When my future husband and I bought our house together in August 2020, I wore a white eyelet lace sundress that I got for $15 at Old Navy — so that I could tell Larry when we walked into our newly purchased Crossed the line together: “I’m never wearing this dress again until we get married in our backyard.”
In June 2024, after the pandemic has subsided and Larry has transformed our yard into a vegetable and flower gardenIt was our wedding.
It didn’t take long to transform our garden into a venue perfect for a ceremony. Our friends brought their outdoor tables and chairs; We filled vases with flowers purchased at Target. I bought a few extra folding chairs, which were later put to use at other parties, as well as a set of linen tablecloths and floral-pastel table runners, which can be reused for next year’s neighborhood festivities. Is.
Larry and I plowed in front of a bower he had built to keep our tomatoes off the ground. Afterward, we had a potluck dinner and a brief surprise performance by our local chamber choir. In total, hosting a backyard wedding for 60 people cost us about $1,500 — and half of that was spent on hiring the photographer, who took such excellent photos of our friends and family that we can’t stop loving them. Give everyone a frame-worthy picture of yourself. for Christmas.
After the wedding was over, Larry turned his attention to the next phase of his backyard project. he’s thinking about building one custom-designed patio For at least two years in the southern corner of our yard, starting with a series of concrete molds and ending with 3D-printed veneers. He made his first mold in September; The first round of concrete was poured in late November.
Our goal was to create a space that evokes the lake where Larry and I spend many of our summer weekends. For example, the footprint of the patio is curved and wavy (rather than the usual rectangle or trapezoid which may be easier to design and pour). The retaining wall is also curved, and is probably covered with a layer resembling the geological stripes on the shores of the lake. We’re hoping we can incorporate the water-and-fish mosaic into our patio pavers, although we’ll have to teach ourselves how to create it.
Fortunately, this whole thing is a learning process – including aspects we expected, such as the iteration involved in designing functional molds, as well as aspects we didn’t expect. For example, we learned that people who pour concrete are extremely busy the last quarter of the year, as everyone rushes to complete their driveways and outdoor projects before the frost sets in. It took about four weeks between the date we requested. Solid and the date we got – and Larry kept an eye on the weather the whole time.
However, the project is still on target. Over the past year Larry has worked with friends and contractors to excavate the land where the patio will stand, make and level molds for a retaining wall, and get the wall poured before winter. Over the next year he will build and paint the courtyard, print and veneer, and plant flowers. ground cover plantsMy role in all this is very simple; I provide moral support, I ask intelligent questions and I keep the rest of the house going as he gets the outside work done.
We’re hoping to have everything finished by our first anniversary so we can have another gathering – and another chance to share what we love with our family and friends.
