Should You Have An Indoor Or Outdoor Wedding?

Indoor Or Outdoor

When planning your Central Coast wedding, you may be wondering if you should have an indoor or outdoor wedding. In this post, I’ll talk about the advantages and disadvantages to each option. I’ll also let you know my personal favorite. Hopefully, you’ll be able to make a more educated decision about your own wedding by the end.

Venues

Your wedding venue will be one of the main deciding factors when it comes to your options. Many venues in San Luis Obispo only offer outdoor spaces, while others might be able to offer both.
Most wineries in the area are able to offer amazing views for outdoor weddings. They can sometimes offer their barrel room or a dining hall if you would prefer an indoor space. Honestly, most couples prefer the views of an outdoor wedding.

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tables set up at a wedding reception at Tiber Canyon

Outdoor Wedding Considerations

Outdoor weddings and receptions have a lot to offer and are usually a great choice in San Luis Obispo. Let’s look at some things to consider.

Weather – hot or windy days might not be the best for an outdoor wedding
Insects – depending on the time of year, there might be a lot of mosquitos or other insects to contend with
Lighting – if the venue doesn’t have light for the reception, you’ll need to provide your own
Decor – Nature will take care of most of this for you
Space – Outdoor weddings have very few space limitations making them perfect for large weddings with lots of guests

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Indoor Wedding Considerations

Indoor weddings and receptions are great for a multitude of reasons, but also have a few drawbacks. Here are some thoughts.

Weather – you won’t need to worry about this at all and indoor spaces can be great on a hot day, as long as there’s A/C
Lighting -indoor spaces can be very dark. You’ll likely want to add much more light than the space provides
Decor – this will likely be your biggest expense with an indoor venue. Unless it’s got everything you want, you’ll need to decorate it all
Space – Indoor wedding are very limited on space. Barns offer a very large area, but most places won’t have a lot of space. If you’re having your ceremony and reception indoors, you’ll need a large area or several different areas

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Combination Venues

If you want the best of both world, a venue that offers both indoor and outdoor spaces is the way to go. Many venues have a favorite outdoor location for the ceremony as well as a dining space indoors for the reception.

Choosing a venue that offers both an indoor and outdoor space will allow you much more flexibility when planning your wedding. Once you have your guest list ready, you can plan the spaces according to the needs of your guests.

Location Matters

In San Luis Obispo county, we are lucky enough to have amazing weather year-round. Our wedding venues are tailored to this and offer what works best in the area. However, if you live in an area where it snows or rains a lot, you’ll want to factor that into your decision about having an indoor or outdoor wedding