Your wedding day is one of the most important and significant days of your life. It can also be the most expensive event you're likely to undertake, with Australian couples spending an average of around $36,000 on their big day. If this figure is enough to send you into a panic, you're probably looking for ways you can have a beautiful and memorable wedding without the eye-watering high cost.

A popular option for many couples is to forgo using a traditional venue and instead have a backyard wedding in their own or someone else's home. This is a great way to slash the cost and still enjoy a magical and special celebration. If you're considering this type of wedding, then here are the three key event hire items you'll need to do it.

1. A marquee

A marquee is the first thing you'll need to transform a backyard into a stunning outdoor wedding venue. They can be hired from most event hire companies and come in a range of sizes and styles. The size you'll require will depend on the number of guests you need to accommodate, and the event hire company will be able to suggest a marquee that will meet your requirements.

If there's a chance that poor weather could occur on your wedding day, then opt for a marquee that can have walls added if necessary. These can be solid panels or have clear window panes included for extra light and to increase the view from inside the marquee.

2. Lighting

Most wedding receptions carry on into the evenings so you'll need to have adequate lighting for your marquee and the surrounding garden. Lighting is important in a practical sense but it's also a great way to create ambience and attractive atmosphere for your celebrations.

Fairy lights, paper lantern lights and strings of bistro lights are popular choices and are inexpensive to hire from event hire companies. For a touch of decadence and romance, you might like to add some outdoor chandeliers to the interior and exterior of your marquee.

3. Dining furniture

The final ingredient in creating the perfect backyard wedding set up is dining furniture. You can hire tables and chairs from your event hire company that will be delivered to your location and then collected when you're finished with them.

You can opt for very simple furniture that can be made to look beautiful with your decorations of choice. A slightly more expensive, but very attractive choice, is vintage timber tables and chairs. This option will add some boho charm to your setup and won't need extra decorations to look fantastic.

For more information, contact a local event service, such as Renniks Event.