Outdoor reception - experience as a guest?

I've been to a few different outdoor weddings as a guests and there aren't really any that I was 100% comfortable at. It was either warm and muggy, or chilly and the heaters were not close enough to make a difference. I don't like to have to bring/wear jackets for an indoor/outdoor space if i could potentially be hot then cold from dancing.

As a bride, we chose to have everything indoors so we didn't need to worry about the temperature or the weather. It just gave me more of a piece of mind. Of course you know the weather in your area best! Just a personal opinion that I'm not a fan of totally outdoor weddings.

I've been to a few outdoor weddings but prefer the ones that were partially outdoors with an inside area for dancing. My cousin had an outdoor wedding in mid October, in eastern Washington, and it was a lovely sunny day but did get a little chilly at night. They provided blankets and warned guests ahead of time to bring a jacket and I think they had heaters in the tents too. Their tents were all open sided but had the option of being enclosed in case of wind and rain. My wedding will be partially inside and outside since the reception will be in an open air pavilion but ceremony will be in the forest. We're outdoorsy people too but like that we'll at least have the safety of the pavilion in case of rain and wind.

We're doing our ceremony outside (as long as the weather cooperates) then the reception will be indoors. I don't mind asking my guests to sit outside for 30 minutes for the ceremony, but it may be hot so I would rather have indoors so everyone can stay comfortable. We'll probably have some games outdoors during the reception so people can go in/out as they please more so.

So, we're in So Cal, and daughter's wedding was this just past January. She and SIL really wanted an outdoor ceremony & cocktail hour, BUT we ONLY considered venues that had an excellent "plan B" where everything could be inside if necessary. To say we lucked out is an understatement. It poured for five days straight leading up to the wedding, and then, in the middle of the rehearsal, it stopped (so we went outside to do a second walk-through since we had to do the first one inside to keep from getting soaked), and we didn't have another drop for the next four days. At ceremony time, it was a "warmish" 76 degrees on the patio (I actually had a quick thought of, "I hope people aren't too hot..."). Ceremony & cocktail hour happened on the patio, as desired, then we moved into a temperature-controlled pavilion for the reception. (As a side-note, EVERY weekend since the wedding it has poured here, so we really did luck out! ) I think it's fine to plan for events to be outside in So Cal, but I strongly recommend only going with a venue that will give you the option to move everything inside, if necessary. (The week of the wedding would have been incredibly stressful for us, as the rain poured down, if we didn't know we had a good rain plan.) Good luck!

My friend had an outdoor, top-tented wedding in September here in PA. It was chilly enough to put a sweater on top of my bridesmaid dress for the reception, but otherwise the sun was out. I didn't experience any bugs but that's because PA it is probably colder than in CA at that time. I thought it was really fun cuz for those staying at the cabin overnight we all changed into jeans and sweatshirts, had a bonfire, and kept drinking after the reception was over! Basically I thought it was fine, no issues! I think outdoor weddings can look very beautiful. Tents weren't my thing but that was a must for the space and it had rained the night before.

I think an outdoor wedding in Southern California in October is totally fine. The great thing about socal (I grew up in Carlsbad) is the lack of wind & bugs! Compared to some parts in the country, where that would ruin the event. I would look into maybe a tent for rain/wind though and heat lamps.

I don't think there is anything wrong with outdoor receptions as long as you prepare for the weather. A plan B for rain.

Given that you're in SoCal you shouldn't have any problems. I've been in a wedding in Portland, OR in June and it rained an hour before the ceremony and everything was soaked! The guys had to rush over early to salvage what they could and rearrange the hall inside. Unfortunately the venue did not provide support and everything was left to us to manage.

My suggestion: if you're looking for an outdoor venue consider a back plan or at least venue that can help flip your space if needed.

So glad you got the one non-rainy weekend! We've definitely had an unusual amount of rain this past month, which is probably why I'm even questioning the outdoor reception to begin with - it's hard to be excited hunting for wedding venues when it's pouring.

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I agree having a Plan B is definitely smart in the event of unpredictable weather, and have found that some of my favorite venues only have a Plan B in the form of paying $2-3k to rent a tent. I'd much prefer the option to just move things indoors if needed.

Where are you looking in So Cal and what are you looking for? We visited 10 venues in OC from Fullerton to San Clemente, and I am happy to share info, if you're looking in this area. (We mostly looked at inclusive & semi-inclusive venues, and found that for 100 people they were pretty consistently all around $15000, including ceremony/reception spaces, plated meal, full "basic" bar or wine & beer, all furnishings, linens, tableware, etc., including tax & service charge. With upgraded bar, meal, and additional tips, we were at around $22000 for the charges related to the venue.)