Outdoor venue risks Pros/cons

Generally your venue will have a backup plan whether that's putting up a tent the day before (that you pay for) or moving it into a totally indoor area. If your venue doesn't have any back up plans, budget for a tent big enough (this will be pretty pricey) to shield you two, the officiant, bridal party, and all guests so nobody is rained on.

We had no plan B. It honestly was very stressful, and we got INSANELY lucky (75 degrees and breezy at 6pm, 0% chance of rain the whole day).

I would make sure you have an indoor back up plan.

An indoor backup space was an absolute requirement. We picked our date based upon the availability of the onsite chapel at our reception space, we have both the garden and chapel booked for our wedding day.

Worst case, you can see if your reception space can be used for the ceremony and flipped during cocktail hour. Another option is renting large tents that you can cancel the day before if needed - that was another option we discussed.

One of the #1 questions for your potential venue is exactly that, "What is your weather contingency plan?" Don't accept "it never rains" as an answer. You don't need to come up with a plan B so much as your venue does, but it depends. a barn wedding would move into the barn, a lakeside wedding into the lakeside house probably, it depends. My venue has a ballroom for reception we would use as Plan B for rain.

My DH and I wanted an outdoor wedding but we live in Missouri where it literally could have snowed or have been 90 degrees in November, so we looked for places that brought the outdoors in. We ended up getting married in a butterfly house, but there are lots of indoor gardens, greenhouses, indoor botanical gardens etc. that you can get married in to have the outdoor feel without the stress of weather!

We planned an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception. Our venue allowed us to decide the day of the wedding if we wanted to proceed with the plans to do the ceremony outdoors or if we wanted to move it inside. Had we needed to move it inside, they would have set up the ceremony in half of their ballroom, ushered guests to the cocktail hour area outside of the ballroom (our cocktail hour was supposed to be in that area even if the ceremony was going to be outdoors), and then flipped the ballroom to be ready for dinner and the rest of the reception.

It was a comfort knowing we had a solid backup plan.

Are you planning an entirely outdoor wedding?

Personally - I knew we did not want an outdoor reception. I hate the idea of having to sit outside in the heat or cold once it gets dark, dealing with lighting and bug buzzing around everyones food. However, we did want an outdoor ceremony but with it being early september in our area we knew there was a chance of high heat/inclimate weather. So we made sure to book a venue where we loved the inside ceremony space just as much as we loved the out door one. We wanted our guests comfort to come before any aesthetics. So we made sure our plan B or backup plan for bad weather - made us just as happy and affected as little as possible. This way guest attend the same venue and the venue said we have until the morning of to decide where to set up the chairs.

Ask the venues you are looking at, they can tell you what they usually do. Where are you planning to have your ceremony?

It's funny, I had been to so many outdoor weddings and seen so many of my friends stress over whether the weather would turn out well. Even lied to my friend and told her it wasn't snowing so she wouldn't freak out (she was already having panic attacks the day of). I swore I'd never leave such an important day to be dependent on such a fickle thing like the weather...and yet, I'm glad I took the risk.

Our wedding was to be outdoors for the ceremony in a garden and indoors for the reception. It was our requirement when looking at venues that they could accommodate a 100% indoor reception and had a great backup plan for bad weather. Ironically, we went with a venue that met none of our requirements because it was SO INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL...and we got lucky with 75 degree weather in August. Usually it's crazy humid and hot.

We did have a plan B with the venue to have everything indoors inside the main room, but I'm glad it didn't come to that. I recommend coordinating with your venue for a good plan B, and not leaving things to chance in the slightest (unlike me). Depending on your region, September can be either a good month or a bad month. It is hurricane season, but if there's no rain the weather is great.

We had our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all outside. But we also had about 4 backup plans depending on the type of weather and when. I wouldn't use an outdoor venue without a back up plan.

We had a backup indoor space at the venue, only our reception was going to be outside anyways with the reception indoors. Definitely have a back up, my wedding day was gorgeous out all day until I got in the limo, then it proceeded to downpour for the next 8 hours!

Our venue has an indoor area for us to use if the weather is lousy! We love our venue for how beautiful it is outside, and we were really lucky that their backup space is lovely too!

We did an entirely indoor wedding (except for pictures, which was a nightmare because on a day that it hasn't rained in the past 10 years according to the weather channel, it rained). We went to an outdoor wedding that had a rain plan and they moved everything indoors. They were offered tents by the venue but they were told the GM (which included my DH) and groom would have to set the tents up. Nope! They paid the extra $2k to have it indoors

Most venues will have an indoor option as plan B

The only plan B is to be sure there is a location at the venue that is inside and prepared beforehand incase of bad weather. However, September is a lovely month - sunshine. The only risk is that there may be wind which would pick up on the videographer's mics. So, tossing flowers may fly around, but that's not such a bad thing. You have to look at the weather a week in advance and plan accordingly. Dresses should be a bit heavier than say, a light chiffon. More like satin or layers of organza and perhaps not too revealing unless you plan on having an over jacket that you can take off for the reception.