Lisa and Anthony Rocchio, both 57, tied the knot in May overlooking a canal in Amity Harbor. They said “I do” before 100 guests under a large, draped tent, dined on pizzas and a roast pig and partied for hours with a DJ and percussionist. But this wasn't in a catering hall or a restaurant.
Instead, their guests joined them in the backyard of the yellow, raised Colonial-style home into which they moved in August. “I've been to a million weddings. I don't remember who had what at what reception hall.
They're typical,” said Lisa. She is a commercial real estate agent and Anthony is a truck driver for construction company OHL USA Inc. “We wanted our friends and family to be in our backyard in our home.
We put a lot of work into it.” They spent a little more than $35,000 on the party. While many people opt to hold events at venues, others are staying closer to home: More precisely, outside their or someone else's home.
“You don't have time restrictions,” said Peter Zimiles, president of Long Island Tent and Party Rentals in Bay Shore, who supplied the Rocchios with equipment to transform their backyard into a wedding venue. “You can make it as nice as you want and bring your own vendors.” Backyard parties big and small can mean a lot of work, uncertainty and contingency planning.
However, hosts also get flexibility, freedom, comfort and control of the space to make a party memorable, meaningful and smooth. “You can have a simple event where people come over a.
