So, one of my extended family members has been planning a wedding recently.
The plan was to have the reception in this open field by a plot of land the groom’s uncle owns. It’s a lush spot with a beautiful vista (you couldn’t ask for much more for a reception venue).
As I was talking to him about the logistics, he let it slip that they were planning to put outdoor furniture directly on the grass.
He looked at me, knowing about the passion that I have for all things outdoor. His eyes were saying, can you put patio furniture on grass?
Of course, the answer is “you can do anything you want to do.”
However, for an event like a wedding reception, I’m hesitant to give an unconditional endorsement. You should only place furniture on grass under the following conditions:
- Your outdoor area is level, dry, and firm.
- The furniture you’re using has wide feet (both tables and chairs).
90% of the time these conditions won’t be met. And for a wedding reception, there’s a 100% chance they won’t be met for everyone.
No outdoor area is going to be level enough to comfortably seat all wedding guests.
I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced trying to balance a chair on a bumpy lawn, but it is not a good time. You don’t want to subject poor Aunt Marge to that kind of abuse.
Lucky for my extended family, I have a cheap and easy “furniture hack” I learned about a long time ago.
How To Put Patio Furniture On Grass
To help fortify the lawn furniture setup, you can purchase cheap patio pavers (or you might have some left over if you read my pavers vs. stamped concrete guide).
After they’re in hand, simply place them underneath each of the outdoor table legs. This will make the tables sturdy enough, at least.
However, the chairs will still be problematic to work with.
I suggest you try going around the day before and mark the un-even ground. Fill the low points with additional dirt or pea gravel and hope for the best.
If you don’t mind how it looks, you can also purchase sheets of plywood and create a temporary flooring in the grass. For a wedding reception, it’s doubtful that this would be acceptable decor.
So to summarize — for wedding receptions, don’t put patio furniture directly on grass if you can help it. If there are no other options, fortify the patio table legs by placing pavers underneath or use sheets of plywood to create temporary flooring.
But what about for your own personal lawn?
In that case, you can likely find a decent spot to set up your furniture. However, you want this to be a temporary solution so you don’t ruin your grass.
Protect Your Grass
That’s right. If you put patio furniture on your lawn, it will eventually kill the grass. Without the grass, you’ll experience mud. And nobody wants a muddy outdoor experience.
But here are some quick and easy tips to make sure putting your patio furniture on grass doesn’t make your lawn look like woodstock ’99!
- Move your furniture at least once per week. This ensures that your grass gets enough sunlight and water.
- If you notice brown or bald patches start to emerge, remove the patio furniture from the area immediately and provide aide to the area.
- Be sure to aerate the area often, as the heavy foot traffic can tamp down the dirt. This makes it difficult for the grass to get enough water.
Alternatively, you may choose to forego grass in the area completely and put down outdoor flooring over the grass.
Many companies make rubber tiles built to be placed down directly on soil. They provide a nice intermediate solution between putting your patio furniture directly on grass and building a full-fledged patio.
Temporary Outdoor Flooring
There are many different outdoor flooring options available and which you choose typically boils down to personal preference. Here are a couple of my favorites, one of which I recommended to my family member holding the wedding.
Solid Teak Wood Interlocking Indoor/Outdoor Floor Tiles
This outdoor flooring solution is beautiful and durable. Since it’s constructed from teak, you know it’s built to last. Simply put these interlocking tiles down underneath your patio furniture and you’re good to go.
Aren’t those beautiful? Although teak is the most durable wood available, there are other options.
Acacia wood is similarly durable (and great to build patio furniture from, as I outline in this guide). The set of outdoor floor tiles I recommended to my family member is this acacia wood set below. All of that being said, there are still some disadvantages to acacia you should consider.
Acacia Wood Interlocking Outdoor Floor Tiles
This acacia wood outdoor flooring solution is a real treat. It’s almost as durable as teak, and comes in a wide array of assorted colors. I recommended this to my family because it was cheaper and had more color options.
Hopefully, by now, you have your answer.
You can put patio furniture on grass. You probably don’t want to. If you decide to, you need to take steps to keep your grass alive.
If you want a more permanent solution, outdoor flooring can provide a great intermediate step.