Pros and Cons of Outdoor Wedding Venues
Pros and Cons of Outdoor Wedding Venues
Key pros and cons of booking outdoor wedding venues for your I Dos
An outdoor wedding with the backdrop of a beautiful outdoor wedding venue has become very popular for good reason. That said, many other couples find the stress of unpredictable weather to be too much. There are a few key pros and cons to booking an outdoor wedding venue and I've broken them down for you below.
Bradford Barn wedding ceremony
Cons of an Outdoor Wedding
The Weather: This is the biggest worry of any wedding outside. Mother Nature is unpredictable... hot, cold, sun, rain, snow. Who knows?!
Additional Costs: Some outdoor wedding locations are in parks and public areas so you'll need to rent a tent, chairs, tables, decor etc. It's a good idea to seek out wedding venues that offer outdoor ceremony/reception options as they will typically be able to provide all of those additional items for you.
Availability: Since most outdoor weddings are held in the summer months that means many other couples are looking to do the same thing you are. This creates a supply and demand issue. There are only so many Saturdays in a summer so availability becomes an issue.
Bugs: Bug spray doesn't smell the greatest and up here in Muskoka you'll be dealing with those little suckers when you're outside.
Pros of an Outdoor Wedding
The View: Imagine your guests watching your ceremony while behind you in the distance is an amazing view of a lake, rock cliffs and large trees.
Atmosphere: Going along with the view are the sounds of nature all around you and your guests. A light breeze through the leaves. Birds chirping in the trees. Amazing!
Spacious: Large lawns and rolling hills are great for setting up fun games for your guests. It allows for plenty of options for cocktail hour and mingling. If you have kids at your wedding there will be plenty of things for them to do and see as opposed to a closed-in banquet hall.
Light: From my nerdy photographer point of view, indoor lighting is simply unflattering and uninteresting most times. Being outside with natural light flooding all around you always provides the best lighting conditions.
Freedom: You're able to think outside the 4 walls of a banquet hall and create a vision for your day that best suits you and your partner
Dual duty: Most outdoor wedding venues have a backup indoor option for you, sometimes two or three. So just in case it rains or it's just too cold outside - you're covered.
Holland Marsh Winery ceremony photo