a hall or second area |
| Ceremony chairs | 40 white folding or Tiffany | 80, reused at dinner where possible |
| Dining tables | 5 × 1.83m rounds | 10 × 1.83m rounds |
| Dining chairs | 40 Tiffany chairs with cushions | 80–85 Tiffany chairs |
| Linen | 5 round banquet cloths | 10 round banquet cloths |
| Dance floor | 9–12 m² | 16–20 m² |
| Stage for speeches | Optional 2×2m | Recommended |
| Bar and cake tables | Wine-barrel table + 1 cocktail table | Double wine-barrel table + bar tables |
| Lighting | Festoon over dining and dance floor | Festoon throughout |
| Comfort | 2 heaters or 2 umbrellas, by season | 4 heaters or umbrellas |
Every item above is in our hire catalogue; for typical package prices see wedding hire Melbourne.
Timeline: three months to the big day
| When | To do |
|---|---|
| 3–6 months | Confirm guest numbers fit the space. Book marquee and furniture hire, caterer, celebrant. |
| 2 months | Book portable toilets, DJ/PA, photographer. Plan parking. Send invitations. |
| 1 month | Site check with your hire company. Confirm power, layout and delivery access. |
| 2 weeks | Final numbers to hire and catering. Neighbour notes delivered. |
| Week of | Watch the forecast; add walls, heaters or umbrellas. Mow and clear the yard. |
| Day before or morning of | Hire delivered and set up. Styling and florals. |
| Day after | Pack-down and collection — no clean-up on the wedding night. |
Five things couples forget
- Ground conditions. Soft, sloping or uneven lawns may need flooring under tables and the dance floor.
- Delivery access. Narrow side gates and stairs slow set-up — tell your hire company in advance.
- A coordinator on the day. Someone who isn’t the couple or their parents needs to answer the questions.
- Sun position. Face the ceremony so guests aren’t squinting into a late-afternoon sun.
- Insurance. Ask your hire company for their certificate; we carry $20m public liability and can supply ours within one business day.
Laying out the ceremony
Most backyard ceremonies seat guests in rows facing a focal point — a tree, a garden bed, or a simple backdrop like a standalone picket fence. Allow about 0.8 m² per guest plus a 1.2 metre aisle. Face guests away from the late-afternoon sun, keep the ceremony close enough to the house for older guests, and plan where everyone moves afterwards for drinks while the chairs are reset for dinner. A small stage platform helps if you have readings or a celebrant who needs to be seen.
Catering and bar logistics
Caterers can work wonders in a backyard, but they need a few things from you: a prep area with a flat surface, access to water, enough power for warming equipment, and a clear path from their van to the kitchen and the dining area. For the bar, a few wine-barrel or cocktail tables near the house work well, with a service trolley for glasses and ice. Agree on who clears plates and empties bins during the night — it’s the job venues normally do and couples forget.
Questions to ask your hire company
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Will you do a site check? | Confirms the marquee fits and access works before the day |
| When will you set up and pack down? | Affects your styling, florist and caterer timings |
| What happens if severe weather is forecast? | You need a clear plan for wind and storms |
| Can you supply flooring for soft lawn? | Keeps chairs, heels and dance floors steady |
| Can you provide a Certificate of Currency? | Some councils and properties require proof of insurance |
Ready to see setups and prices? Visit our wedding hire page, or read what other couples say on our reviews page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard wedding in Victoria?
Usually not for a private party. In Victoria, larger marquees — generally over 100 m² of floor area — need an occupancy permit as temporary structures. Our largest combined setup is about 50 m². Check with your council for anything unusual.
How many guests can a backyard wedding have?
A typical suburban Melbourne backyard suits a seated wedding of 30–50 guests. Larger blocks can take more.
When does music need to stop at a backyard wedding?
EPA Victoria guidance sets times when amplified music from homes shouldn't be audible in neighbours' homes — broadly about 10pm on weeknights and Sundays, 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Check current EPA guidance.
How many toilets do I need for a backyard wedding?
One house bathroom copes with about 30–40 guests. For more, consider hired portable toilets.
What happens if it rains?
With a marquee over the dining area, the wedding carries on. Walls can be added on the weather side and flooring laid over soft lawn.
Camilo is an Event Coordinator at Easy Peasy Party Hire. He plans layouts, marquee sizing and delivery logistics for backyard parties, weddings and corporate events across Melbourne and Geelong.
