You’re engaged! Congratulations! We hope you’ve spent time celebrating your engagement with your close friends and family, but now it’s time to get to the business of wedding planning.

The first item on your wedding planning checklist is picking your date and your wedding venue, which often go hand-in-hand. And when you’re choosing your wedding venue, one of the biggest questions you’ll need to ask yourself is, do you want an indoor or outdoor wedding ceremony?

Knowing whether indoor or outdoor is right for your big day will help you narrow your search for the perfect venue because not all venues offer both options. But how do you know which ceremony style is right for you? Read on for our tips and tricks on how to decide between having an indoor or outdoor wedding ceremony.

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Indoor vs. Outdoor Wedding: How to Decide

The weather is the first major factor that can help you decide between having an outdoor wedding or not. 

If you’re getting married in August, it will likely be pretty hot no matter where you are in the country. That doesn’t mean you can’t still have a gorgeous outdoor wedding in the summer, even in Texas. It just means there are other things you’ll need to consider.

You can provide hand-held fans to keep your guests cool during the ceremony without adding any extra noise. Or you can hold the ceremony at a time of day when the sun won’t be as intense or facing directly over your ceremony location. Pro tip—Kendall Point will guide you on the perfect ceremony start time based on sunset times in the Hill Country! General rule is to host your outdoor ceremony 1.5 hours before sunset.

For a fall wedding, you can get the best of both worlds with warm daytime temperatures for your ceremony and a comfortable breeze during the reception.

If you’re thinking of a winter wedding when temperatures are much colder, you’ll want to consider providing space heaters for your guests. And don’t forget about the rain!

Having an outdoor wedding ceremony comes with some risks and extra planning, but you shouldn’t let that sway you if it’s what you truly want for your big day. You can always opt for a shorter ceremony so it’s less time outdoors and less to plan.

No matter the season, if your heart is set on an outdoor wedding ceremony, it’s crucial that you have a backup plan.

If you can’t stop stressing out and worrying about the weather ruining your special day, don’t worry. That’s a good sign that maybe you should consider a more mild, more predictable season for your wedding. Or simply move the ceremony indoors to alleviate all that worrying.

When you go on your wedding venue tours, be sure to ask about their experience with outdoor weddings in all seasons so they can give you the best advice and tell you how their venue handles the elements.

The Pros and Cons of Having An Indoor Wedding Ceremony

As we’ve just said, the major pro to holding your wedding ceremony indoors is you have more control. You don’t have to worry about the weather ruining or delaying anything, and your guests will be more comfortable throughout.

Depending on the location, some outdoor wedding venues may be closed for a particular season, so you might be unable to choose your ideal wedding date. With an indoor venue, that’s rarely an issue. And because the weather isn’t an issue, indoor wedding venues tend to have more open dates. An indoor venue may also have more all-inclusive packages and predetermined logistics that make wedding planning easier for you.

Indoor locations can also provide a more intimate setting for you and your guests, and they give you almost complete control over the decorations and tone of the wedding. When your wedding is outdoors, the location’s natural landscape and colors dictate your wedding theme. But when you move things inside, you can choose whatever theme you want.

However, this decorating freedom can be a con if you take it too far. The more decorations you need to provide, the bigger the strain it will be on your wedding budget.

And if you’re hoping to have a big wedding with as many guests as possible, you might have difficulty finding an indoor space to accommodate your guest list without going over your budget.

Every pro has a con, and in your early days of wedding planning, it’s crucial to pick what items are most important to you on your wedding day.

The Pros and Cons of Having An Outdoor Wedding Ceremony

The weather is the biggest, most apparent con to having an outdoor wedding ceremony.

If you dream of having a winter wonderland wedding outdoors, you’ll need to keep your guests comfortable and warm. If you have to have a summer sunset in the background of your photos, don’t forget about all the insects, humidity, and scattered thunderstorms that come with the season.

While weather can be unpredictable and a significant planning headache, a huge pro to having your wedding outside is your photos will turn out spectacular. Nothing beats the natural light, and your photographer will know how to find the perfect spots and angles to capture every stunning moment.

You also have plenty of space when you choose an outdoor ceremony and an easier time decorating. Let the scenery guide you when choosing your color palette and floral arrangements.

As we’ve said, if you choose to have an outdoor wedding ceremony, you most definitely need a backup plan, but there are more things to consider. Provide bug spray for your guests, and be prepared to have some critters buzzing around your bouquet and other floral arrangements.

Get the Best of Both Worlds With a Kendall Point Wedding

Many couples go back and forth over whether or not to have their wedding indoors or outdoors, and the great news is you don’t always have to decide.

At Kendall Point, you can have the picturesque outdoor wedding ceremony you’ve always dreamed of and then move things inside to our Grand Ballroom for the reception. Plus, our outdoor patio is a beautiful spot for cocktail hour, and it’s also our second outdoor ceremony location that has a bit more coverage for you and your guests. 

And because your package includes full access to our facilities on your wedding day, we already have a backup plan in place if the weather causes a problem. We’ll move your wedding ceremony inside at the drop of a hat and you won’t have to left a finger (or pay an extra dime).

Contact us today to schedule a venue tour and start the journey to your dream wedding.