How to Decide Between an Indoor or Outdoor Wedding Venue?

One of the most important decisions a couple that is soon to be married has to make is choosing the wedding venue for the ceremony. The options nowadays are endless: exquisite ballrooms, lush gardens, sunny beaches, beautiful hotels. Those are only some of the options, and that is the problem. So many options to choose from, so much to decide, and as always, so little time!

But instead of being paralyzed by having to choose between all of the options available for a wedding venue, let’s break it down so that the decision is easier. Instead of choosing between dozens of different scenarios for your wedding, let’s focus our energies on only two options. The choice between an indoor wedding venue and an outdoor wedding venue. Now that’s a lot more manageable – especially for your premarital anxiety. 

There are a lot of factors still to consider, even if there are only two options now. Things like number of guests, weather, decoration scheme, etc. But don’t worry: in this article we will examine both options, the pros and cons of each one, so that you can better decide for yourself which one is the best for you. Indoor or outdoor wedding venue? Let’s find out!

1. The Indoor Wedding Venue

So, let’s start indoors. If you already have an idea that your wedding is going to be a small one, something for close friends and family, then this is a very good option – almost a no-brainer. The thing is, space is at a premium here. That is something both good and bad at the same time. The good side of it is that decorating is a lot easier (there is a lot less space to cover), and decorations tend to be in place once you put them where they belong.

If you really care about the decoration, and have a singular vision for the design of the venue that can’t change – you want it just the way you dreamed it – then consider an indoor event. A lot can happen in an outdoor space, and something can be blown away by the wind. Indoors, the things you choose stay there until you take them out.

Being in an enclosed space, photographers will have a better and easier time taking the most beautiful wedding shots. Indoor is the best for choosing different food styles, with a lot of menu options that just work here; if that is the most important thing for you, then there you have it. 

However, If you want a lot of people in the same space to see all that decoration, the space has to be huge. That is, much more expensive overall. The decoration costs can get out of control too, and fast. Also, if you don’t want to trouble yourself with the number of guests, then the indoor wedding venue is not for you. Unfortunately, an indoor venue can be very limiting.

2. The Outdoor Wedding Venue

Ah, the great outdoors! And great they are. Let’s start stating the most obvious thing first: with an outdoor venue for your wedding, you can have a large event, with hundreds of guests. If you have a big family, lots of friends, and they all must be invited, an outdoor wedding venue is a necessity. The extra space available will let you have everyone you care about (from both sides) at the same place for the ceremony. If that’s something really important to you, don’t even consider the other option.

Also, outdoor events can be exceptionally beautiful under a sunny sky or a full moon. The scenery is the decor, and many times you don’t need a lot of decoration to have the most beautiful wedding. It’s also great for your photos – not so much for the photographers, but hey, that’s why they are being paid. The scenery, complemented by natural lighting, can create some of the most perfect photos, and sometimes it will feel like you are in a movie.

Another great thing about an outdoor venue is that it’s a family friendly environment. There’s a lot of space for your loved one’s little cousins to run around and not hit any of the decorations. There’s plenty of space for you to set up some outdoor games or activities, but not only for the young ones, but for the adults too. There’s room for you to adapt to every scenario.

There are only three cons to speak of here: the weather, the bugs, and the costs. None of them are a deal breaker, to be honest: the weather can be a problem, so you must choose the date very carefully, or if you are scared of the rain anyway, set up some nice tents. The bugs can be annoying, but you can take care of those too with some repellent and other tricks. The real problem is the eventual costs: if it’s too cold outside, you have to rent heaters. If it’s raining, tents; if it’s too hot, air-conditioners and fans. 

Conclusion

The choice is yours, of course, but the clear winner of our little pros-and-cons game has to be the outdoor wedding venue. Just because Summer is almost here, and the fact that everything you can do indoors you can do outdoors. The opposite is not true. But still, if you feel like you need some more convincing to either side, read this ‘Top 100 Outdoor Wedding Venues in the US’ list. If you know what are the best outdoor options out there, it will definitely help you on your wedding venue journey.