Dubsdread Catering Event Specialist Peighton Ballant Shares Her Experience 

When someone says,“Yes!” tears are shed, memories are made, and a whole new adventure begins… the planning of the big day. Oh, yes. The next weeks and months, maybe even years, are spent together deciding all the details, crossing all the ‘T’s and dotting all the ‘I’s until the big day.

The adventure really begins with the first big decision a couple makes…where to have the ceremony and reception. Selecting the perfect venue for your taste, style, event size, and location ultimately leads inevitably to that oh so important question - indoor or outdoor ceremony?

After “seeing it all” in event planning, let me share my experiences to hopefully help you in your decision:

INDOOR PROS:

• Weather: When it comes to an indoor ceremony, there is no need to worry about the weather ruining any plans. With a lovely roof over your head you can ensure you won’t be stressing about any last-minute changes due to Mother Nature.
• Decorating: Often an outdoor ceremony has limited decorating space. With an indoor ceremony you have more freedom to decorate the walls, the ceiling, and have a lot more creative control over the background and overall look for pictures.
• Air Conditioning: With Florida’s year-round sunshine, air conditioning is one of our biggest blessings. You don’t have to worry about the humidity ruining any hair or makeup when you choose an indoor ceremony.

INDOOR CONS:

• More décor: While an indoor ceremony space allows for more decorating freedom, all of the décor costs will definitely add up. If you’re wanting to keep your ceremony budget lighter to focus on your reception, an indoor ceremony will not help with this.
• Limitations on size: An indoor setting often limits you to a smaller guest count compared to an outdoor space. If you are expecting to have a larger gathering, an indoor ceremony may be tight, or even make you cut your guest count.
• Less room for photographers: Because indoor spaces are typically smaller and tighter, it impacts the amount of room room for the photographer to move around. They may be limited on what angles they are able to take pictures from as not to disturb the ceremony. I
• Shed some light on it: Indoor lighting can be tricky, especially if windows are involved. Make sure to walk the space during the timeframe your expecting to hold the ceremony to assure the lighting is workable for you, photographs, and guests.

OUTDOOR PROS:

• Natural/Beautiful Look and Lighting: Sunrise, sunset, golden hour… all three are beautiful natural lighting that you can achieve with an outdoor ceremony. Your photos will have stunning color schemes, and the environment can allow for more fun, spacious, and unique photographs compared to being in a confined room.
• Less décor: When you have an outdoor ceremony, there’s already so much décor that is natural to the environment around you. You will save a lot of money not having to worry about adding much ambiance to the area.
• Larger Spaces: Whether it be in a courtyard, a field, or even by the beach, outdoor ceremony spaces tend to have a lot more room and can make a larger guest count a lot more comfortable. Your photographer and DJ also have a lot more space to move around and set up equipment.

OUTDOOR CONS:

• Weather: You never know when Florida may decide to spend an entire week raining or have temperatures close to freezing and cause both you and your guests to be uncomfortable. You also need to take into consideration where the sun is setting so that it is not in everyone’s faces when you’re saying your vows.
• Two Plans Needed: This is especially true if you plan your wedding for hurricane season, or another month when Florida never has consistent weather. You may need to prepare to move your wedding indoors and have some décor set aside. You also need to ensure the staff at your venue is also able to accommodate a last-minute change if it comes down to it.

Whether you choose an indoor or outdoor ceremony, above all your venue team should listen to your needs and provide insights and best practices for the specific venue to help you achieve your perfect day.

Peighton Ballant is an Event Specialist with the Dubsdread Catering Team and is currently working on her Event Management degree at UCF. Peighton enjoys working with prospective couples to discover what they are most interested in bringing to their special day, and how to make those ideas come to life. Contact her today at [email protected].