The Private-Property Wedding Checklist: What a Venue Usually Handles (and Now Doesn’t)

Getting married on a family cottage or rented property? There’s a whole list of things a venue normally handles quietly in the background. On private property, that list is yours.

If you’re planning a wedding somewhere without an on-site venue team — a family cottage, a rented piece of land, a backyard — you’re taking on a job most couples never have to think about. A traditional venue handles power, water, parking, and a dozen other logistics without you ever noticing. On private property, every one of those becomes a decision you have to make, usually without realizing it’s your job to make it until a few weeks before the wedding.

Six Things You’ll Need to Figure Out Yourself

These are the categories that catch private-property couples off guard most often — the ones a venue coordinator would normally have already sorted out before you ever asked.

• Power — amps, circuits, and whether you need a generator
• Water & waste — restroom plan, water source, and where the trash goes
• Parking — real guest counts, safe parking areas, and shuttle logistics
• Tenting & weather — your rain plan, tent sizing, and wind contingencies
• Rentals — everything a venue would normally include, now on a rental order
• Vendor access — driving directions, cell service, and a single point of contact on the day

You Don’t Have to Figure This Out From Scratch

I put together the exact checklist I walk through with every private-property couple I work with — the specific questions to ask, in the order they actually need to be answered, so nothing gets missed until it’s too late to fix easily. It’s free, and it takes the guesswork out of the parts of your wedding a venue would normally have handled for you.

I’m Christina — the owner and coordinator behind Chrizzy Plans. Before starting my own business, I spent years coordinating events at Severn Lodge, and for the past 5 years I’ve helped couples across Muskoka and Simcoe County plan calm, intentional weddings, including ones with no venue team at all. I’m WPIC-certified, and if you’re planning on private property, I’d rather you have this list before you need it.