Complete Guide: Planning an Airbnb Wedding
If you’ve been searching “unique wedding venues” and haven’t had much luck, I recommend turning to the rental home sites Airbnb and VRBO. There are so many advantages to having an Airbnb wedding, but there are some major factors to keep in mind. Because they aren’t traditional wedding venues, you’ll want to make sure you do thorough research before booking.
The Search
Check Your Filters
Almost all of the rental sites have filters for “allowing parties and events”. While you could search all houses and individually message hosts to ask, it’s a big time saver to first go for houses that already have a policy in place. Even if the listing says it does allow parties, message the host before booking your stay. Most times there is an additional event fee that comes with booking the property. There also may be a set of rules around minimum nights and exclusive vendors.
Parking
Parking is a super important and often overlooked piece of planning weddings in private homes. Not only do you need parking for any guests who will be driving, but your vendors will need space as well, especially to unload during set-up. Again, talk to the Airbnb host. Does the neighborhood have street parking, or do they have recommendations of nearby public lots? If parking is an issue, you’ll have to factor in shuttles for guests.
Check the Amenities
Get information about what’s included in the kitchen. If you are having an intimate wedding, you may be able to use the china and glassware at the house. Your caterer or chef may also be able to use the existing kitchen, versus building out a separate one with rental equipment.
How many bathrooms are in the house? This really becomes crucial for larger parties where you may need to rent a bathroom trailer.
Sound
If you’re looking to dance, check with your host to see if the town has any noise restrictions. Some places only allow up to 70 decibels which is actually no louder than a standard conversation!
The Planning
Once you’ve locked in your Airbnb venue, the real planning begins!
Layout
Because you’re going with a non-traditional property without a wedding venue manager, make sure you check in several days early to play around with your floor plan. If you’re having your party inside, you may need to enlist family and friends to move furniture. If you’re having your ceremony and reception in the same area that requires a space flip, make sure you have a game plan around rental storage.
Catering
While you always have room for creativity with catering, a house adds an extra layer of options! Maybe you lean into the home theme and have an elevated backyard barbecue. If space allows, seat everyone at one long king’s table and have an awesome crawfish boil. Because an Airbnb celebration is more relaxed by design, you have room to play.
Rentals
Another advantage of checking in a few days early is you can have some of your vendors deliver a day or two early. This is really helpful when it comes to rentals. If you’re paying the rental company to do your set up, you can have all of your tables up prior to the day of, making it easy to adjust layout as needed. Rental trucks also take up a lot of space and take quite a bit of time to unload, so other vendors will thank you for getting this out of the way ahead of time.
Check with all of your vendors before you finalize your rental order. Your DJ may need a specific size table, or the dessert vendor you hired won’t provide platters.
Insurance
While you should definitely hire vendors who have their own insurance, you’ll need to secure a one day insurance policy as well. WedSafe is a great, easy option.
Hire a Planner
No matter how laidback you’re feeling about having an Airbnb wedding, having a professional with you is going to make a huge difference. Wedding planners work in private homes often and will be able to make your day flow seamlessly. We’re used to finding creative solutions on the fly which can be important when working in a non-traditional space.
Figure Out Sleeping Arrangements
Plan out who is staying with you way ahead of time. There are so many different ways to split it up and of course, it depends on how many rooms are available. I always feel it makes most sense for immediate family and/or wedding party to stay with you so that getting ready and taking photos on the day of your wedding is that much simpler.
Airbnb Wedding Venues in New York
Now that we’ve covered the nitty gritty, here’s a list of Hudson Valley Airbnbs for your wedding:
Town: Woodstock
Sleeping Capacity: 14
Pet Friendly: No
Features: 16 acres, hot tub, mountain views
Abigail’s Country Catskill House
Town: Hunter
Sleeping Capacity: 16
Pet Friendly: Yes
Features: Pool, close to mountains for hiking
Large Catskills Vacation House
Town: Lexington
Sleeping Capacity: 40
Pet Friendly: Yes
Features: Game room, close to mountains for hiking
Town: Coxsackie
Sleeping Capacity: 14
Pet Friendly: Yes
Features: Private pond, close to downtown Hudson
Town: Catskill
Sleeping Capacity: 16
Pet Friendly: Yes
Features: Hudson River views, hiking trails on property
Town: Saugerties
Sleeping Capacity: 16
Pet Friendly: No
Features: Chef’s kitchen, outdoor patio, soaking tub
Town: Harriman
Sleeping Capacity: 25
Pet Friendly: Case by case basis
Features: Pool, hot tub, fire pit
Town: Shokan
Sleeping Capacity: 16
Pet Friendly: No
Features: Close to Woodstock, large jacuzzi, firepit, natural swimming pond
Airbnb Wedding Venues down the New Jersey Shore
*please note that you must inform the host of what you’re looking to do before booking
Town: Red Bank
Sleeping Capacity: 16
Pet Friendly: Yes
Features: Large fenced in backyard, short walk to downtown Red Bank
Town: Point Pleasant
Sleeping Capacity: 16
Pet Friendly: No
Features: Wraparound porch, sweet private patio in backyard
Town: Asbury Park
Sleeping Capacity: 16
Pet Friendly: Yes
Features: Wraparound porch, walk to Asbury Park Convention Hall
Town: Belmar
Sleeping Capacity: 12
Pet Friendly: Yes
Features: Private backyard with covered deck and a large patio
Town: Point Pleasant
Sleeping Capacity: 10
Pet Friendly: No
Features: Ocean views, deck with seating for 16
If planning an Airbnb wedding sounds intriguing after all of this, but you still want to go a simpler route, I offer an all-inclusive Tiny Wedding package. Tiny Weddings include everything from venue to flowers, and are offered at some beautiful locations in Hudson Valley, including some with overnight accommodations! You can learn more about Tiny Weddings here.