Venue plan b?

I would only book a venue that has indoor and outdoor options. I wouldn’t risk not having a backup option.

My venue charged a $100 to reserve an indoor room in the event we needed to change to our plan b.

We booked a venue that had an indoor backup ceremony location on-site, and an indoor reception area. Good thing we did because it poured most of our wedding week and we wound up using the indoor location, which we actually really liked (it was a garden conservatory).

Are you planning to have both the ceremony and reception outside or were you thinking just the ceremony would be outdoors?

We planned for inclement weather by booking our wedding at a venue where the cocktail hour and reception would be indoors no matter what, and that had outdoor options for our ceremony. In the event it was too cold, to windy, raining, or snowing, our venue allowed us to choose the day of if we wanted to move our ceremony indoors. Cocktail hour was going to be held in the venue's conservatory, right by the ballroom's entrance, so the venue's backup plan was to hold the ceremony in the ballroom our reception was going to be held in, usher guests into the conservatory following the ceremony, and then reset the ballroom for the reception during cocktail hour. While there was snow on the ground a week before our wedding, we ended up with 70 degree weather the day of and didn't have to use the backup plan.

Some couples planning an entirely outdoor event would at least rent a tent as a backup plan, but if snow is a possibility in your area, I don't think a tent and outdoor heaters is a great option. I'd make sure the venue you're booking has an indoor space that will be available to you if it looks like you won't have ideal weather conditions.

Ideally your venue should offer options for a backup plan. Do they have an indoor space available? Are you planning on having the reception outside as well?

Our venue is a campground. We have a pavilion available for use. I am very set on having it there unless we absolutely cannot reach it due to floods.

We have two Plan B options. First one is if it’s raining we go inside (we’re having our ceremony at an art gallery outside) but then our time gets pushed from 4pm-530pm. Second option for Plan B is using the lobby at our reception venue, however, we would have to anticipate this a week in advance and it would cost us an additional $500 (and we would lose our art gallery deposit).

If your location doesn't offer a back up plan you could maybe have a back up tent rental so if you still have to have it outside you at least won't be out in the rain, although the flooding could cause problems. I don't think you'll be able to reserve a different indoor location unless you completely book the place. You won't know if it's going to rain until probably the week of and I can't see a location holding a date for a just in case scenario.

I would book a venue that has a indoor and outdoor options.

Are you planning to have the reception outside too? If not, is the reception venue an option for the ceremony? That’s what we’re doing - planning for an outdoor park (without any pavilions) but rain plan will be in reception venue...at no additional cost!

We only looked at venues that provided both an indoor and outdoor option on site. We wanted to make the decision and transition from outdoor to indoor due to weather as smooth as possible. The added benefit was that we would be able to decide as late as the morning of our wedding, as well as not having to stress about having to call all our guests and let them know the plan had changed, where to be and when. It's a lot of planning and effort to change a venue when you have to make a call the week of due to weather.