One of the biggest decisions to make once you’re engaged is where the wedding is going to actually take place. There are many considerations to take into account - how many people are attending, are you eloping, what time of year will it be, whether you want everything to be inside or outside, there’s just so much!
Let’s look at some pros and cons to both indoor and outdoor weddings.
Indoor Pros:
● Rainy day, no problem! There are no weather worries with an indoor wedding and it can be any time of year too.
● More design opportunities - Typically you have more freedom to decorate an empty venue however you want as long as it stays within your venue’s regulations.
● The ceremony and reception can feel more intimate and cozy. Everyone is together in one space and not too spread out.
● No distractions from the outside like car horns or animals if your on a farm venue.
Indoor Cons:
● Space constraints - You may have to limit your guest list more than you want because of a limited capacity or rearrange your seating to be compliant with venue regulations.
● Decor costs - Decorating a large blank canvas with centerpieces and flowers can get pricey.
● There may not be as many great photo opportunity areas and you may have to go to another location to get those perfect golden hour pictures.
Outdoor Pros
● Great scenery - You won’t have much to decorate with a beautiful landscape all around you.
● Natural lighting - You’ll get beautiful pictures from both the landscape around you and all the natural light.
● More family friendly - if kids are coming to the wedding, it can nice to have space for them to run around and not get cranky
Outdoor Cons
● Weather unpredictability - depending on where you live, you may not be able to trust your weather forecast so having a plan b for rain will be a must.
● With an outdoor area you may need to rent more items, such as an altar piece, tables and chairs, tents for coverage, portable restrooms, lighting, etc.
● Depending on the time of year, there may be bugs that want to crash the party so you’ll need some sort of accommodation for guests.
● Harder to book during peak season.
Maybe you want a little of the indoor and outdoor, you can opt for an indoor ceremony and outdoor reception or vice versa. Either way, there are many things to consider when looking at venues!